Hurricanes Play Season-Opener Friday
Nov. 16, 1999
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Central Florida opens its season against the Hurricanes for thefirst time since 1986 when Miami defeated the Golden Knights, 64-54, on Nov.28 at the Knight Center in Miami.
Central Florida returns eight letterwinners, including threestarters, from last season’s 19-10 squad that finished second in the TransAmerica Athletic Conference. Last season Central Florida was an impressive11-1 at home including nine consecutive home wins to close the season.
The Golden Knights have registered a 36-21 (.632) record over thelast two seasons and join Miami as the only schools in the state of Floridato have a winning record in each of the last two seasons.
Central Florida will be led this season by the backcourt ofD’Quarius Stewart and Cory Perry. Stewart, a 6-2 shooting guard, is theteam’s top returning scorer having averaged 13.9 points per game last seasonwhile Perry, a 5-11 point guard, led the team in assists (5.1 apg), steals(1.6spg) and free throw percentage (.816).
THE SERIES:
Miami and Central Florida meet for the fourth time with theHurricanes winning all three previous meetings. Last season Miami defeatedthe Golden Knights, 66-56, at the Miami Arena. Tonight’s game marks thefirst match-up between the Hurricanes and the Golden Knights at UCF Arena.
| Nov. 28, 1986 | UM 64, UCF 54 | Knight Center |
| Mar. 5, 1988 | UM 100, UCF 80 | Miami Arena |
| Dec. 11, 1998 | UM 66, UCF 56 | Miami Arena |
ARV/#24 UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (0-0)
vs.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA (0-0)
Friday, November 19, 1999 — 7:30 p.m. (EST)
UCF Arena (5,100)
WQAM (560 AM)
Probable Hurricane Starters
| NO | NAME | POS | HT | WT | CL | PTS | REB |
| 05 | John Salmons | F | 6-7 | 200 | So. | 5.6 | 4.9 |
| 25 | Elton Tyler | F | 6-9 | 215 | Jr. | 3.7 | 2.4 |
| 51 | Mario Bland | C | 6-6 | 265 | Sr. | 11.2 | 6.0 |
| 30 | Vernon Jennings | G | 6-4 | 203 | Sr. | 5.2 | 2.8 |
| 31 | Johnny Hemsley | G | 6-5 | 195 | Sr. | 17.8 | 4.7 |
Probable Golden Knight Starters
| NO | NAME | POS | HT | WT | CL | PTS | REB |
| 20 | Jason Thornton | F | 6-5 | 200 | So. | 7.7 | 1.9 |
| 33 | Roy Leath | F | 6-7 | 225 | Sr. | 3.3 | 2.6 |
| 00 | David Granberry | C | 6-6 | 240 | Sr. | 5.0 | 3.8 |
| 22 | D’Quarius Stewart | G | 6-2 | 190 | Sr. | 13.9 | 3.8 |
| 24 | Cory Perry | G | 5-11 | 175 | Sr. | 6.4 | 3.6 |
A WIN TONIGHT WOULD:
- Be Miami’s seventh straight season opening victory.
- Mark Miami’s third straight season opening victory on the road.
- Be Miami’s 20th consecutive win over teams from the state of Florida.
- Be Miami’s 20th straight win against TAAC opponents.
- Improve Miami’s all-time record in season openers to 38-12 (.760).
FOR OPENERS:
Tonight’s contest marks the season opener for the Hurricanes. Miamihas won its last six season openers and is 12-2 (.857) is season openerssince the rebirth of the program in 1985. Miami’s all-time record in seasonopening games is 37-12 (.755).
Miami’s game against Central Florida marks the third consecutiveseason the Hurricanes have played their season opener on the road. Lastseason Miami opened the season at Florida Atlantic while in 1997 theHurricanes traveled to Southern Illinois. Prior to 1997 Miami had not openedaway from home since 1987 when the Hurricanes faced Michigan at the GreatAlaska Shootout in Ankorage, AK.
THE COACHES:
Leonard Hamilton, in his 10th season at Miami and 14th as acollegiate head coach, has brought the University of Miami men’s basketballprogram in to the national spotlight. The 1998-99 BIG EAST Conference Coachof the Year, Hamilton has guided the Hurricanes to four postseasonappearances in the last five seasons including back-to-back NCAA Tournamentappearances in 1998 and 1999. Last season Hamilton led Miami to a 23-7record and a No. 10 national ranking by the Associated Press. The 20-winseason marked the first for Miami since the 1964-65 season while the APranking was the first since the 1959-60 season. Prior to his arrival at UM,Hamilton spent four seasons at Oklahoma State where he led the Cowboys totheir first back-to-back postseason berths in 36 years. Hamilton’s record atUM is 121-136 (.471) while his career mark stands at 177-199 (.471).
Central Florida is headed by Kirk Speraw. Speraw is entering hisseventh season as a collegiate head coach, all with the Golden Knights.Speraw’s coaching record stands at 86-84 (.506).
UP NEXT:
Following tonight’s game the Hurricanes return home for two straighthome games at the Miami Arena. The Hurricane’s open their home schedule onNov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. against Monmouth. Miami will then face Bethune-Cookmanat 7:30 on Nov. 30.
LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL FLORIDA:
December 11, 1998
Miami Arena, Miami, FL
Johnny Hemsley came off the bench to register season-highs in point(18) and rebounds (8) to lead Miami to a 66-56 win over Central Florida atthe Miami Arena.
Brad Traina and D’Quarius Stewart scored 16 points apiece to leadCentral Florida.
Miami, which shot 58.1 percent (18-31) in opening up a 39-28halftime lead, allowed the Golden Knights to stay close by committing 17turnovers and shooting just 8-of-26 (.308) from the field in the secondhalf.
With its offense struggling the Miami defense stepped up to thechallenge and held Central Florida to 10-of-39 (.256) shooting in the secondhalf.
With the score 44-41 following a Hodge baseline jumper at the 11:00minute mark, the Hurricanes held Central Florida to just two field goalsover the next 10 minutes during a 19-5 run that put the game out of reach.
Junior forward Kevin Houston added 10 rebounds for Miami whileAll-America candidate Tim James pulled down six rebounds to move into12th-place on UM’s career rebounding list.
