Hurricanes Open Two-Game Road Trip at Boston College
Feb. 22, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
CHESTNUT HILL, MASS… The University of Miami men’s basketball team hits the road for three of its final four games of the regular season, beginning with Wednesday’s tilt at Boston College. The Hurricanes defeated the Eagles, 72-71, in the first meeting of the season between the longtime conference opponents at the BankUnited Center on Jan. 15.
Game 28: Miami (16-11, 4-8) vs. Boston College (16-10, 6-6)Date: Wed., Feb. 23, 2011 | Time: 7 p.m. | Site: Conte ForumTV: None | Radio: 560 WQAM (WQAM.com) | Web Video:
TheACC.comWebsites: Miami (www.HurricaneSports.com) | Boston College (www.bceagles.com)
Projected Miami StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast01 Durand Scott (G, 6-3, 200, So.) 13.6 4.5 3.203 Malcolm Grant (G, 6-1, 180, Jr.) 15.0 1.7 3.425 Garrius Adams (G, 6-6, 196, So.) 7.6 3.6 1.831 DeQuan Jones (G/F, 6-7, 219, Jr.) 4.9 2.5 0.642 Reggie Johnson (C, 6-10, 303, So.) 12.0 9.4 1.3^
Projected Boston College StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast00 Reggie Jackson (G, 6-3, 208, Jr.) 18.3 4.3 4.512 Joe Trapani (F, 6-8, 232, Sr.) 14.7 7.5 1.705 Biko Paris (G, 6-1, 194, Sr.) 10.1 2.2 3.552 Josh Southern (C, 6-10, 263, Sr.) 7.1 4.0 1.431 Danny Rubin (G, 6-6, 170, Fr.) 4.8 1.8 0.6
^ blocks per game | * steals per game
In Miami and Boston College’s first meeting this season, Durand Scott scored 19 points to lead UM to its first ACC win of the season, 72-71. Trailing 68-67 with 20.9 seconds left, BC had a chance to take the lead, but Julian Gamble blocked Reggie Jackson’s drive and then Garrius Adams then made two free throws for a 70-67 lead. To avoid a potential tying 3-pointer, Miami put Jackson on the line with 4.1 seconds left. He made one of two, and Miami’s Reggie Johnson grabbed the rebound and made two free throws to make it 72-68. Jackson made a largely inconsequential 3-pointer at the buzzer to close the scoring. Adrian Thomas had 13 points for Miami, and Adams added 12. For BC, Jackson led the way with 19, and Joe Trapani had 14. Corey Raji and Josh Southern each added 13.
Winners of four of their last six games, the Hurricanes have three games over seven days, beginning with last Sunday’s 63-59 loss to Clemson. Miami has back-to-back road games at Boston College and Florida State this week before returning home for Senior Day versus Maryland on Wed., March 2.
THE SERIES
With a conference rivalry dating back to both programs’ Big East days, Boston College has been Miami’s Achilles’ heel in the past. The Hurricanes have won four of the last six meetings between the programs, but prior to a 74-61 win in Coral Gables on March 5, 2008, UM had dropped 13-straight games to Boston College, as the Eagles lead the all-time series 24-12.
Miami has three players averaging double-figure scoring, led by the backcourt of Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott. Scoring in double figures in 20 of his last 23 games, Grant is contributing a team-high 15.0 points and 3.4 assists per game, while converting 87.5 percent from the line (2nd in the ACC), 42.2 percent from the field and an ACC-best 43.8 percent from long range, with league-high 2.6 three-pointers per game. Scott adds 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from downtown and 84.7 percent from the line (4th in the ACC). Big man Reggie Johnson — who knocked down a career-high 25 points in his homecoming at Wake Forest on Feb. 9 — has notched 10 double-doubles this season, and is averaging 12.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. B
oston College — who has split its last four games and is 5-1 at home in ACC play — has four players averaging double-figure scoring. Reggie Jackson averages a team-high 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists an outing and is among the ACC’s leaders in minutes played (2nd), scoring (3rd), assists (3rd), three-point field goal percentage (3rd), field goal percentage (4th), assist/turnover ratio (5th), three-point field goals made (6th) and free throw percentage (8th). Joe Trapani adds 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds an outing, while Corey Raji comes off the bench to contribute 11.9 points and 6.5 boards an outing. Biko Paris adds 10.1 points and 3.5 assists per game.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE
Miami and Boston College are the only schools to have three players ranked among the league’s top-20 scoring leaders, as the Hurricanes have Malcolm Grant (15.0 ppg, 7th), Durand Scott (13.6 ppg, 14th) and Reggie Johnson (12.0 ppg, 19th) among the league’s best.
I AM NO. 1
In just his second season as a Hurricane, junior Malcolm Grant leads the ACC in both three-point field goal percentage (.438) and three-pointers per game (2.6) and needs just four threes to climb into UM’s top 10 in career treys. Entering Wednesday’s game at Boston College, the Brooklyn native has drained 132 threes in 60 career games for an ACC-best (among active players) 2.2 three-pointers per game over his career. With three threes, he will move into a tie for 10th place with assistant coach Jake Morton.
The Hurricanes have led the ACC in three-point field goal percentage in three of the last four seasons — Adrian Thomas in 2010 (.421) and Jack McClinton in 2009 (.453, with an ACC-high 3.2 threes per game) and 2007 (.440, with an ACC-high 2.9 threes per game). In 2008, McClinton averaged an ACC-high 2.9 threes per game at a .427 clip from long range — second best in the league.
Former Hurricane and current Miami Heat forward James Jones won the NBA three-point contest last Saturday. As a Hurricane, Jones knocked down 124 three-pointers between 1999-2003, 12th most in program history. He converted 47.1 percent (41-87) as a sophomore for the second-best single-season percentage in UM history, while shooting 38.3 percent over his career — seventh best in the UM recordbooks.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Malcolm Grant and Reggie Johnson are among the most improved scorers in the ACC. Grant’s average has increased 5.4 points per game, going from 9.6 points an outing as a redshirt sophomore in 2010 to a team-high 15.0 points per game this season. After posting 6.4 points per game as a redshirt freshman in 2010, Johnson’s average has leapt 5.6 points per game to 12.0 points an outing this season, in addition to an increase of 4.8 rebounds per game (from 4.6 boards per game as a freshman to 9.4 per game as a sophomore — third best in the ACC and 35th in the nation). Several other returning Hurricanes have also show improved offensive output, as Garrius Adams’ hard work has resulted in a 3.8 points per game improvement, improving from 3.8 points per game as a true freshman to 7.6 points per game this season. Durand Scott has increased his shooting percentages across the board for a 3.3 points per game increase in scoring (10.3 ppg to 13.6 ppg).
IT’S ACADEMIC
Redshirt juniors Malcolm Grant and Julian Gamble — who are both interning in Miami’s Sports Information Office this semester — are on track to graduate in May, while sixth-year Adrian “The Godfather” Thomas is on track to earn his master’s degree in May as well. Speaking of academics, true freshman Raphael Akpejiori is a mechanical engineering major.
HURRICANE GAMEDAY
Hurricane Gameday with Frank Haith airs on CSS (Comcast Sports South) on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Hosted by Joe Zagacki, the voice of the Hurricanes, and Josh Darrow, each show will break down the latest with the team and give fans insight into the players both on and off the court.
CHAT WITH FELLOW `CANES
Log 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 NOW
Individual game tickets for Miami’s ACC games are now on sale to the general public. Prices for most ACC games begin as low as $15. For additional information, please contact the Hurricane Ticket Office online at www.hurricanesports.com or by phone at 1-800-GO-CANES.
