Miami To Face Florida In Orange Bowl Basketball Classic
June 26, 2002
Coral Gables, FL (hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami and the University of Florida will face each other this season at the Ninth Annual Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on December 21 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The meeting will be the 64th in the intrastate rivalry and the first since December 20, 1990. Florida leads the all-time series 42-21 including a 62-60 victory in Gainesville the last time the two teams met.
Miami has played in every Orange Bowl Basketball Classic since its inception in 1994. Last season the Hurricanes defeated 2002 NCAA runner-up Indiana, 58-53, behind Orange Bowl MVP James Jones’ 13 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Jones (Miami American), entering his senior season, was a third-team All-BIG EAST selection last season after averaging 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Jones, who led the team in rebounding and blocks last season, has started 61 consecutive games for Miami dating back to the 2000-01 season.
Overall, the Hurricanes return 11 letterwinners, including three starters, from last season’s 24-8 team that set a UM single-season record for victories and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Also returning next season is 6-10 junior forward Darius Rice (Jackson, MS). Rice, a second-team All-BIG EAST selection, started 31 pf 32 games last season and averaged a team-high 14.9 points per game. He recorded 20 or more points a team best 10 times, including three 30-point games.
Miami’s third returning starter is 6-2 junior guard Marcus Barnes (Miami Senior). Barnes averaged 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season, and led the team with 25 double-figure scoring games. His 79 three-point baskets last season tied the UM single-season record.
Miami, which ended the 2001-02 season ranked 21st by the Associated Press, and Florida, who finished last season with a No. 15 national ranking, have been the two most successful basketball programs in the state of Florida over the last eight seasons.
The Hurricanes are the only Florida school to record a winning record in each the last eight seasons and boast a 150-89 (.628) record over that period. Miami’s winning percentage is the highest among the state’s 11 Division I programs over the last eight seasons. Florida, which leads the state in overall victories over the same period, has registered a 153-93 (.622) record since the 1994-95 season.
For tickets contact the Orange Bowl Committee at 305-371-4600, or log onto the Orange Bowl website at www.orangebowl.org.
