Men's Basketball Opens Tough Stretch vs. No. 6/7 Wake Forest
Feb. 3, 2009
CORAL GABLES, FLA… – While the University of Miami men’s basketball team does not take any ACC opponent lightly, the Hurricanes face an especially challenging stretch as they take on three-straight conference opponents who have been ranked No. 1 during this season.
Miami, who will play two of its next three games at home, opens the stretch — and the second half of its ACC slate — at home versus No. 6/7 Wake Forest on Wed., Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the BankUnited Center.
Game 22: Miami (14-7, 3-5 ACC) vs. No. 6/7 Wake Forest (17-2, 4-2 ACC)
Date: Wed., Feb. 4, 2009 | Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST) | Site: BankUnited Center
TV: ESPN2 | Radio: 560 WQAM
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) |Wake Forest (www.wakeforestsports.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.) 7.3 1.5 2.8
33 Jack McClinton (G, 6-1, 185, Sr.) 18.4 3.4 3.2
32 Brian Asbury (G/F, 6-7, 221, Sr.) 7.1 4.9 1.0
30 Adrian Thomas (F, 6-7, 227, R-Jr.) 4.9 2.3 0.8
21 Dwayne Collins (F, 6-8, 238, Jr.) 12.2 7.6 1.0*
Projected Wake Forest Starters
No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast
00 Jeff Teague (G, 6-2, 180, So.) 20.6 3.9 3.7
23 James Johnson (F, 6-9, 245, So.) 13.6 7.9 1.7^
01 Al-Farouq Aminu (F, 6-9, 215, Fr.) 13.0 8.8 1.5^
13 Chas McFarland (C, 7-0, 235, Jr.) 9.7 6.6 0.9^
42 L.D. Williams (G, 6-4, 210, Jr.) 8.8 2.8 1.0*
^ blocks per game * steals per game
HERE WE GO!
By week’s end the Hurricanes will have played four teams who have been ranked No. 1 during this season – UConn, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Duke. The only team that has been ranked No. 1 this season that Miami is not slated to play during the regular season is Pitt.
MOVING FORWARD
Miami dropped three games — including two in overtime and two on the road — last week to close the first half of its ACC schedule with a 3-5 mark. It is one game ahead of where the 2007-08 Hurricanes — who finished fifth in the league and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament —were at this point last season (2-6).
The Hurricanes have a great opportunity to jump back into the limelight as they face the ACC’s top-three teams over the next two weeks. Following that stretch, Miami will have two home games and three road contests versus teams it has gone 2-1 against this season.
Following last weekend’s ACC schedule, Miami was one of just two ACC teams to have already completed half of its conference slate, while four teams had played just six conference games.
HOME SWEET HOME
Miami has gone 9-3 at home this season and 53-22 (.707) at home under fifth-year head coach Frank Haith, including seven wins over ranked opponents.
Jack McClinton averages a team-high 21.5 points and 4.0 assists in ACC games at the “BUC” this season, while Dwayne Collins adds 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per home ACC game. Six Miami players are putting up 6.5 points or more in those games, including three Hurricanes with 9.0 points or more.
THE SERIES
Wake Forest leads the all-time series versus Miami, 7-1, including a 70-68 win in their last meeting on Jan. 29, 2008 in Winston-Salem. The Hurricanes’ lone win over the Demon Deacons was a 78-69 decision in Coral Gables on Jan. 31, 2006. In the three games since then, Miami has lost by an average of just 2.7 points per game (a combined eight points).
In their last meeting, Ishmael Smith’s jumper with three seconds left lifted Wake Forest to the 70-68 victory. Jeff Teague scored a season-high 27 points for the Demon Deacons (13-6, 3-3 ACC), but it was Smith who kept Wake Forest’s 16-game home winning streak alive. Jack McClinton had 16 points to lead Miami (15-5, 2-4), and his layup with 1:26 left tied the game at 68-all. It wasn’t enough to keep the Hurricanes from their fourth loss in five games, and yet another close one at the Demon Deacons’ hands. Chas McFarland added 10 points for Wake Forest, and James Johnson — the team’s leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, was held to nine — all in the second half. Brian Asbury scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and Dwayne Collins finished with 12 for Miami, which shot nearly 55 percent.
UPROOTING THE RANKED
Fifth-year head coach Frank Haith has led the Hurricanes to 12 wins over ranked opponents — including seven at home. The Hurricanes have defeated at least one ranked team in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
A LOOK AT THE ACC
With two top-five teams and four squads ranked among the nation’s top 10, the ACC is widely considered the strongest men’s basketball conference in America. Three ACC teams have been ranked No. 1 this season — all of whom the Hurricanes will face in the next two weeks, while eight teams are ranked among the RPI’s top 55, making the ACC the top-ranked league in the RPI. In addition, five ACC teams have top-25 ranked strength of schedules (including Miami at No. 19).
Five ACC games came down to the wire last week, with a combined 4.8 seconds on the clock when the game-winning shots were made — NC State/Miami (2.6 in OT), North Carolina/Florida State (0.0), Wake Forest/Duke (0.8), Georgia Tech/Wake Forest (1.0), Boston College/Virginia Tech (0.4).
WHAT HAVE U DONE FOR ME LATELY
Jack McClinton has scored 20-or-more points in four of the last five games and is averaging 23.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the last four outings, while shooting .920 from the line (23-25).
Dwayne Collins is averaging 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per outing, while hitting .654 (17-26) from the field over the last three games. He finished with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the overtime effort versus Virginia Tech, including converting 9-of-12 free throws.
Collins has scored in double figures in four of the last five games and 14 times this season — including two 20-plus point efforts in January.
Brian Asbury has come on strong as of late and is contributing 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game over the last three outings, hitting four three-pointers over that span to give him eight on the season.
GOTTA HAVE HAITH
The Hurricane Gameday with Frank Haith airs on CSS Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and will re-broadcast on Mondays at 2:30 p.m. The show includes Coach Haith breaking down Miami and ACC basketball, player features and a guest appearance from a Miami staff member each week.
