Hurricanes Head to NC State for Sunday Tilt
Jan. 22, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
RALEIGH, N.C… The University of Miami men’s basketball team returns to the road for the third time in five ACC games this season to take on NC State at RBC Center for a noon tilt on Sun., Jan. 23. The ACC Network will be carrying the game on various affiliates across the country, including on WBFS-My 33 in South Florida.
Game 19: Miami (12-6, 1-3) vs. NC State (11-7, 1-3)Date: Sun., Jan. 23, 2011 | Time: Noon | Site: RBC CenterTV: ACC Networks (WBFS-My 33 in South Florida) | Radio: 560 WQAM (WQAM.com |Web Video: www.theacc.com/live (only available to viewers inside the "ACC territory" -NC, SC, GA, FL, VA, MD, DC, MA, RI, ME, VT and NH)Websites: Miami (www.HurricaneSports.com) | NC State (www.GoPack.com)
Projected Miami StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast01 Durand Scott (G, 6-3, 200, So.) 13.9 4.4 3.203 Malcolm Grant (G, 6-1, 180, Jr.) 15.3 1.8 3.825 Garrius Adams (G, 6-6, 196, So.) 6.9 3.2 1.932 Erik Swoope (F, 6-6, 230, Fr.) 2.7 1.5 0.7*42 Reggie Johnson (C, 6-10, 303, So.) 11.8 9.6 1.2^
Projected NC State StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast02 Lorenzo Brown (G, 6-5, 186, Fr.) 8.9 3.4 3.205 CJ Leslie (F, 6-8, 206, Fr.) 11.2 8.0 1.7^10 Javier Gonzalez (G, 6-05, 176, Sr.) 4.9 1.5 2.115 Scott Wood (F, 6-6, 177, So.) 10.9 3.4 1.8^23 Tracy Smith (F, 6-8, 255, Sr.) 15.5 5.5 0.8
^ blocks per game | * steals per game
The Hurricanes come off Wednesday’s heartbreaking 55-53 loss to Florida State and bring a 1-3 conference record into Sunday’s game. Miami has already faced the three teams currently tied for No. 1 in the conference (as of Friday, Jan. 21), going 1-2 in that span while handing Boston College its first ACC loss of the season.
The Wolfpack rides a three-game slide into Sunday’s showdown and also owns a 1-3 ACC mark. They return to the hardwood following a 92-78 home loss to Duke. NC State’s three losses are at the hands of the teams tied for the league lead, while its lone win to date is a 90-69 victory over Wake Forest on Jan. 8. The Wolfpack is 8-2 at home this season, with the aforementioned loss to Duke and a 72-62 loss to Arizona on Dec. 19.
FILLING THE STAT SHEETJunior Malcolm Grant stayed in Coral Gables over the summer, working on his game and dropping some weight. The hard work is showing as the 6-1 Brooklyn native ranks among the ACC’s top five in four different statistical categories — free throw percentage (2), three-point field goals made (4), assists (5) and three-point field goal percentage (5). I n addition, he is seventh in the ACC in both scoring and minutes played. He is among just six of the ACC’s premiere players to rank among the top five in as many categories, joining Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, Boston College’s Reggie Jackson, Maryland’s Jordan Williams, Duke’s Nolan Smith and North Carolina’s John Henson.
After averaging a solid 9.6 points per season in his first campaign for the Hurricanes in 2009-10 — ranking fourth-best on the squad, his average has increased 5.7 points per game to a team-high 15.3 points per game this season. After posting a season-high 18 points twice in 2009-10, he has scored 20-or-more points six times this season — including a career-high 26 points versus West Virginia in Miami’s 79-76 win on Dec. 4 and a game-high 20 points in Wednesday’s game versus Florida State, which marks a career high for Grant versus an ACC opponent.
QUICK HITS Miami is one of just two ACC schools — along with Boston College — with three players ranked among the conference’s top 20 leading scorers with Malcolm Grant (15.3 ppg, 7th), Durand Scott (13.9 ppg, 11th) and Reggie Johnson (11.8 ppg, 20th).