CENTRAL FLORIDA
| tot-fg | 3-pt | rebounds | |||||||||||
| No. | Player | fg-fga | fg-fga | ft-fta | of-de-tot | pf | tp | a | to | blk | s | min | |
| 04 | Lovett, Mario | f | 3-6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2-3-5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 34 |
| 21 | Traina, Brad | f | 6-18 | 2-9 | 2-3 | 1-5-6 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
| 35 | Hodge, Bucky | c | 4-10 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 4-1-5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 25 |
| 22 | Stewart, D’Quarius | g | 6-14 | 2-7 | 2-2 | 0-2-2 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 33 |
| 24 | Perry, Cory | g | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-3-3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| 00 | Granberry, Davin | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0-2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | |
| 05 | Cue, Inyo | 1-4 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0-0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | |
| 20 | Thornton, Jason | 1-7 | 0-5 | 0-0 | 0-2-2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | |
| 30 | Simms, Beronti | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| TEAM | 5-3-8 | ||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 23-67 | 6-26 | 4-6 | 14-20-34 | 20 | 56 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 10 | 200 |
| TOTAL FG% | 1st Half: 13-28 | .464 | 2nd Half: 10-39 | .256 | Game: .343 | DEADBALL |
| 3-Pt. FG% | 1st Half: 2-9 | .222 | 2nd Half: 4-17 | .235 | Game: .231 | REBOUNDS |
| F Throw % | 1st Half: 0-0 | .000 | 2nd Half: 4-6 | .667 | Game: .667 | 0 |
MIAMI HURRICANES
| tot-fg | 3-pt | rebounds | |||||||||||
| No. | Player | fg-fga | fg-fga | ft-fta | of-de-tot | pf | tp | a | to | blk | s | min | |
| 40 | James, Tim | f | 4-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-5-6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| 42 | Houston, Kevin | f | 1-4 | 0-0 | 4-6 | 5-5-10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 44 | Tyler, Elton | c | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-2-4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 04 | Simmons, Michael | g | 1-3 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 1-0-1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| 30 | Jennings, Vernon | g | 2-3 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0-1-1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| 03 | Byars-Dawson, Mike | 2-6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-0-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| 05 | John Salmons | 0-3 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 1-2-3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 11 | Schlie, Jerry | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 | Coelho, Joao Paulo | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 0-0-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | |
| 31 | Hemsley, Johnny | 9-18 | 0-5 | 0-2 | 2-6-8 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 | |
| 34 | Wimbley, Dwayne | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-1-1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |
| 51 | Bland, Mario | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 1-7-8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 25 | |
| TEAM | 3-3-1 | ||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 26-57 | 1-12 | 13-22 | 14-32-46 | 15 | 66 | 13 | 24 | 3 | 8 | 200 |
| TOTAL FG% | 1st Half: 18-31 | .581 | 2nd Half: 8-26 | .308 | Game: .456 | DEADBALL |
| 3-Pt. FG% | 1st Half: 1-7 | .143 | 2nd Half: 0-5 | .000 | Game: .083 | REBOUNDS |
| F Throw % | 1st Half: 2-6 | .333 | 2nd Half: 11-16 | .688 | Game: .591 | 6 |
Officials: Tom Lopes, Tony Greene, Curtis Shaw
Technical fouls: None
Attendance: 2208
| Score by Periods | 1st | 2nd | Total |
| Central Florida | 28 | 28 | 56 |
| Miami Hurricanes | 39 | 27 | 66 |
TV/RADIO COVERAGE:
Tonight’s game is not being televised but you can catch all theaction on the Hurricane Radio Network (WQAM 560-AM). Marc Vandermeer(play-by-play) and Joe Zagacki (analysis) will provide complete gamecoverage.
SUCCESS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE:
Entering the 1999-2000 season the Hurricanes are the only team inthe state of Florida to register a winning record in each of the last fiveseasons. The Hurricanes’ 87-57 (.604) mark since the 1994-95 season is thetop winning percentage and most victories among the state’s 11 Division Iprograms.
| School | 94-95 | 95-96 | 96-97 | 97-98 | 98-99 | Total |
| MIAMI | 15-13 | 15-13 | 16-13 | 18-10 | 23-7 | 87-57 (.604) |
| Florida | 17-13 | 12-16 | 13-17 | 14-14 | 22-9 | 78-70 (.527) |
| FSU | 12-15 | 13-14 | 20-12 | 17-13 | 13-17 | 76-72 (.514) |
| FIU | 11-19 | 13-15 | 16-13 | 21-8 | 13-16 | 74-71 (.510) |
| USF | 18-12 | 12-16 | 8-19 | 16-13 | 14-14 | 68-74 (.479) |
| UCF | 11-16 | 11-19 | 7-19 | 17-11 | 19-10 | 65-75 (.464) |
| Stetson | 15-12 | 10-17 | 9-18 | 11-15 | 14-13 | 59-75 (.440) |
| Jacksonville | 18-9 | 15-13 | 5-23 | 8-19 | 12-15 | 58-79 (.423) |
| Beth.-Cook. | 12-16 | 12-15 | 12-16 | 1-24 | 11-16 | 48-87 (.355) |
| FAU | 9-18 | 9-18 | 16-11 | 5-22 | 6-20 | 45-89 (.336) |
| FAMU | 5-22 | 8-19 | 8-19 | 10-16 | 12-19 | 43-95 (.312) |
VS THE STATE OF FLORIDA:
Miami enters tonight’s game with a record of 284-141 (.668) againstin-state schools and has won its last 19 games against teams from the stateof Florida. Miami has not lost to a Florida school since a 72-64 seasonopening loss to Florida International on Dec. 1, 1992.
AGAINST THE TAAC:
Central Florida is one of two Trans America Athletic Conferenceschools on the Hurricanes’ schedule this season. Miami will also faceFlorida Atlantic on Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Miami Arena. Miami is 85-42(.669) all-time against teams currently in the TAAC and has not lost to aTAAC team since a 94-75 defeat at Jacksonville on Mar. 2, 1971. Miami haswon 19 straight games against TAAC teams.
MIAMI vs. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS:
Since becoming the 10th member of The BIG EAST Conference beginningwith the 1991-92 season, the Hurricanes have compiled a 47-24 (.662) recordagainst non-conference opponents, including a 36-11 mark (.766) at the MiamiArena. Miami was 6-2 versus non-conference opponents in 1998-99.
GETTING IT DONE AT BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR:
Miami ranked 21st in the nation in field goal percentage and 13th inthe nation in field goal percentage defense. Miami joins Duke, Maryland,College of Charleston, Kentucky, Utah, and North Carolina as the onlyschools to rank nationally in both categories. Additionally, the Hurricanesled the BIG EAST in both categories.
