Canes Hope To Enact Revenge On Hoyas
Feb. 6, 2004
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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (13-9, 3-5 BIG EAST)
VS. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY (12-6, 3-5 BIG EAST)
Saturday, February 7, 2004 – 7:00 p.m.
MCI Center (20,600) – Washington D.C.
TV – Fox Sports Net Florida; Radio – WQAM (560 AM)
Website – hurricanesports.com
ON GEORGETOWN:
Georgetown enters its matchup with Miami with a record of 12-6, 3-5 in the BIG EAST, following a 75-60 home loss agianst Villanova on Thurday. The Hoyas have been led this season by senior forward Gerald Riley who is averaging a 17.6 points per game. Georgetown boasts three players averaging in double figures in scoring including sophomore guard Brandon Bowman (16.4 ppg) and junior forward Darrel Owens (10.1 ppg). Bowman also leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 per contest.
THE SERIES:
Miami and Georgetown meet for the 31st time with the Hoyas leading the all-time series 18-12. Georgetown won the first meeting this season, 87-80, in overtime on January 31. Miami is 3-7 all-time at Georgetown.
LAST GAME:
RUTGERS 72, MIAMI 70 (OT)
February 4, 2004
Louis Brown Athletic Center, Piscataway, NJ
Ricky Shields scored 19 points and hit the decisive free throws with 15 seconds left as Rutgers defeated Miami 72-70 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
Rutgers won its fourth straight game while sending Miami to its fourth straight loss and its second straight in overtime. The Hurricanes are 0-3 in overtime this year while Rutgers is 2-0.
Rob Hite scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead Miami. The double-double marked his first of the season, while the 11 rebounds were a season-high. Guillermo Diaz added 19 points and Darius Rice had 17 in a losing effort.
Rutgers’ Quincy Douby forced overtime with a left-wing jumper with 9.5 seconds left, tying it at 59-59. With the score tied at 61 in overtime, Douby hit a 3-pointer with one second on the shot clock to give Rutgers a lead it would not relinquish.
LAST MEETING VERSUS GEORGETOWN:
GEORGETOWN 87, MIAMI 80 (OT)
January 31, 2004
Convocation Center, Coral Gables, FL
Gerald Riley scored 35 points, including seven in overtime, to lead Georgetown to an 87-80 overtime win over Miami on Saturday night.
Riley was 13-of-17 from the field and scored the most points by an individual player against Miami since Georgetown’s Allen Iverson scored 38 on March 7, 1996.
Darius Rice scored 20 points for Miami, his biggest shot coming on a late three-pointer that sent the game into overtime. Riley, however, scored seven quick points in overtime to give Georgetown just its second win in seven games.
Guillermo Diaz also had 20 points to help lead the Hurricanes.
Down for most of the second half, Georgetown eventually pulled to within 68-67 on a three-point play by Bowman with just under three minutes left in the game, then took the lead on a dunk by Darrel Owens.
A Ray Reed layup with 24 seconds left gave Georgetown a 73-70 advantage before Rice’s three-pointer from the top of the key sent the game into overtime.
UP NEXT:
Following the Georgetown game the Hurricanes return home to face Boston College on Febuary 11th beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
A WIN AGAINST GEORGETOWN WOULD:
Improve Miami’s record to 14-9, 4-5 in the BIG EAST.Mark Perry Clark’s 250th career win.Equal UM’s BIG EAST win total from last season.Snap the Hurricanes’ four-game losing streak.
TV/RADIO COVERAGE:
Miami’s game versus Georgetown is being produced by ESPN Regional Television and will be broadcast in Miami on Fox Sports Net Florida. Dave Pasch and Charles Smith will call the action.
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. Brian London will serve as studio host. Fans can also catch the game on the web at hurricanesports.com.
ON THE COACHES:
University of Miami head coach Perry Clark is in his fourth season with the Hurricanes and 15th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Clark is 64-47 (.577) at Miami while his career record in 14 seasons stands at 249-192 (.565).
Georgetown head coach Craig Esherick is in his sixth season a collegiate head coach, all at Georgetown. His career record is 102-65 (.611).
