2002-2003 Men's Basketball Prospectus

July 16, 2002

Complete Prospectus in PDF Format
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Player Notes in PDF Format
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2001-02 Season Recap in PDF Format
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MIAMI IN THE POSTSEASON, AGAIN:
With its selection to the 2002 NCAA Championships, Miami recorded its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance all-time and its fourth appearance in the last five seasons. Miami also made NCAA Tournament appearances in 1960, 1998, 1999 and 2000. It also marked the sixth consecutive postseason appearance for Miami (NCAA – 1998, 99, 00, 02; NIT – 1997, 01) and the seventh appearance in the last eight seasons.

DID YOU KNOW?:
The University of Miami has registered a 46-20 (.697) conference mark since the 1998-99 season. UM’s record ranks second among BIG EAST teams over that period.

ON HEAD COACH PERRY CLARK:
University of Miami head coach Perry Clark will be entering his third season with the Hurricanes and 14th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Clark is 40-21 (.655) at Miami, including an 24-8 record this season, while his career record in 13 seasons stands at 225-166 (.577).

This year marked the ninth time in his 13 seasons that Clark has guided his team to the postseason (four NCAA, five NIT). This season he guided Miami to a 24-8 record setting a UM single-season record for victories. Miami’s 14 consecutive wins to open the season marked the best start in school history and tied the UM record for consecutive wins.

ONLINE ALL THE TIME:
For the most up to date information on Hurricane Athletics, log on to the official website of the University of Miami Athletic progam – hurricanesports.com.

RICE, SALMONS ALL-DISTRICT SELECTIONS:
Darius Rice was named first-team All-District 6 and John Salmons earned All-District second-team honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Rice, a second-team NABC All-District selection last season, joins Johnny Hemsley (2000), Tim James (1998 and 1999), Tito Horford (1988) and Rick Barry (1965) as the only Hurricanes to earn first-team honors. The selections of Rice and Salmons marks the fifth consecutive season the Hurricanes have had at least one All-District selection.

NABC All-District 6
First-Team
Udonis Haslem (Florida)
Rod Grizzard (Alabama)
Jarvis Hayes (Georgia)
Darius Rice (Miami, FL)
Brett Nelson (Florida)

Second-Team
Justin Reed (Mississippi)
Erwin Dudley (Alabama)
Altron Jackson (South Florida)
Mario Austin (Mississippi State)
John Salmons (Miami, FL)

BALANCED ATTACK:
The University of Miami was arguably one of the most balanced team in the nation offensively last season. All five UM starters averaged in double-figures in scoring. Darius Rice led UM in scoring at 14.9 points per game followed by John Salmons (13.1 ppg), James Jones (12.8 ppg), Marcus Barnes (12.3 ppg) and Elton Tyler (11.9 ppg). Miami joined Davidson, Texas and Valparaiso as the only teams in the NCAA Tournament field that have five players averaging in double-figures.

All five starters led the team in scoring last season. Rice led the team in scoring 11 times, followed by Salmons eight times, Jones six times, Tyler five and Barnes three times.

MIAMI SETS WINS RECORD:
Miami concluded the 2001-02 season with a record of 24-8 establishing a school record for wins in a season. The old record of 23 wins was originally set in 1959-60 and later matched in 1962-63, 1998-99 and 1999-00.

MIAMI GOES PERFECT OUT OF CONFERENCE:
With its 71-48 win over St. Francis (PA) on December 30, the University of Miami completed its non-conference schedule with a perfect 13-0 record marking the first time in school-history the Hurricanes have gone undefeated in non-conference play.

WHAT’S YOUR 20:
With its 65-56 win over Villanova on February 5 Miami recorded its 20th win of the season. The 20-win season marked the ninth overall for the Hurricanes and third in the last four seasons.

COMEBACK KIDS:
Miami rallied nine times from second-half deficits to win games last season. In Miami’s 102-96 overtime win against Providence on January 19, the Hurricanes came back from a 13-point second half deficit tying the UM record for the largest second-half comeback in a BIG EAST game.

JONES SELECTED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT:
Junior forward James Jones has been selected to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District II Men’s Basketball team.

Joining Jones as All-District selections are Matt Bonner (Florida), Tim Lyle (James Madison), Mike Dunleavy (Duke) and Jobey Thomas (Charlotte).