HEMSLEY A NAISMITH CANDIDATE:
Johnny Hemsley has been selected as one of 30 preseason candidatesfor the 1999-2000 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.Hemsley is one of six BIG EAST athletes recognized as a preseason candidatefor the Naismith Award. Joining Hemsley on the list are Erick Barkley (St.John’s), Khalid El-Amin (Connecticut), Kevin Freeman (Connecticut), TroyMurphy (Notre Dame) and Etan Thomas (Syracuse). The candidates were selectedby a vote of the Board of Selectors comprised of leading basketball coaches,journalists and basketball analysts.
MIAMI BACK IN THE DANCE, AGAIN:
Miami’s selection to the 1999 NCAA Championship marked theHurricanes second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to Miami’sNCAA tournament berth in 1998 the Hurricanes had received only one bid tothe “Big Dance” and that was in 1960. Last season the Hurricanes were seededNo. 2 in the East Region marking the highest NCAA seed in school history.The Hurricanes’ 75-54 win over Lafayette in the opening round marked Miami’sfirst NCAA Tournament victory in school history. Miami has advanced topost-season play in four of the last five seasons.
MIAMI TIES SCHOOL RECORD FOR VICTORIES:
Miami’s win over Lafayette in the opening round of the NCAATournament marked the Hurricanes’ 23 win of the season. The 23 wins tied theschool record for wins in a season (23) set in 1959-60 (23-4) and matched in1962-63 (23-5).
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
The Hurricanes’ 73-71 win over No. 2 Connecticut at Gampel Pavilionmarked the third time last season that Miami knocked off a ranked opponenton the road. Miami was 4-3 against ranked teams last season including a 3-1mark against ranked teams on the road.
Miami Victories Over Ranked Teams:
| Jan. 30, 1961 | Louisville (#7 AP) | 71-69 |
| Dec. 21, 1962 | Duke (#2 UPI) | 71-69 |
| Feb. 2, 1965 | Miami, OH (#20 UPI) | 100-85 |
| Jan. 12, 1989 | Kansas (#12 AP) | 87-86 |
| Jan. 14, 1992 | St. John’s (#17 AP) | 45-42 |
| Jan. 2, 1993 | Georgetown (#10 AP) | 80-69 |
| Feb. 20, 1993 | St. John’s (#25 AP) | 82-77 |
| Feb. 4, 1995 | Georgetown (#13 AP, #13 USAT) | 67-61 |
| Jan. 3, 1996 | Syracuse (#11 AP, #12 USAT) | 75-66 |
| Dec. 7, 1996 | Syracuse (#19 AP, #17 USAT) | 67-63 |
| Jan. 11, 1997 | @ Villanova (#8 AP, #7 USAT) | 61-59 |
| Nov. 21, 1997 | NC Charlotte (#17 AP, #17 USAT) | 89-72 |
| Jan. 6, 1998 | Connecticut (#8 AP, #8 USAT) | 76-67 |
| Feb. 28, 1998 | West Virginia (#19 AP/#19 USAT) | 70-66 |
| Jan. 6, 1999 | St. John’s (#10 AP/#9 USAT) | 84-79 |
| Feb. 3, 1999 | @ St. John’s (#9 AP/#10 USAT) | 73-70 |
| Feb. 8, 1999 | @ Syracuse (#18 AP/#17 USAT) | 76-63 |
| Feb. 20, 1999 | @ Connecticut (#2 AP, #2 USAT) | 73-71 |
THE BUILDING BLOCKS:
Seniors Mario Bland, Johnny Hemsley and Vernon Jennings have been anintegral part of the Hurricanes’ accent into the national spotlight. Duringtheir first three seasons at Miami the three have led the Hurricanes to a57-30 (.655) record, three consecutive winning season, and three straightpostseason appearances including NCAA Tournament bids in 1998 and 1999.Miami’s NCAA Tournament bid in 1998 marked the school’s first since 1960.
Additionally, Miami’s 57 wins are the most in a three year periodsince UM won 57 games from 1963-66 while its .655 winning percentage is thehighest since Miami posted a 52-26 (.667) record from 1964-67.
Should Miami earn a post season bid in 1999-2000, the trio wouldbecome the first Hurricanes to reach the post season in four consecutiveseasons.
ROAD WARRIORS:
Miami registered a 12-4 record (2-1 at neutral sites) when away fromhome last season. Miami was 8-1 in BIG EAST road games and 10-3 on the roadduring the regular season. The 10 road wins were the most since 1959-60.
MAKING HISTORY:
With its 73-71 win over Connecticut last season at Gampel Pavilion,Miami became the first school in BIG EAST history to defeat Connecticut,Syracuse, St. John’s and Georgetown on the road in the same season.
MIAMI DOMINATES IN THE ARENA:
This year marks the 11th season that Miami has called the MiamiArena home. The ‘Canes have compiled an 105-58 (.644) overall record at theArena, including an 11-2 mark last season. UM has posted a 57-16 (.781) homerecord over the last four seasons including a 46-12 (.793) record in itslast 58 home games since 1995-96. UM is 33-12 (.733) in its last 45 BIG EASThome games dating back to the 1994-95 season.
Miami Home Record Last Four Plus Seasons:
| Overall | BIG EAST | |
| 1994-95 | 11-4 | 6-3 |
| 1995-96 | 12-4 | 7-2 |
| 1996-97 | 12-3 | 6-3 |
| 1997-98 | 11-3 | 7-2 |
| 1998-99 | 11-2 | 7-2 |
| Total | 57-16 (.781) | 33-12 (.733) |
Top 5 BIG EAST Home Winning Percentages
(1994-Pres.)
Overall:
| 1. Connecticut | 71-10 (.877) |
| 2. Villanova | 59-13 (.819) |
| 3. Georgetown | 59-15 (.797) |
| 4. MIAMI | 57-16 (.781) |
| 5. Syracuse | 59-22 (.728) |
Conference Games Only:
| 1. Connecticut | 36-9 (.800) |
| 2. Villanova | 35-10 (.778) |
| 3. MIAMI | 33-12 (.733) |
| 4. Georgetown | 30-15 (.667) |
| 5. Syracuse | 27-18 (.600) |
PLAYING SPOILER:
Miami’s win over No. 10 St. John’s last season marked the fifthconsecutive season that the Hurricanes have defeated a ranked opponent inthe Miami Arena. In their last eight contests against ranked teams at theMiami Arena the Hurricanes have posted a 5-3 record.
