Men's Basketball Battles Georgetown Saturday
Feb. 20, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
2002-03 Season Recaps in PDF Format
2002-03 Player Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY (11-11, 3-8)
vs.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (10-12, 3-8)
Saturday, February 22, 2003 – Noon (ET)
Convocation Center (7,000) – Coral Gables, FL
TV: ESPN; Radio: WQAM (560 AM)
Website: hurricanesports.com
ON GEORGETOWN:
The Georgetown Hoyas (11-11, 3-8 in the BIG EAST) lost to Pittsburgh, 69-59, Tuesday at the MCI Center in Washington, DC. The Hoyas have lost seven of their last eight games.
Georgetown has been led by All-America candidate Mike Sweetney. The 6-8 junior is averaging 22.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season. He ranks second in the league in both categories. The Hoyas have also received strong play from its backcourt of Tony Bethel and Gerald Riley. Riley is averaging 13.9 points while Bethel is scoring at a 11.0 points per game clip.
THE SERIES:
Miami and Georgetown meet for the 28th time with the Hoyas leading the all-time series 16-11. Miami has dominated the recent series winning eight of the last 11 meetings dating back to the 1996-97 season.
LAST GAME:
PROVIDENCE 73, MIAMI 63
February 18, 2003
Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Ryan Gomes poured in 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Providence College to a 73-63 win over the University of Miami at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, RI.
Sheiku Kabba added 18 points while Rob Sanders scored 17 for the Friars. Darius Rice led Miami with 15 points while James Jones added 12 points seven rebounds and five steals. Freshman Armondo Surratt had 12 points and seven assists in a losing effort.
Despite shooting 61.5 percent in the opening half, Providence trailed 39-37 at the break. Miami also shot well in the first half connecting on 56.7 percent of its FG attempts.
Providence opened the second-half with a 10-2 run, led by five points from Kabba, to take a 45-41 lead early in the second stanza. Miami responded with a three-point play from Rice followed by a three-point basket from Robert Hite to regain the lead, 47-45, with 13:43 to play.
The Friars used a 7-0 run to regain the led the good, and then hit eight consecutive free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
LAST TIME AGAINST GEORGETOWN:
No. 21 MIAMI 79, No. 24 GEORGETOWN 71
January 2, 2002
MCI Center, Washington, DC
James Jones scored a career-high 22 points to lead No. 21 Miami to a 79-71 win over No. 24 Georgetown at the MCI Center in Washington, DC.
The Hurricanes improve to 14-0, 1-0 in the BIG EAST, and tied the UM record for consecutive victories. The Hurricanes remained one of four unbeaten teams in Division I along with Duke, Virginia and Oklahoma State.
All five Miami starters scored in double-figures. Jones was 7-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range where the Hurricanes were 10-for-26 for the game.
Marcus Barnes finished with 15 points, while Elton Tyler had 12 and John Salmons 11 points and nine rebounds for Miami. Darius Rice had 10 points and five rebounds for the Hurricanes.
Mike Sweetney scored 25 points to lead the Hoyas while Kevin Braswell added 13 points and six assists.
TV/RADIO COVERAGE:
Miami’s game versus Georgetown will be broadcast live around the nation on ESPN. Dave Stader and Len Elmore will call the action.
The game will also be broadcast on the Hurricane Radio Network (WQAM – 560 AM). Joe Zagacki “The Voice of the Hurricanes” will handle the play-by-play with Josh Darrow adding analysis. Brian London will serve as studio host. Fans can also catch the game on the web at hurricanesports.com.
UP NEXT:
Following the Georgetown game the Hurricanes hit the road to face Villanova on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m. The game will broadcast in Miami on Fox Sports Net Florida.
A WIN AGAINST GEORGETOWN WOULD:
Improve UM’s record to 11-12, 4-8 BIG EAST.Snap the Hurricanes’ two-game losing streak.Mark UM’s third straight win over the Hoyas.
UM SINGLE-GAME TICKETS NOW ON SALE:
Single-game tickets for the remaining men’s basaketball season are on sale. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-GO-CANES or by visiting ticketmaster.com.
ON THE COACHES:
University of Miami head coach Perry Clark is his third season with the Hurricanes and 14th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Clark is 50-33 (.602) at Miami while his career record stands at 235-178 (.569). Georgetown head coach Craig Esherick is in his fifth season at the helm of the Hoyas. His record at Georgetown is 82-55 (.599).
RICE NAMED TO MIDSEASON WOODEN LIST:
Darius Rice is among 30 midseason finalists for the 2002-03 John R. Wooden Award. A national poll was conducted by the Wooden Award Midseason Committee to determine the Top 30 Midseason candidates.
The Wooden Award, which will be presented on April 1 in Los Angeles, is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball and 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 grade point average.
Rice is one of seven BIG EAST players on the list of 30 candidates including Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse), Marcus Hatten (St. John’s), Brandin Knight (Pittsburgh), Emeka Okafor (Connecticut), Michael Sweetney (Georgetown) and Chris Thomas (Notre Dame).