Jones is a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and carries a 3.371 cumulative GPA in finance. He was named a 2001 Arthur Ashe Scholar Athlete and was runner-up for the 2001-02 BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award.

TAKING OVER:
This season the Hurricanes had several players put the team on their shoulders on different nights. In 19 games this season the Hurricane player that has either led or tied for the team lead in scoring has also led or tied for the team lead in rebounding.

VS THE STATE OF FLORIDA:
With its win over Florida A&M on December 18, Miami improved its record against teams from the state of Florida to 292-141 (.674). Miami has won 27 consecutive games against teams from the state of Florida. Miami has not lost to a Florida school since a 72-64 season opening loss to Florida International on Dec. 1, 1992.

MIAMI vs. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS:
Since joining The BIG EAST Conference beginning with the 1991-92 season, the Hurricanes have compiled a 74-35 (.679) record against non-conference opponents, including a 50-13 mark (.794) at the Miami Arena.

WINNING WAYS:
Last season Miami recorded its eighth consecutive winning season. The last time Miami recorded at least eight straight winning seasons was the 1968-69 campaign when the `Canes registered their 10th straight winning season.

UM TIES WIN STREAK RECORD:
Miami’s 14-0 start last season set a school-record for consecutive wins to open a season, and tied the school-record for the most consecutive victories which was originally set in 1947.

MIAMI IN THE 2001-02 POLLS:
Miami is ranked 21st in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Miami’s highest ranking ever came on March 1, 1960 when the Hurricanes jumped to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll. Miami’s highest ranking since the rebirth of the program in 1985 is ninth by the Associated Press on March 1, 1999. The Hurricanes highest ranking in the Coaches poll came on March 1, 1999 (10th).

SUCCESS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE:
Entering the 2002-03 season the Hurricanes are the only team in the state of Florida to register a winning record in each of the last eight seasons. The Hurricanes’ 150-89 (.628) mark since the 1994-95 season is the top winning percentage over the last eight seasons while the 150 wins ranks second among the state’s 11 Division I programs.

ROAD WARRIORS:
Since the 1998-99 season, Miami is 21-11 (.667) in BIG EAST road games. The 21-11 mark is the best record among BIG EAST schools over that period. The Hurricanes have won 23 of their last 34 BIG EAST road games dating back to the 1997-98 season.

MIAMI DOMINATES IN THE ARENA:
In 13 seasons at the Miami Arena the Hurricanes have compiled a 143-67 (.681) overall record, including a 12-2 mark this season, UM defeated Indiana earlier this season at the American Airlines Arena. UM has posted a 82-21 (.796) record at Miami Arena since 1995. UM is 43-16 (.729) in its last 59 BIG EAST home games dating back to the 1995-96 season.

VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
UM went 3-1 versus ranked teams last season. The Hurricanes are 18-17 versus ranked opponents since 1996-97 and have defeated at least one ranked team in each of the last eight seasons. Miami is 27-82 (.248) all-time against ranked teams including a 24-68 (.261) record since the rebirth of the program in 1985.

NO DAY AT THE BEACH:
Miami’s 68-66 win over No. 17 Connecticut on February 2 marked the eighth consecutive season that the Hurricanes defeated a ranked opponent in the Miami Arena.

SALMONS SELECTED IN NBA DRAFT:
University of Miami guard John Salmons (Philadelphia, PA) was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 26th pick of the first round at the National Basketball Association Draft held Wednesday evening at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.

Salmons is the 14th Hurricane in school history to be selected in the NBA Draft and the first since Tim James in 1999. He is the third Hurricane to be chosen in the first round joining Rick Barry, who was selected with the second overall pick by the San Francisco Warriors in 1965, and James who was a first round selection in 1999 by the Miami Heat (25th pick overall).

Salmons (6-7, 210) was a second-team All-BIG EAST selection last season after averaging 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game for the 24-8 Hurricanes.

He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile players to ever play at the University of Miami, and is the only player in UM history to surpass 1000 career points (1287), 600 rebounds (687), 400 assists (433) and 150 steals (192). During his four seasons Salmons guided Miami to an 86-39 (.688) record marking the most wins in a four-year period in school-history.

Included in his four seasons were three NCAA Tournament appearances, one NIT appearance, the 1999-00 BIG EAST regular-season title and the school’s first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2000.