AT THE HALF:
If you want to beat Miami you better be leading at the half. Miamiwas 18-2 last season when leading at halftime. The ‘Canes were 12-1 in1997-98 when leading at the half and 12-4 in 1996-97 (with all four losseson the road). In 1995-96 Miami was a perfect 11-0 when taking a halftimelead. UM has compiled a 53-7 (.883) record over the last four seasons whenleading at the half.
WORKING OVERTIME:
Miami’s game last season against Connecticut on Jan. 20 marked theHurricanes first overtime contest since a 76-68 victory over St. John’s inthe opening round of the 1997 BIG EAST Tournament.
UM has amassed a 5-2 record (including tournament games) in BIG EASTovertime contests (3-2 at home). Miami’s game against St. John’s on Feb. 20,1996 is its only double-overtime game in a BIG EAST contest since joiningthe league in the 1991-92 season.
The ‘Canes, who have never had more than three overtime games in anyseason (3-0 in 1986-87 and 0-3 in 1990-91), own a 21-19 overall record inovertime contests during their history (4-3 in double-overtime games and a17-16 mark in single-overtime contests). UM has never played atriple-overtime game.
Miami is 5-5 in overtime games under head coach Leonard Hamilton.Below is a list of UM’s overtime games under Hamilton:
| 12-19-90 (2OT) | SMU 93, MIAMI 88 (@SMU) |
| 12-27-90 (2OT) | Miami (OH) 101, MIAMI 99 (N) |
| 3-4-92 | Seton Hall 90, MIAMI 82 (@UM) |
| 2-25-95 | MIAMI 77, Boston College 72 (@BC) |
| 2-28-95 | MIAMI 76, Pittsburgh 68 (@UP) |
| 12-23-95 | Clemson 66, MIAMI 52 (@ UM) |
| 2-20-96 (2OT) | MIAMI 96, St. John’s 91 (@UM) |
| 1-18-97 | MIAMI 68, Georgetown 65 (@UM) |
| 3-5-97 | MIAMI 76, St. John’s 68 (@ MSG) |
| 1-20-99 | Connecticut 70, MIAMI 68 (@UM) |
WINNING WAYS:
Miami’s 23-7 record last season marked its fifth consecutive winningseason. The last time Miami recorded at least five straight winning seasonswas the 1968-69 campaign when the ‘Canes registered their 10th straightwinning season.
SETTING ATTENDANCE RECORDS:
In each of the last three seasons the Hurricanes have continued toincrease their home attendance. Miami’s average attendance increased over 23percent from 1997-98, 44 percent from 1996-97 and 102 percent from 1995-96.Last season the Hurricanes recorded three of the top 10 largest crowds inschool history at the Miami Arena (15,147 vs. Connecticut, 10, 497 vs.Rutgers, 8,210 vs. Pittsburgh) and set an overall attendance record for thethird consecutive season.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES:
Last season Mario Bland ranked second on the team with fivedouble-doubles. Bland recorded four of those double-doubles in the finaleight games of the season. Miami Heat first round draft choice Tim James ledMiami with 10 double-doubles.
1998-99 Hurricane Double-Doubles:
| 11/13/98 | Mario Bland vs Florida Atlantic (18 pts, 10 reb) |
| 11/13/98 | Kevin Houston vs Florida Atlantic (12 pts, 10 reb) |
| 11/27/98 | Mario Bland vs Northern Iowa (16 pts, 10 reb) |
| 12/5/98 | Tim James vs Kentucky (22 pts, 10 reb) |
| 12/22/98 | Tim James vs Memphis (23 pts, 10 reb) |
| 12/27/98 | Tim James vs Ohio State (29 pts, 11 reb) |
| 12/30/98 | Tim James vs Georgetown (21 pts, 15 reb) |
| 1/13/99 | Tim James vs Rutgers (10 pts, 10 reb) |
| 1/16/99 | Tim James vs West Virginia (18 pts, 10 reb) |
| 1/27/99 | Tim James vs Seton Hall (31 pts, 10 reb) |
| 2/3/99 | Tim James vs St. John’s (16 pts, 10 reb) |
| 2/6/99 | Tim James vs Georgetown (21 pts, 12 reb) |
| 2/6/99 | John Salmons vs Georgetown (13 pts, 11 reb) |
| 2/13/99 | Tim James vs Providence (22 pts, 11 reb) |
| 2/16/99 | Mario Bland vs Villanova (11 pts, 10 reb) |
| 2/20/99 | Mario Bland vs Connecticut (16 pts, 14 reb) |
| 2/27/99 | Mario Bland vs Rutgers (10 pts, 12 reb) |
| 3/14/99 | Mario Bland vs Purdue (14 pts, 11 reb) |
ONLINE ALL THE TIME:
Check out the Hurricanes’ website at www.hurricanesports.com for allthe latest information on University of Miami athletics.
UM TICKETS ON SALE:
Single-game tickets for all 15 University of Miami men’s basketballhome games at the Miami Arena are on sale at the Hecht Athletic CenterTicket Office on the UM campus, the Miami Arena, and through TicketMaster.
Sidecourt reserved seats are $13 and endcourt reserved seats are $10for each of Miami’s six non-conference games, not including Kentucky. Alltickets for the Kentucky game on Jan. 29 are $20 and include admission tothe Miami women’s contest against Connecticut immediately following themen’s game.
Single game tickets for UM’s eight BIG EAST contests are $18 forsidecourt reserved and $15 for endcourt reserved. For the fourth straightseason a youth (17 and under) endcourt reserved ticket can be purchased for$7.
The University of Miami is also offering a five game mini-plan for$75 which includes tickets to any five BIG EAST games of the customer’schoice.
Season ticket packages are also available at the Hurricane TicketOffice. Sidecourt reserved seats for all 15 games can be purchased for $232while endcourt reserved seats are $150.
The Hurricane Ticket Office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Fans wishing to place ordersby phone can call the UM Ticket Office at (305) 284-CANES in Dade and1-800-GO-CANES outside Dade County. Tickets can also be purchased by callingTicketMaster at (305) 358-5885 in Dade, (954) 523-3309 in Broward, and (561)966-3309 in Palm Beach County.
HURRICANES END 1998-99 SEASON NATIONALLY RANKED:
The University of Miami ended the season ranked 10th in the finalAssociated Press College Basketball Top-25 poll and 12th in the seasonending ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top-25 poll.