Following Sunday’s game at NC State, the Hurricanes — who have played three of their first five conference games on the road, will host three of its next four at the BankUnited Center, beginning on Wed., Jan. 26 versus North Carolina. Reggie Johnson grabs a team-high 23.5 percent of the available rebounds when he is on the court — 27.3 percent of the defensive boards (14th in the nation) and 19.5 percent of the offensive boards (third-best in the nation). UM’s second most active player on the glass is Raphael Akpejiori, who pulls down 18.1 percent of the rebounds when he’s in the game.
Malcolm Grant and Reggie Johnson are among the most improved scorers in the ACC. After posting 6.4 points per game as a redshirt freshman in 2010, Johnson’s average has leapt 5.4 points per game to 11.8 points an outing this season. Grant’s average has increased 5.7 points per game, going from 9.6 points an outing as a redshirt sophomore in 2010 to a team-high 15.3 points per game this season.
Durand Scott has netted double figures in eight of the last nine games and in 22 of his last 27 games to rank second on the team and 11th in the ACC with 13.9 points per game.
In just his second season as a `Cane, Malcolm Grant’s 107 career three-pointers is tied for 10th among active ACC players, while his 40.9 percent career three-point field goal percentage ranks third in UM’s record book. He has hit a trey in five-straight games, tying for the eighth-longest active streak in the ACC.
Averaging 2.2 three-pointers per game — seventh in the ACC, Adrian Thomas is on pace to climb into UM’s top five in career threes by the end of the regular season. With 151 entering Wednesday’s game versus Florida State, he is ninth in the record books, but is on track to hit 180, which would put him in fifth place.
Over the last three games, sophomore Garrius Adams is averaging 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting 42.9 percent from long range and a perfect 100 percent from the charity stripe. Miami’s projected starting lineup is comprised of a true freshman, three sophomores and a junior.
THE SERIESNC State leads the all-time series versus Miami, 6-4, and won the last meeting between the teams with a 71-66 decision over the `Canes in Coral Gables on Feb. 27, 2010.
The teams have alternated wins and losses over the last seven meetings. If the pattern continues, the Hurricanes are due for a win on Sunday. Over that span, three of the games have gone into overtime — with the Wolfpack winning the last two meetings in Raleigh in OT.
In the last meeting between the teams, Tracy Smith and Javier Gonzalez scored 19 points apiece to lead NC State to the win, while former `Cane Dwayne Collins tallied a team-high 15 points and Durand Scott added 13 points, five assists and three steals. The game was tied 30-all at the half with NC State taking the lead for good on a pair of Dennis Horner free throws to go up 64-63 with 1:10 to go.
The Wolfpack is led by four players averaging double-figure scoring — Tracy Smith with 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game (including 18.3 points in six games since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 10 contests), Ryan Harrow with 11.4 points and 3.4 assists per game (ACC-high 93.7 percent from the line), CJ Leslie with 11.2 points and a team-high 8.0 boards an outing and sharpshooter Scott Wood with 10.9 points per game, including an ACC-high 2.8 three-pointers per game at a 43.9 percent clip.
CENTURY CLUBSixth-year player Adrian Thomas made his 100th career appearance in the Nov. 21st game at Rutgers, becoming the 34th Hurricane to accomplish this. Former teammates James Dews (2006-10) and Brian Asbury (2005-09) hold the Miami program record for career appearances with 130 apiece. With 113 career appearances to date, he is tied for 20th in program history alongside several former `Canes including assistant coach Jake Morton (1988-93). Should Thomas play in every game during the regular season, he will tally 127 appearances with an opportunity to break the record with an extended postseason.
CHAT WITH FELLOW `CANESLog onto HurricaneSports.com during Miami athletic events to chat with Miami insiders and other fans about the game and your favorite student-athletes. To join the chat, click on the Cover It Live program found online with each game’s preview, beginning 30 minutes before tip-off.
SECURE YOUR SEATS NOWIndividual game tickets for Miami’s ACC games are now on sale to the general public. The Hurricanes will host a regular slate of eight ACC games, welcoming the last two national champions to the BankUnited Center in top-ranked Duke on Sun., Feb. 13, and 2009 champs North Carolina on Wed., Jan. 26. Prices for most ACC games begin as low as $15. For additional information or to order season tickets, please contact the Hurricane Ticket Office online at www.hurricanesports.com or by phone at 1-800-GO-CANES.