CLARK GOES FOR NO. 250:
Miami head coach Perry Clark will be going for career win No. 250 when the Hurricanes’ face Villanova on Sunday, January 25. Clark recorded his 249th win in Miami’s 73-63 victory over Rutgers on January 21. Clark won 185 games in 11 seasons at Tulane (1989-00) and has 64 wins in his fourth season at Miami. With his next win Clark would move into 68th in victories among active coaches.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES:
Miami guard Rob Hite may be the most improved player in the BIG EAST this season. The sophomore has been the Hurricanes’ most consistant offensvie threat scoring in double-figures in every game this season. Hite’s numbers are significantly improved in almost every category this season.
HIGH FLYERS:
The University of Miami’s backcourt may be the most athletic in the country. Miami’s guards have an average vertical jump of 38.2 inches. All of UM’s guards have vertical jumps of at least 36 inches. Leading the way is freshman Guillermo Diaz who has a vertical leap of 41 inches.
PLAYING ABOVE THE RIM:
The Hurricanes have recorded 77 dunks (3.57 per game) already this season. Miami registered only 50 dunks all of last season. At this current pace the Hurricanes would record 109 dunks which would easily be the team’s highest total over the last 10 seasons. Rob Hite and Darius Rice lead the Hurricanes in dunks this season with 22 each.
CATCHING FIRE:
Darius Rice has recorded 34 games of 20-or-more points during his UM career including nine games this season. Even more impressive is that Rice has gone for 20-or-more points in a single half 10 times, including 20 points in the second half of UM’s last game versus Rutgers.
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
Miami is 0-2 against ranked teams this season. Miami was 1-2 against ranked teams last season. The Hurricanes are 19-20 versus ranked opponents since 1996-97 and have defeated at least one ranked team in each of the last nine seasons. Miami is 28-86 (.246) all-time against ranked teams including a 25-72 (.258) record since the rebirth of the program in 1985.
A MODEL OF EFFICIENCY:
Rob Hite ranks 12th in the BIG EAST in scoring at 16.9 ppg but a closer look shows that he is one of the most efficient scorers in the league averaging 1.48 points per shot attempt (371 points/251 field goal attempts). His 1.48 average ranks fourth among the BIG EAST’s Top-20 scorers (through Feb. 5) behind a trio of post players Torin Francis (Notre Dame), Ryan Gomes (Providence) and Emeka Okafor (Connecticut).
WORKING OVERTIME:
Miami’s game versus Rutgers on February 4 was its third overtime game of the season. Miami played a school single-season record five overtime games last season. Miami has played at least one overtime contest in each of the last six seasons. UM has amassed a 9-9 record (including tournament games) in BIG EAST overtime contests (5-5 at home). The ‘Canes own a 25-27 overall record in overtime contests during their history (5-6 in double-overtime games and a 20-21 mark in single-overtime contests).
MR. CLUTCH:
This season against Georgetown on January 31 Rice hit a trey with 12 second remaining to send the game to overtime marking the fifth time of his career he has either won or sent a game to overtime with a three-pointer at the end of regulation..
Last season Rice turned the trick four times. His three-point basket with 0.5 seconds left against Connecticut last season gave UM a 77-76 win.
Against Florida, Rice connected on a three-pointer from the right corner with 26 seconds remaining to tie the score.
Versus 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.
CLARK TOPS AMONG UM COACHES:
Fourth-year head Coach Perry Clark recorded 51 wins in his first three seasons with the Hurricanes marking the most wins by any UM basketball coach in his first three seasons. Clark is 13-7 this season giving him 64 wins as UM’s head coach. Clark needs one more victory to tie BIll Foster for the wins (65) by a UM coach in his first four seasons.
TOP RECRUITING CLASS:
Head coach Perry Clark and his staff put together one of the nation’s top recruiting classes for this upcoming season. Miami’s class of forward Karron Clarke, guard Guillermo Diaz, guard Anthony Harris and forward/center Anthony King is ranked as high as eighth in the nation by Street & Smith’s.
MIAMI VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS:
Since joining The BIG EAST Conference beginning with the 1991-92 season, the Hurricanes have compiled an 91-43 (.679) record against non-conference opponents, including a 64-14 (.821) mark at home. Miami was 10-4 against non-conference opponents this season.