Prior to last season’s debut at No. 25 in the Jan. 18 AssociatedPress poll Miami had not been ranked in the Associated Press poll since theend of the 1959-60 season when the Hurricanes were ranked No. 10 in thecountry. Miami reached a season-high of No. 9 in the nation in the March 1Associated Press poll. Miami’s highest ranking came on Mar. 1, 1960 when theHurricanes were ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press.
MIAMI IN THE PRESEASON POLLS:
The University of Miami men’s basketball team debuted at No. 25 inthe preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll and No. 24 inthe preseason ESPN/USA Today college basketball poll. The preseasonrankings are the first since the 1964-65 season when Miami opened theseason ranked 16th in the nation by United Press International. Prior tothis season Miami had never been ranked in the preseason by the AssociatedPress.
MIAMI IN THE 1999-00 POLLS:
Miami dropped into the “Others Receiving Votes” with 172 points inthe Nov. 15 Associated Press poll. The 172 points places the Hurricanes atNo. 26 in the nation. Miami, who was ranked No. 25 in the preseason AP poll,was replaced in the poll by Iowa, who debuted at No. 22, following its 70-68victory over No. 1 ranked Connecticut on Nov. 11.
UM in the 1999-00 polls:
| AP | ESPN/USAT | |
| Preseason | 25th (222 points) | 24th (118 points) |
| Nov. 15 | ARV (172 pts-26th) | no poll |
| Nov. 22 | ||
| Nov. 29 | ||
| Dec. 6 | ||
| Dec. 13 | ||
| Dec. 20 | ||
| Dec. 27 | ||
| Jan. 3 | ||
| Jan. 10 | ||
| Jan. 17 | ||
| Jan. 24 | ||
| Jan. 31 | ||
| Feb. 7 | ||
| Feb. 14 | ||
| Feb. 21 | ||
| Feb. 28 | ||
| Mar. 6 | ||
| Mar. 13 |
ASSOCIATED PRESS
(11/15/99)
| Record | Points | ||
| 1. | Cincinnati (25) | 0-0 | 1,605 |
| 2. | Michigan State (24) | 0-0 | 1,573 |
| 3. | Auburn (8) | 0-0 | 1,551 |
| 4. | Ohio State (7) | 0-0 | 1,417 |
| 5. | North Carolina (1) | 0-0 | 1,383 |
| 6. | Temple (2) | 0-0 | 1,327 |
| 7. | Florida (1) | 0-0 | 1,315 |
| 8. | Connecticut | 1-1 | 1,277 |
| 9. | Stanford (1) | 2-0 | 1,197 |
| 10. | Arizona | 0-0 | 1,170 |
| 11. | Kansas | 0-0 | 1,012 |
| 12. | UCLA | 0-0 | 890 |
| 13. | Syracuse | 2-0 | 801 |
| 14. | Kentucky | 0-0 | 766 |
| 15. | St. John’s | 0-0 | 631 |
| 16. | Utah | 0-0 | 605 |
| 17. | Illinois | 0-0 | 583 |
| 18. | Duke | 0-2 | 558 |
| 19. | Tennessee | 0-0 | 496 |
| 20. | DePaul | 0-0 | 428 |
| 21. | Texas | 0-0 | 316 |
| 22. | Iowa | 1-1 | 261 |
| 23. | Oklahoma State | 0-0 | 230 |
| 24. | Purdue | 0-0 | 199 |
| 25. | Gonzaga | 0-0 | 190 |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: MIAMI (FL) 172, Maryland 146, Wake Forest98, Georgia Tech 42, Oklahoma 38, Indiana 20, Louisville 17, Seton Hall 13,Tulsa 10, Valparaiso 10, Virginia 9, Oregon 7, Siena 7, Akron 6, DetroitMercy 5, Murray State 5, New Mexico 5, Michigan 4, Arkansas 3, UNLV 3,Alabama 2, Fresno State 2, New Mexico State 2, SW Missouri State 2, Xavier2, Georgetown 1, George Washington 1, Memphis 1, UNC Charlotte 1, USC 1.
USA TODAY/ESPN
(Preseason)
| Record | Points | ||
| 1. | Connecticut (9) | 34-2 | 712 |
| 2. | Michigan State (8) | 33-5 | 688 |
| 3. | Cincinnati (8) | 27-6 | 684 |
| 4. | Auburn | 29-4 | 616 |
| 5. | North Carolina | 24-10 | 594 |
| 6. | Ohio State (2) | 27-9 | 579 |
| 7. | Temple (2) | 24-11 | 574 |
| 8. | Florida | 22-9 | 570 |
| 9. | Arizona | 22-7 | 492 |
| 10. | Duke | 37-2 | 466 |
| 11. | Kansas | 23-10 | 381 |
| 12. | Kentucky | 28-9 | 361 |
| 13. | Stanford | 26-7 | 349 |
| 14. | UCLA | 22-9 | 345 |
| 15. | Utah | 28-5 | 283 |
| 16. | Tennessee | 21-9 | 277 |
| 17. | Syracuse | 21-12 | 276 |
| 18. | Illinois | 14-18 | 275 |
| 19. | St. John’s | 28-9 | 256 |
| 20. | DePaul | 18-13 | 177 |
| 21. | Purdue | 21-13 | 171 |
| 22. | Texas | 19-13 | 157 |
| 23. | Maryland | 28-6 | 140 |
| 24. | MIAMI (FL) | 23-7 | 118 |
| 25. | Oklahoma State | 23-11 | 102 |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Gonzaga 89, Wake Forest 43, Indiana 40,Oklahoma 31, Louisville 28, Georgia Tech 26, North Carolina State 22,Arkansas 20, Alabama 18, Fresno State 15, Detroit 12, Xavier 12, Bradley 11,Virginia 10, Georgetown 6, Butler 5, Siena 5, Tulsa 5, Colorado 4, Delaware4, Murray State 3, New Mexico 3, Evansville 2, Indiana State 2, Kent 2,Michigan 2, Oregon 2, St. Joseph’s (PA) 2, Valparaiso 2, Weber State 2,College of Charleston 1, Mississippi 1, UNC Charlotte 1, Pennsylvania 1.
JENNINGS WINS BIG EAST ASSIST TITLE:
Miami point guard Vernon Jennings won the 1998-99 BIG EAST assisttitle with an average of 6.06 per game in league play. Jennings handed out109 assists in 18 games setting a Miami BIG EAST single season record.Jennings is the second Hurricane in as many seasons to lead the league in astatistical category. Mario Bland led the league in field goal percentagelast season.
