Hurricanes Will Open Regular Season Against New Hampshire
Nov. 18, 2002
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UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (0-0)
vs.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (0-0)
Saturday, November 23, 2002 – 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Miami Arena (15,388) – Miami, FL
Radio: WQAM (560 AM); Website: hurricanesports.com
ON NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Saturday night’s game marks the first of the season for the Wildcats. New Hampshire returns three starters from last season’s squad that finished 11-7, including 8-8 in the America East Conference. The Wildcats’ top returning scorer is junior guard Marcus Bullock who averaged 10.3 points per game. He is the lone returning player that averaged in double-figures last season.
THE SERIES:
Miami and New Hampshire meet for the first time.
TV/RADIO COVERAGE:
The New Hampshire game will not be televised. The game will be broadcast on the Hurricane Radio Network (WQAM-560 AM). Joe Zagacki “The Voice of the Hurricanes” will call all the action with Josh Darrow providing in-depth analysis. Fans can also catch the game on web at hurricanesports.com.
ON THE COACHES:
University of Miami head coach Perry Clark is beginning his third season with the Hurricanes and 14th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Clark is 40-21 in two seasons at Miami while his career record in 13 seasons stands at 225-166 (.575). Last season Clark led the Hurricanes to the NCAA Tournament marking the ninth time in 13 seasons he has guided his team to post season play.
New Hampshire head coach Phil Rowe enters his 17th season as a collegiate head coach, all with the Wildcats. His record in 16 seasons is 201-212 (.487).
FOR OPENERS:
Miami’s game versus New Hampshire marks the season opener for the Hurricanes. Miami has won its last nine season openers and is 15-2 (.882) in season openers since the rebirth of the program in 1985. Miami’s all-time record in season opening games is 40-12 (.769).
A WIN AGAINST NEW HAMPSHIRE WOULD:
***Mark the 10th consecutive season in which Miami has won its opener.
***Improve the Hurricanes’s non-conference home record to 51-13 (.797).
***Mark UM’s 18th consecutive non-conference regular-season win.
***Improve Miami’s record to 8-1 against America East opponents.
UM GOES 2-0 IN EXHIBITION GAMES:
The University of Miami won both its exhibition games during the preseason knocking off the Southeast Atlanta All-Stars, 102-71, and the Global Sports All-Stars, 69-64. The Hurricanes were led this preseason by senior forward James Jones and junior forward Darius Rice.
Jones averaged 23.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in the two games while shooting 19-27 (.704) from the field, including 4-7 (.571) from three-point range. Rice was just as impressive averaging 19.0 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds per game. Freshman Robert Hite also averaged in double figures scoring 10.5 points per game.
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.
RICE NAMED TO NAISMITH, WOODEN LISTS:
University of Miami junior forward Darius Rice has been named one of 30 preseason candidates for the 2002-03 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award, and one of 50 preseason candidates for the John Wooden Player of the Year Award.
The Naismith Awards program, now in its 35th year, honors the outstanding college basketball players in the United States. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball.
The candidates were selected by a vote of the Board of Selectors comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball analysts. Members of the board were asked to name top male and female players who are most likely to be in contention for the award.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
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.
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.
NO DAY AT THE BEACH:
Miami’s 68-66 win over No. 17 Connecticut last season marked the eighth consecutive season that the Hurricanes defeated a ranked opponent at home.
MIAMI GRADUATION RATE RANKS THIRD:
According to a report released by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the University of Miami men’s basketball program ranks third in the nation among the 115 Division I-A institutions with an 82 percent graduation rate for student-athletes who entered school from 1992-93 to 1995-96.
The national average for men’s basketball players over that four-year period was 34 percent. Graduation rates were tabulated and released by the NCAA in its 2002 NCAA Graduation Rates Report.
Miami’s 1993-94 to 1995-96 classes registered a perfect 100 percent graduation rate.
WHAT’S YOUR 20:
With its 65-56 road win over Villanova last season, 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.
MIAMI IN THE POSTSEASON, AGAIN:
With its selection to the 2002 NCAA Championship, 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.
MIAMI DOMINATES AT HOME:
Since 1994-95 the Hurricanes have compiled a 94-26 (.783) overall home record, including a 14-2 mark last season. UM is 50-19 (.725) in its last 69 BIG EAST home games dating back to the 1994-95 season.
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.
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 last season, 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 IN THE 2001-02 POLLS:
Miami ended last season ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll. 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.
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 home. Miami was a perfect 13-0 against non-conference teams last 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.
HURRICANES SIGN THREE:
Head men’s basketball coach Perry Clark signed three recruits during the early signing period including 6-6 forward Karron Clarke (Brooklyn, NY/The Winchendon School), 6-9 forward/center Leonard Harden III (Detroit, MI/Garden City Community College) and 6-11 center Yankuba Camara (Gambia, West Africa/Moberly Area Community College).
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.
RICE, JONES NEAR 1000-POINT CLUB:
Miami junior Darius Rice and senior James Jones are both closing in on the 1,000-point platuea at the University of Miami. Rice has 887 career points heading into the 2002-03 season while Jones is right behind with 884 points. Twenty-four UM players have scored 1,000 or more career points led by Rick Barry who holds the Miami career scoring record with 2,298 points.
BOMBS AWAY:
Against Florida A&M (12-18-01) and Virginia Tech (1-12-02) the Hurricanes connected on 13 three-point baskets tying for the second highest single-game total in school-history.
Miami connected on 236 of 684 three-point field goals last season establishing single-season records in three-point field goals and three-point field goals attempted. The Hurricanes averaged 7.4 three-point field goals per game. Miami connected on 10 or more three-point field goals eight times last season.
EASY AS 1, 2, 3:
Miami failed to hit a three-point basket against Indiana (0-13) marking just the third time in school-history that UM failed to connect on at least one three-pointer. Miami has hit at least one trey in 462 of 465 games since the NCAA adopted the three-point shot in 1986.
The only other games in which UM failed to hit a three-pointer were versus St. John’s on March 5, 2000 (0-13) and against Howard University on December 6, 1991 (0-15). Miami is 2-1 all-time when failing to hit a three-pointer.
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING:
Miami shot a season-high 59.3 percent against Providence (1-19-02). Since the 1998-99 season the Hurricanes are 23-1 when shooting over 50 percent from the field. Miami has won its last nine games when shooting 50 percent or better.