UM SIGNS CENTER EARLY:
Head coach Perry Clark signed of 6-11, 233 pound center Chester “C.J.” Giles (Seattle, Wash.) to a national letter of intent during the early signing period.
Last season Giles averaged 8.2 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks per game earning third-team All-State honors and helping Rainier Beach High School to a 26-3 record and its second consecutive Class 3A State Championship. Rainier ended the season ranked 16th in the nation by USA Today.
Giles is ranked 39th overall and 7th at his position by Rivals.com. He is the 12th ranked high school center in the nation by Athlon Sports, is ranked among the Top-100 players in the nation by Lindy’s (No. 66) and The Sporting News (No. 87), and is an honorable mention All-America selection by Street & Smith’s.
VS THE STATE OF FLORIDA:
Miami is 296-145 (.671) against teams from the state of Florida. Miami has won 31 of its last 35 games against Florida schools dating back to the 1992-93 season.
IT’S ALL ACADEMIC:
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the University of Miami men’s basketball program ranks third in the nation among the 117 Division I-A institutions with a 78 percent graduation rate for student-athletes who entered school from 1993-97 and earned their degrees within six years.
Only Stanford (100%) and Southern Methodist (83%) had higher graduation rates among Division I-A institutions. The national average for Division I-A men’s basketball players over that four-year period was 36 percent.
In addition the Hurricanes ranked in a tie for 19th among all 327 Division I institutions.
Graduation rates were tabulated and released by the NCAA in its 2003 NCAA Graduation Rates Report. The Hurricanes’ 78 percent graduation rate is the highest among any institution in the BIG EAST, ACC or SEC.
From 1993-94 to 1995-96 the Hurricanes registered a perfect 100 percent graduation rate.
For the 1995-96 class, both the UM men’s and women’s basketball programs registered 100 percent graduation rates. Miami was one of only six Division I-A institutions, along with BYU, Duke, Rice, North Carolina and Virginia Tech, to record a 100 percent graduation rate for that class in both men’s and women’s basketball.
RICE NAMED WOODEN AWARD CANDIDATE:
Senior forward Darius Rice has been named one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden College Basketball Player of the Year 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. The 2004 Award ceremony, which will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American team and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award, will be held at The Los Angeles Athletic Club on Saturday, April 10, 2004 and will be broadcast live on CBS.
RICE NAMED NAISMITH CANDIDATE:
Darius Rice has been named one of 30 preseason candidates for the 2003-04 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award. The Naismith Awards program, now in its 36th 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.
HURRICANES DISTRIBUTE DINNERS:
Members of the University of Miami men’s basketball team as well as several student-athletes from the Hurricanes’ football, women’s rowing, women’s track, women’s volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s soccer programs handed out Thanksgiving dinners to six Miami-area organizations prior to the start of the women’s basketball exhibition game versus The Tournament of Champions on November 17 at the Convocation Center.
The six Miami-area organizations who picked up dinners were: Children & Families, Ronald McDonald House, Gladstone Center, Florida Baptist Home, Universal Truth Center, and Child Hope.
The full dinners were donated by Sysco Food Services of South Florida. This Thanksgiving marked the eighth consecutive year that University of Miami Athletic Department and its student-athletes have reached out to the community during the holidays.
HURRICANES VISIT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL:
Head coach Perry Clark and the University of Miami men’s basketball team spread some holiday cheer on Thursday with a visit to the pediatrics ward at Baptist Hospital in Miami.
“It is very important for our kids to give back to the community,” said head coach Perry Clark. “Giving of ones time is the greatest gift you can give, and I think we were able to spread some Christmas cheer today.”
The Hurricanes visited with children in pediatrics ward as well as the critical care unit. The Miami coaches and players signed autographs, took pictures with the children and distributed approximately 300 toys donated by Mattel, Inc.
“I think it means a lot to the children here at the hospital, and it means a lot to us to see the kids smile,” said All-American forward Darius Rice. “Hopefully we were able to brighten up their holiday.”
BIG EAST SINGLE GAME TICKETS ON SALE:
Single-game tickets for all University of Miami men’s basketball BIG EAST conference home games, are on sale. Fans can order single-game tickets by phone by calling 305-284-CANE, or log on to www.hurricanesports.com.