JENNINGS SETS ASSIST RECORD:
Vernon Jennings recorded a team-high eight assists against St.John’s (3-5-99) and in doing so set a Miami single season assist record.Jennings ended the season with 167 assists surpassing the old mark of 154set by Michael Gardner in 1992-93.
JENNINGS MOVES UP LADDER:
Heading into the 1999-2000 season senior Vernon Jennings has 302career assists. Jennings ranks sixth on UM’s all-time career list.
| 1. | Kevin Norris (1994-98) | 493 |
| 2. | Kevin Presto (1985-89) | 412 |
| 3. | Thomas Hocker (1987-90) | 384 |
| 4. | Michael Gardner (1991-94) | 319 |
| 5. | Steven Edwards (1992-96) | 312 |
| 6. | VERNON JENNINGS (1996-present) | 302 |
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING:
Last season the Hurricanes shot over 50 percent from the floor on 12occasions. Miami shot 50 percent or better from the floor only five times in1997-98. Against Villanova (2-16-99) the Hurricanes shot a season high 60.6percent from the field. The percentage was the highest for the Hurricanessince connecting on 40-61 (.655) in a 107-98 win over Savannah State onMarch 2, 1989.
Miami 50 Percent Shooting Performances:
| Date | Team | FG Percentage | Result |
| 11-13-98 | @ Florida Atlantic | 35-67 (.522) | UM 97-73 |
| 11-27-98 | Northern Iowa | 32-62 (.516) | UM 78-69 |
| 12-8-98 | Boston College | 28-54 (.519) | UM 77-64 |
| 12-18-98 | @ Georgia State | 29-56 (.518) | UM 76-55 |
| 1-6-99 | St. John’s | 30-52 (.577) | UM 84-79 |
| 1-13-99 | @ Rutgers | 28-53 (.528) | UM 74-62 |
| 1-24-99 | @ Boston College | 28-48 (.583) | UM 75-67 |
| 2-6-99 | Georgetown | 27-54 (.500) | UM 71-58 |
| 2-8-99 | @ Syracuse | 25-50 (.500) | UM 76-63 |
| 2-13-99 | @ Providence | 25-49 (.510) | UM 69-65 |
| 2-16-99 | Villanova | 40-66 (.606) | UM 103-82 |
| 2-23-99 | Pittsburgh | 34-63 (.540) | UM 85-52 |
ON THE MARK:
Miami’s returning trio of post players (Mario Bland, Elton Tyler,Dwayne Wimbley) were extremely accurate in the paint last season. Lastseason the three combined to hit 198-342 (.579) of their field goalattempts. Mario Bland led the three hitting on 125-of-212 (.590) field goalattempts.
| Player | Field Goals | FG % |
| Mario Bland | 125-212 | .590 |
| Elton Tyler | 45-77 | .584 |
| Dwayne Wimbley | 28-53 | .528 |
| Total | 198-342 | .579 |
EASY AS 1, 2, 3:
The Hurricanes enter the 1999-2000 season having hit at least onethree-point field goal in each of the past 221 games, extending theschool-record. Overall, the ‘Canes have hit at least one trey in 375 of its376 games since the NCAA adopted the three-point shot in 1986. The only gameMiami has failed to hit a three-point field goal was against HowardUniversity on Dec. 6, 1991 when the ‘Canes were 0-15 behind the three-pointarc.
HURRICANES HIT 100:
Last season Miami defeated Villanova 103-82 marking the most pointsscored by a Hurricane team in a BIG EAST game. The Hurricanes reached thecentury mark for the first time under head coach Leonard Hamilton and thefirst time since a 101-97 double overtime win over Florida State on Jan. 18,1990. The last time a Miami squad reached 100 points in a non-overtime gamewas March 2, 1989 when the Hurricanes defeated Savannah State 107-98.
BOMBS AWAY:
Senior Johnny Hemsley connected on 70 three-point baskets lastseason to improve his career total to 100. Hemsley ranks in a tie for fifthon Miami’s all-time career list.
| 1. | Steven Edwards (1992-96) | 265 |
| 2. | Kevin Presto (1985-89) | 170 |
| 3. | Jake Morton (1988-93 | 136 |
| 4. | Kevin Norris (1994-98) | 134 |
| 5. | JOHNNY HEMSLEY (1996-present) | 100 |
| Samaar Logan (1989-92) | 100 |
MAKING SOMEONE ELSE BEAT YOU:
Last season the Hurricanes made it very difficult for opponentsleading scorers. In 20 of 30 games the Hurricanes held the opponent’sleading scorer to under his season average. Miami held opponent’s leadingscorers to 144-396 (.364) shooting from the floor.
| Team | Leading Scorer (Avg) | Pts (FG-FGA) |
| Florida Atlantic | Damon Arnette (16.1) | 22 (4-16) |
| NC Charlotte | Galen Young (16.0) | 15 (6-20) |
| Northern Illinois | Robbie Sieverding (14.0) | 12 (5-9) |
| Kentucky | Heshimu Evans (13.3) | 9 (3-5) |
| Boston College | Clinton Sims (13.5) | 19 (6-10) |
| Central Florida | Brad Traina (16.4) | 16 (6-18) |
| Georgia State | Anton Reese (23.1) | 16 (6-17) |
| Memphis | Omar Sneed (18.2) | 18 (6-12) |
| Ohio State | Michael Redd (19.5) | 19 (6-20) |
| Georgetown | Anthony Perry (16.0) | 11 (4-15) |
| St. John’s | Ron Artest (15.9) | 17 (6-15) |
| Notre Dame | Troy Murphy (19.0) | 13 (4-7) |
| Rutgers | Rob Hodgson (14.6) | 6 (2-7) |
| West Virginia | Elton Scott (16.7) | 3 (1-10) |
| Connecticut | Richard Hamilton (21.1) | 31 (11-28) |
| Boston College | Clinton Sims (10.7) | 0 (0-2) |
| Seton Hall | Gary Saunders (14.8) | 16 (5-13) |
| Pittsburgh | Vonteego Cummings (17.1) | 14 (6-15) |
| St. John’s | Bootsy Thornton (16.1) | 15 (6-12) |
| Georgetown | Anthony Perry (15.4) | 19 (6-20) |
| Syracuse | Jason Hart (14.0) | 17 (7-13) |
| Providence | Jamel Thomas (22.4) | 16 (4-15) |
| Villanova | Howard Brown (13.4) | 19 (6-10) |
| Connecticut | Richard Hamilton (21.0) | 19 (7-22) |
| Pittsburgh | Vonteego Cummings (16.1) | 17 (5-14) |
| Rutgers | Rob Hodgson (13.2) | 13 (2-7) |
| Georgetown | Anthony Perry (14.5) | 8 (3-15) |
| St. John’s | Ron Artest (14.7) | 18 (5-10) |
| Lafayette | Brian Ehlers (18.2) | 14 (4-11) |
| Purdue | Jaraan Cornell (15.5) | 4 (2-7) |
LOCKING UP:
This season Miami made a habit of holding opponents scoreless forlong stretches. Eight times this season the Hurricanes held an opponentscoreless for over five or more minutes.
