Canes Courtside: Miami Ready for ACC Play

Jan. 6, 2012

By: Camron Ghorbi

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – After a rash of injuries and question marks limited Head Coach Jim Larranaga to only six scholarship players for much of Miami’s non-conference schedule, Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference opener at No. 21/23 Virginia begins a new slate for the Hurricanes.

Riding a four-game winning streak into their conference schedule, the Canes have been boosted by the recent return of 2011 All-ACC honorable mention center Reggie Johnson (10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds) and senior swingman DeQuan Jones (7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds). After missing both players for the initial bulk of game action in November and December, the team is mostly healthy and fully ready to compete.

“We’re a team that has the physical make-up to be very good,” Larranaga said after the team’s latest performance against UNC Greensboro, a 99-89 win to wrap up their out-of-conference schedule.

Though they trailed the Spartans in the second half, the Hurricanes capped the calendar year with a 10-point win over UNCG at the BankUnited Center. No. 21/23 Virginia, boasting the best scoring defense in the ACC (50.4 points per game), will present a much different challenge for Coach L and staff than the high-flying Spartans.

“When you play Virginia, their style is more to play you to 50 [points],”Larranaga said. “You have to be capable of playing at different tempos throughout the season.”

When Coach Larranaga took over the program in April 2011, nine scholarship players making up 85.9 percent of the team’s scoring in 2010-11 were scheduled to return for the current season. By November, only six scholarship players (totaling 58.6 percent of the team’s scoring) were available due to injuries and other issues.

The Canes, who finished 9-4 in their tough out-of-conference schedule, were forced to rely heavily on newcomers like freshman Shane Larkin (8.8 points) and junior transfer Kenny Kadji (10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds) early on. Now, Coach Larranaga and staff can focus on battling the rigors of an ACC schedule rather than the pains of lingering injuries.

And though junior swingman Garrius Adams has remaining issues with a lower extremity, the recent return of Johnson and Jones has sparked the team’s current four-game winning streak.

Before Johnson’s return against Florida Atlantic on Dec. 17, the Canes were averaging just 67.2 points and connecting from the field at a meager 39.9 percent clip. In the four games since, the team is averaging a whopping 88.0 points per game and is shooting an impressive 55.7 percent from the field.

Jones has also shown considerable progress in his return, including an 11-point, eight-rebound performance against Appalachian State on Dec. 30.

Though the team has managed to impress as of late, Coach L is not expecting a perfect ACC season by any stretch.

“Mentally, we need to take some major steps forward,” he said after the win over UNC Greensboro. “In order for you to utilize your physical talents, you have to be mentally sharp. You have to be able to push your own buttons.”