Miami Takes on Florida State Wednesday
Jan. 20, 2009
CORAL GABLES, FLA… – The University of Miami men’s basketball team returns home for a pair of ACC games, beginning with Wednesday’s contest versus in-state rival Florida State at 7:30 p.m. at the BankUnited Center.
Game 18: Miami (13-4, 2-2 ACC) vs. Florida State (15-3, 2-1 ACC)
Date: Wed., Jan. 21, 2009 | Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST) | Site: BankUnited Center
TV: None | Radio: 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN Deportes | Internet Video: ACC Select (www.theacc.com/accselect/index.html)
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) |Florida State (www.seminoles.com)
Tickets: 1-800-GO-CANES
Projected Miami Starters
No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast
01 Lance Hurdle (G, 6-2, 183, Sr.) 7.1 1.5 2.6
33 Jack McClinton (G, 6-1, 185, Sr.) 17.2 2.9 2.9
31 DeQuan Jones (G/F, 6-6, 217,Fr.) 3.9 2.4 0.6^
20 Cyrus McGowan (F, 6-9, 236, R-Jr.) 6.9 6.1 0.8^
21 Dwayne Collins (F, 6-8, 238, Jr.) 11.8 7.6 1.1*
Projected Florida State Starters
No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast
23 Toney Douglas (G, 6-2, 200, Sr.) 18.9 4.2 2.6
31 Chris Singleton (F, 6-9, 220, Fr.) 9.2 6.1 1.3^
22 Derwin Kitchen (G, 6-4, 180, So.) 8.8 4.2 2.3
41 Uche Echefu (F, 6-9, 225, Sr.) 8.1 4.6 0.6
32 Solomon Alabi (C, 7-1, 241, Fr.) 7.1 5.4 2.1^
^ blocks per game * steals per game
THE SERIES
Florida State leads the all-time series versus Miami, 33-27, and has won five-straight over the Hurricanes — including a 75-72 overtime decision in Tallahassee in their last meeting on March 8, 2008. In that 2007-08 regular-season finale, Jack McClinton broke the 1,000-point mark with a 22-point performance.
SUNSHINE STATE SERIES
Miami is 5-0 versus Sunshine State opponents in 2008-09, having defeated Florida Southern, Stetson, FIU, North Florida and Florida Atlantic. The Hurricanes are 317-151 (.677) all-time versus in-state opponents, including a 19-6 (.760) mark under head coach Frank Haith. Miami has won 50 of its last 60 games versus Florida schools, dating back to the 1992-93 season.
Jack McClinton has scored in double-figures a team-high 13 times versus in-state opponents — including a 31-point effort versus Florida State in 2006-07. Brian Asbury and Dwayne Collins have eight double-figure scoring games versus Sunshine State opponents, followed by James Dews with six.
WHAT HAVE U DONE FOR ME LATELY
Jack McClinton is averaging 18.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists over his last nine appearances, shooting .483 from long range and .829 from the line. He has scored 20-plus points five times in that span, including 21 points at North Carolina on Saturday.
Over the last four games, Dwayne Collins is averaging 14.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, while Adrian Thomas is contributing 9.3 points (.560 FG%, .500 3FG%) and 2.5 rebounds per game over the same span — including hitting nine of his 14 three-pointers on the year.
RECAPPING CAROLINA
The Hurricanes led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the No. 6/5 Tar Heels fought back with seven three-pointers by Wayne Ellington and won their second-straight ACC game with an 82-65 decision over Miami in Chapel Hill.
True freshman DeQuan Jones’ electrifying dunk in the first half against the Tar Heels was named the top play of the night on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays.
With a team-high 21 points, Jack McClinton registered his seventh 20-plus point scoring game of the season and the 28th of his career — which ties for ninth best in UM history. He has reached the 20-point mark versus three of the four ranked teams the Hurricanes have played this year — 27 vs. No. 2/2 UConn, 20 vs. No. 25/25 Clemson and 21 vs. No. 6/5 North Carolina. He finished with 12 versus No. 17/24 Boston College.
Jimmy Graham grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for his second double-figure rebound performance of the season and the sixth of his career. He also put up a team-high two blocks versus the Tar Heels to move up two spots into a tie with Gary Hamilton (2002-06) for ninth place in program history with 85 career blocks.
It marked the first true road loss of the season for the Hurricanes as they moved to 3-1 on the road and 5-2 away from the BankUnited Center (including neutral site games). Miami’s only other loss away from home was to UConn in the Paradise Jam semifinals in the Virgin Islands.
START IT UP
True freshman DeQuan Jones made just his second start of the season at North Carolina on Saturday. He registered his first collegiate start in the Dec. 31 win over North Florida and was the first true freshman to start for the Hurricanes in over a year — since Eddie Rios cracked the lineup in a 95-64 win over North Carolina A&T on Dec. 23, 2007.
In two starts this season, Jones is averaging 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block per game, while shooting .438 from the field and 1.000 from the charity stripe (2-2).