| Opponent | Held Scoreless | Run | Final |
| Boston College | 5:51 (2nd half) | 10-0 | UM 77-64 |
| Central Florida | 7:14 (2nd half) | 10-0 | UM 66-56 |
| Memphis | 6:16 (1st half) | 12-0 | UM 80-64 |
| Ohio State | 6:32 (1st half) | 11-0 | UM 72-64 |
| St. John’s | 5:48 (1st half) | 13-0 | UM 84-79 |
| @ Pittsburgh | 6:55 (1st half) | 10-0 | PITT 60-54 |
| @ Syracuse | 5:47 (1st half) | 11-0 | UM 76-63 |
| @ Syracuse | 5:00 (2nd half) | 15-0 | UM 76-63 |
MIAMI RANKS FOR THIRD STAIGHT SEASON:
Last season the Hurricanes ranked nationally in field goalpercentage defense for the third consecutive season. The University of Miamiended the season ranked 13th in the nation in field goal percentage defense(.384). In 1997-98 the University of Miami led the nation holding teams to37.9 percent shooting from the floor. In 1996-97 Miami held opponents to 38percent shooting from the field to rank sixth nationally.
POSTING GREAT NUMBERS:
The University of Miami did a great job last season of controllingopponents centers. Of the 30 games the Hurricanes played last season onlyfive opponent centers managed to score in double figures while only onegrabbed 10 or more rebounds. Miami limited opponent’s centers to an averageof 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
| Date | Opponent Centers | Pts | Reb |
| 11-13-98 | Gary Durrant, Florida Atlantic | 20 | 1 |
| 11-23-98 | Kelvin Price, UNC Charlotte | 12 | 6 |
| 11-27-98 | Tyler Peterson, Northern Iowa | 7 | 8 |
| 12-5-98 | Michael Bradley, Kentucky | 19 | 6 |
| 12-8-98 | Kenny Harley, Boston College | 5 | 2 |
| 12-11-98 | Bucky Hodge, Central Florida | 8 | 5 |
| 12-18-98 | Brad Stricker, Georgia State | 7 | 5 |
| 12-22-98 | Jermaine Ousley, Memphis | 2 | 2 |
| 12-27-98 | Ken Johnson, Ohio State | 8 | 11 |
| 12-30-98 | R. Boumtje Boumtje, Georgetown | 6 | 9 |
| 1-6-99 | Donald Emanuel, St. John’s | 2 | 2 |
| 1-9-99 | Phil Hickey, Notre Dame | 1 | 2 |
| 1-13-99 | Rashod Kent, Rutgers | 0 | 5 |
| 1-16-99 | Tom Beynon, West Virginia | 6 | 8 |
| 1-20-99 | Jake Voskuhl, Connecticut | 6 | 8 |
| 1-24-99 | Brian Ross, Boston College | 3 | 4 |
| 1-27-99 | Charles Manga, Seton Hall | 0 | 5 |
| 1-30-99 | Isaac Hawkins, Pittsburgh | 8 | 9 |
| 2-3-99 | Albert Richardson, St. John’s | 0 | 3 |
| 2-6-99 | R. Boumtje Boumtje, Georgetown | 8 | 7 |
| 2-8-99 | Etan Thomas, Syracuse | 8 | 2 |
| 2-13-99 | Erron Maxey, Providence | 0 | 4 |
| 2-16-99 | Malik Allen, Villanova | 8 | 6 |
| 2-20-99 | Jake Voskuhl, Connecticut | 4 | 5 |
| 2-23-99 | Isaac Hawkins, Pittsburgh | 4 | 7 |
| 2-27-99 | Alvydas Tenys, Rutgers | 2 | 4 |
| 3-4-99 | R. Boumtje Boumtje, Georgetown | 4 | 4 |
| 3-5-99 | Lavor Postell, St. John’s | 17 | 5 |
| 3-12-99 | Frank Barr, Lafayette | 4 | 1 |
| 3-14-99 | Greg McQuay, Purdue | 14 | 6 |
HEMSLEY ON PRESEASON FIRST TEAM:
University of Miami senior Johnny Hemsley was named to the preseasonAll-BIG EAST first team by a vote of the league’s coaches at the BIG EASTConference Men’s Basketball Media Day at the Grand Hyatt in New York.
1999-00 PRESEASON AWARDS
All-BIG EAST First Team
Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut
Johnny Hemsley, Miami
Troy Murphy, Notre Dame
Erick Barkley, St. John’s
Etan Thomas, Syracuse
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Kevin Freeman, Connecticut
Isaac Hawkins, Pittsburgh
Bootsy Thornton, St. John’s
Jason Hart, Syracuse
Marcus Goree, West Virginia
Player of the Year: Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut
Rookie of the Year: Ajou Deng, Connecticut
HURRICANES TABBED FOURTH:
The men’s basketball team was selected to finish fourth in theconference behind Connecticut, Syracuse, and St. John’s. Miami, whichreturns four starters from last season’s squad, received one first placevote.
1999-00 BIG EAST Coaches’ Preseason Poll
| 1. | Connecticut (10) | 142 |
| 2. | Syracuse (2) | 131 |
| 3. | St. John’s | 119 |
| 4. | MIAMI (1) | 114 |
| 5. | Georgetown | 97 |
| 6. | Villanova | 82 |
| 7. | Seton Hall | 73 |
| 8. | Rutgers | 68 |
| 9. | Notre Dame | 60 |
| 10. | Providence | 45 |
| 11. | West Virginia | 34 |
| 12. | Pittsburgh | 30 |
| 13. | Boston College | 19 |
HEMSLEY NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Johnny Hemsley was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week threetimes last season. Hemsley won the award for the first time last season onDec. 21 following his career-high 24 point performance in Miami’s 76-55 winat Georgia State. Hemsley was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week for thesecond time on Jan. 4 following his career-high 35 point performance inMiami’s 64-63 win at Georgetown on Dec. 30. Hemsley’s third honor came onFeb. 22 when he was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week after averaging22.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in the Hurricanes to two victories. Hemsleyshared the honor with Providence forward Jamel Thomas.