JONES NAMES TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM:
James Jones has been selected to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-District II Men’s Basketball team. Jones is now eligible for the national Verizon Academic All-America Team, which will be announced on March 6. This marks the second consecutive season Jones has earned Verizon Academic All-District honors.
Joining Jones as All-District selections are Matt Bonner (Florida), Adam Hess (William & Mary), Jon Larranaga (George Mason) and Brad McKeiver (Campbell).
Jones is a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and carries a 3.405 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.
COMING ON STRONG:
Miami forward Darius Rice has really heated up in the new year averaging 22.4 points per game in the months of January and February.
CARRYING THE LOAD:
Darius Rice (19.6 ppg) and James Jones (16.9 ppg) have shouldered the scoring load for the Hurricanes this season. The two are accounting for half (51.6%) of Miami’s points. During the month of February the tandem has accounted for 54.0 percent of the Hurricanes’ scoring.
PLAYING THEIR BEST AGAINST THE BEST:
The UM forward combination of Darius Rice and James Jones have both shined this season in the big games. Against ranked teams Rice is averaging 34.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 35-69 (.507) from the floor and 15-33 (.455) from three-point range. Jones is averaging 21.0 points against those teams while shooting 21-39 (.538) from the field.
RICE SEEING 20-20:
With his 32 points against Virginia Tech, Darius Rice recorded his fourth consecutive game of 20 or more points. It marked the first time in his UM career he had posted four consecutive games of 20 or more points. The last player to record four straight 20-point games was Tim James who posted five straight during the 1998-99 season. Rice has recorded eight games of 20 or more points this season which leads the team.
NO DAY AT THE BEACH:
Miami’s 73-72 win over No. 11 Connecticut this season marked the ninth consecutive season that the Hurricanes defeated a ranked opponent at home.
WORKING OVERTIME:
Miami played its fifth overtime of the season against Villanova on February 8. Miami is 1-4 in overtime games this season. The five overtime games establishes a school single-season record. Miami was 3-0 last season in overtime games. Miami has played at least one overtime contest in each of the last five seasons. UM has amassed a 9-6 record (including tournament games) in BIG EAST overtime contests (5-3 at home). The ‘Canes own a 25-24 overall record in overtime contests during their history (5-5 in double-overtime games and a 20-19 mark in single-overtime contests). Below is a list of UM’s overtime games since 1990:
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
Miami is 1-2 against ranked teams this season. The Hurricanes are 19-19 versus ranked opponents since 1996-97 and have defeated at least one ranked team in each of the last nine seasons. Miami is 28-84 (.250) all-time against ranked teams including a 25-70 (.263) record since the rebirth of the program in 1985.
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.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME:
The University of Miami has been nearly unbeatable at home this season recording a 8-2 record while struggling on the road posting a 1-8 mark.
MR. CLUTCH:
Darius Rice’s three-point basket with 0.5 seconds left to defeat Connecticut on January 20th marked the fourth time this season the junior forward has hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to either win the game or send the game to overtime.
With the Hurricanes’ down 72-69 to Florida , Rice connected on a three-pointer from the right corner with 26 seconds remaining to tie the score. Florida went on to win the game 94-93 in double-overtime.
On January 4th against North Carolina, Rice hit a three-pointer, again from the right corner, to tie the score at 60-60 with three seconds left. Miami went on to win the game 64-61.
In Miami’s first meeting with Connecticut on January 11, Rice sent the game to overtime with a three-pointer from the tip of the key tying the score at 71-71 with two seconds left. Connecticut won the game 83-80.
MIAMI CHRISTENS CONVOCATION CENTER:
The Hurricanes christened the Convocation Center, the new on-campus home of men’s and women’s basketball, and the University’s first large-capacity venue for other educational, cultural and community events with a 64-61 overtime win over North Carolina on January 4.
The $48 million facility, totally funded through private donations, seats 7,000 for basketball and will provide the University and the Coral Gables community with a facility designed for a wide array of uses.
UM LEAVES MIAMI ARENA IN STYLE:
Miami ended its 14-year run at Miami Arena with a 68-62 victory over Lehigh on December 30. Miami began playing its home games at the Miami Arena in 1988 and registered a 135-66 (.672) record including a 5-0 record this season. Since 1994-95 the Hurricanes had compiled a 98-26 (.790) overall home record at the Arena.
ITS BEEN A WHILE:
Freshmen Robert Hite and Armondo Surratt were both in the starting lineup for the Hurricanes’ game against Charlotte on December 15 marking the first time since the 1993-94 season that two freshmen started for the Hurricanes. That season freshmen Alex Fraser and Torey McCormick started the final 14 games of the season. Hite and Surratt have started the last three games together.
MIAMI vs. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS:
Since joining The BIG EAST Conference beginning with the 1991-92 season, the Hurricanes have compiled an 81-39 (.672) record against non-conference opponents, including a 56-13 mark (.809) at home. Miami finished 7-4 against non-conference opponents this season and has won 24 of its last 29 games against non-conference teams. Miami has won 20 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents.
RICE NAMED TO PRESEASON NAISMITH LIST:
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.
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.
