Haith, Diaz Honored By NABC

March 14, 2005

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – University of Miami head men’s basketball coach Frank Haith has been named the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 6 Coach of the Year, and sophomore guard Guillermo Diaz was named to first-team All-District 6 on Monday.

Haith becomes the first Hurricane coach to earn District Coach of the Year honors. In his first season as a collegiate head coach, Haith has guided the Hurricanes to a surprising 16-12 record, which includes three wins over ranked opponents and its first post-season appearance since 2002. Miami, which was picked to finish last in the ACC in the preseason media poll, finished sixth in the league with a 7-9 conference record and will take on South Carolina in the first round of NIT Tuesday night.

Diaz, a 2004-05 second-team All-ACC selection, has started all 28 games this season averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He has scored in double-figures in 26 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the ACC, and has posted 20 or more points in 10 of the Hurricanes’ last 17 games.

Diaz is the sixth Hurricane to earn first-team All-District honors joining Darius Rice (2002, 2003, 2004), Johnny Hemsley (2000), Tim James (1998, 1999), Tito Horford (1988) and Rick Barry (1965).