SELECT COMPANY:
Entering the 1999-2000 season the Hurricanes are one of just threeBIG EAST schools to post a winning overall record each of the past fiveseasons. Joining the Hurricanes are Syracuse and Connecticut.
ON THE RISE:
Since the start of the 1994-95 season UM has compiled a 52-38 (.578)record in BIG EAST regular season games. Only Connecticut, Villanova, andSyracuse have more conference wins over that period.
Conference Records Since 1994-95:
| Connecticut | 71-19 | .789 | |
| Villanova | 58-32 | .644 | |
| Syracuse | 55-35 | .611 | |
| MIAMI | 52-38 | .578 | |
| Georgetown | 47-43 | .522 | |
| St. John’s | 47-43 | .522 | |
| Providence | 42-48 | .467 | |
| Seton Hall | 36-54 | .400 | |
| Boston College | 33-57 | .367 | |
| West Virginia | 33-39 | .458 | |
| Pittsburgh | 31-59 | .344 | |
| Notre Dame | 27-45 | .375 | |
| Rutgers | 26-46 | .361 |
HURRICANES TAKE HOME HARDWARE:
Last season University of Miami head basketball coach LeonardHamilton was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year, senior forward Tim James(Miami Northwestern) was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year and juniorguard Johnny Hemsley (Baltimore, MD) was named the league’s Most ImprovedPlayer last season by a vote of the conference coaches.
1998-99 BIG EAST AWARDS
BIG EAST Co-Players of the Year
Richard Hamilton, Connecticut
Tim James, Miami
BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
Troy Murphy, Notre Dame
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Etan Thomas, Syracuse
BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Johnny Hemsley, Miami
BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Leonard Hamilton, Miami
WINNING WAYS IN THE NCAA:
After a 10-4 mark last season, BIG EAST teams have compiled a 155-91record in the NCAA Tournament play. The .630 winning percentage is thesecond best in the nation amongst conferences. The ACC is first with a .670winning percentage.
LEAGUE SCHEDULE REDUCED TO 16 GAMES:
For the first since 1990-91, each BIG EAST team will play only 16regular season conference games. The league has played 18 conference gamessince 1991-92. The 16 game schedule offers schools more flexibility inscheduling. BIG EAST teams have a better opportunity to improve their RPI(ratings percentage index) rankings and the league’s representation in theNCAA Tournament. the reduction to a 16-game league schedule has eliminatedDecember play dates.
STARTING AGAIN:
Nearly every BIG EAST team returns a majority of its starters fromlast season. Three squads – Boston College, Georgetown and Syracuse – bringback all five starters from 1998-99.
| Team | Starters Returning |
| Boston College | 5 of 5 |
| Connecticut | 3 of 5 |
| Georgetown | 5 of 5 |
| Miami | 4 of 5 |
| Notre Dame | 3 of 5 |
| Pittsburgh | 4 of 5 |
| Providence | 2 of 5 |
| Rutgers | 3 of 5 |
| St. John’s | 3 of 5 |
| Seton Hall | 4 of 5 |
| Syracuse | 5 of 5 |
| Villanova | 3 of 5 |
| West Virginia | 2 of 5 |
BEATING THE BEST:
BIG EAST teams were 16-13 against opponents ranked in the AP polllast season giving the league the highest victory total and best record ofany conference in the nation.
A SWEEPING SUCCESS:
With their win over Rutgers in last season’s regular season finalethe Hurricanes completed their fourth series sweep of the season. Miami hasregistered 10 BIG EAST regular season two-game sweeps since joining theleague in the 1991-92 season. Miami has now recorded at least one seriessweep in each of the last five seasons. Below is a list of UM’s BIG EASTseries sweeps:
| 1994-95: | Providence | ||
| St. John’s | |||
| Boston College | |||
| 1995-96: | Notre Dame | ||
| 1996-97: | Georgetown | ||
| 1997-98: | Notre Dame | ||
| 1998-99 | Boston College | ||
| St. John’s | |||
| Georgetown | |||
| Rutgers |
POWER SCHEDULE:
Miami’s schedule includes 11 schools that rank in the top-50all-time in terms of winning percentage in NCAA history. The BIG EASTConference alone has eight teams that rank in the top-50 all-time. Miamiwill play 14 of its 29 regular season games against schools that rank in thetop-50 all-time. Seven of those games will be played at Miami Arena. BIGEAST opponents in CAPS.
| NCAA | All-Time | ||
| Rank | Team | Win % | |
| 1. | Kentucky | .765 | |
| 2. | North Carolina | .740 | |
| 6. | ST. JOHN’S | .688 | |
| 7. | SYRACUSE | .681 | |
| 15. | NOTRE DAME | .648 | |
| 21. | VILLANOVA | .637 | |
| 31. | WEST VIRGINIA | .622 | |
| 35. | CONNECTICUT | .617 | |
| 36. | PROVIDENCE | .617 | |
| 38. | GEORGETOWN | .612 | |
| 48. | Memphis | .607 |
1999-00 BIG EAST STANDINGS
| BIG | EA | ST | OV | ER | ALL | |
| W | L | Pct. | W | L | Pct. | |
| Syracuse | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Connecticut | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Boston College | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Georgetown | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| MIAMI | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Notre Dame | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Providence | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Rutgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| St. John’s | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Seton Hall | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Villanova | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
THIS WEEK IN THE BIG EAST
Tuesday, Nov. 16
Notre Dame at Ohio State 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 19
Morgan State at Georgetown 7:00 p.m.
Vermont at Connecticut 7:30 p.m.
Miami at Central Florida 7:30 p.m.
Wright State at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Quinnipiac at Seton Hall 7:30 p.m.
St. John’s vs. Samford 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 20
New Hampshire at Boston College 7:30 p.m.
Holy Cross at Providence 7:30 p.m.
Rutgers at Rider 7:30 p.m.
St. John’s vs. TBA TBA
