Hurricanes And Gators Face Off On Saturday
Dec. 1, 2004
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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (2-2)
at
#19/#18 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (4-0)
When: December 4, 2004 – 12:00 p.m.
Where: O’Connell Center (12,000) – Gainesville, Fla.
TV: Sunshine (Live)
Radio: WRBF (1020 AM)
Websites: UM (www.hurricanesports.com); UF (www.gatorzone.com)
Up Next: December 7 at Florida International – 7:30 p.m.
ON FLORIDA:
The Florida Gators, ranked 19th by the Associated Press and 18th in the latest USA Today ESPN poll, enter their match-up with Miami with a 4-0 record following an 88-51 home win over Florida A&M on Tuesday night.
The Gators have been led this season by junior guard Matt Walsh who is averaging a team-best 15.3 points per game while shooting 60.0 percent (21-35) from the field, 52.4 percent (11-21) from three-point range, and 88.9 percent (8-9) from the line.
Florida, which is shooting 53.6 percent from the field as a team and has defeated its opponents by an average of 30.5 points per game this season, has also received strong play from senior forward David Lee and junior guard Anthony Roberson. Lee ranks third on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game and leads the Gators in rebounding pulling down 7.3 boards per game. Roberson ranks second in scoring averaging 12.8 points per game.
ON THE COACHES:
Frank Haith was named Miami’s 11th head men’s basketball coach on April 12, 2004. In his 15 seasons as an assistant at the D-I level, he has helped lead teams that have won an NIT Championship, advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen three times, reached one Elite Eight and one Final Four. Haith, who is in his first season as a head coach, is 2-2 this season with the Hurricanes.
Florida head coach Billy Donovan is in his ninth season at Florida and 11th season overall. His record with the Gators is 172-84 (.672) while his overall record stands at 207-104 (.666).
TV/RADIO:
The Miami-Florida game will be televised live by Sunshine. Larry Vettel will call all the action with Bill Koss adding analysis. The game will also be broadcast on the Hurricane Radio Network, WRBF (1020 AM). Josh Darrow will call all the action.
LAST GAME – MIAMI 84, FAU 68
November 29, 2004
Convocation Center, Coral Gables, Fla.
Anthony King recorded the first triple-double in school history and Robert Hite scored a career-high 38 points to lead Miami to an 84-68 win over Florida Atlantic on Monday night.
King’s triple-double included a school- and Atlantic Coast Conference-record 13 blocks, eight of which came in the first half. The forward blocked six shots in the first 4:10, and Miami led 33-30 at halftime.
Miami opened the second half with four points apiece from Hite and guard Guillermo Diaz, who scored a career-high 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.
Florida Atlantic (0-3) cut Miami’s lead to 41-36 on a three-pointer by forward Mike Bell, who led the Owls with 23 points.
The Owls also got to within 51-47 on a basket by guard Tywain McTyer with 10:03 remaining, but Hite ignited a 14-2 run by scoring eight of his 28 second-half points over a 1:56 stretch.
Florida Atlantic never got closer than 11 points off Miami’s lead after that, and King made school history when he grabbed his team-high 10th rebound with 1:11 left to play.
King also finished with a career-high 11 points.
Miami snapped a two-game losing streak and set season highs in points, rebounds (46), blocks (16), assists (20) and field-goal percentage (49.3 percent).
The Hurricanes shot 59.4 percent in the second half, with Hite connecting on 11 of 14 field goal attempts.
LAST TIME AGAINST FLORIDA:
#13/#13 FLORIDA 94, MIAMI 93 (2OT)
December 21, 2002
AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL
Justin Hamilton’s free throw with six seconds left in the second overtime period lifted 13th-ranked Florida to a 94-93 win over the University of Miami in the Wachovia Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at American Airlines Arena.
Freshman Matt Walsh scored an Orange Bowl Classic record 33 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out five assists to pace the Gators. Matt Bonner added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Hamilton contributed 15 points for Florida.
Miami rallied from a 43-29 halftime deficit to force overtime. Darius Rice’s three-pointer with 26.4 seconds left in regulation forged a 72-72 tie and sent the game to overtime.
Rice finished with 32 points for the Hurricanes, while James Jones scored 26 and Armondo Surratt added 13. Jones scored five points in the first overtime. His three-pointer with 54.9 seconds left put Miami ahead 81-80. His layup with 3.2 seconds to go forged an 83-83 tie and forced another five-minute extra period.
In the second overtime session, a basket by Jones with 35.9 seconds to go pulled Miami into a 93-93 tie, the ninth deadlock in the two overtimes. Then Hamilton broke the tie at the foul line for Florida by hitting the first of two shots.
Miami’s final shot, a three-point attempt by Surratt from the right wing, missed as time expired.
A WIN VERSUS FLORIDA WOULD:
Improve Miami’s record to 3-2 this season.
Mark Miami’s first win over Florida since Feb. 19, 1990.
Mark Miami’s first road win over the Gators since Jan. 10, 1963.
Mark the 10th time in the last 11 seasons Miami has defeated a ranked opponent.
Mark the Hurricanes first road win over a ranked opponent since defeating Georgetown (#23/#24) on Jan. 2, 2002.
THE SERIES:
Miami and Florida will meet for the 65th time with the Gators leading the all-time series 43-21. Florida has won 13 of the last 14 games including a 94-93 double-overtime thriller in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on Dec. 21, 2002 at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
MIAMI vs. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS:
Since UM began conference play in 1991-92, the Hurricanes have compiled an 93-45 (.674) record against non-conference opponents, including a 66-15 (.815) mark at home. Miami was 10-4 against non-conference opponents in 2003-04 and is 2-2 this season.
VS THE STATE OF FLORIDA:
Miami is 297-145 (.672) against teams from the state of Florida. Miami has won 32 of its last 36 games against Florida schools dating back to the 1992-93 season.
STARTING GUARDS CARRY SCORING LOAD:
Miami’s three guard line-up of Robert Hite (21.8 ppg), Guillermo Diaz (14.0 ppg) and Anthony Harris (9.5 ppg) have carried the scoring load for the Hurricanes this season. The trio has combined to average 45.3 points per game, or 67 percent (181 of 271) of the teams scoring so far this season.
HOLDING TEAMS UNDER 100:
The University of Miami has always prided itself on playing tough defense. Over the last 14+ seasons the Hurricanes have not allowed an opponent to reach the century mark, a streak of 406 games. The last team to reach the 100-point plateau was Miami (OH) on December 27, 1990 in a 101-99 double-overtime victory over UM at the Eastern Airlines Palm Beach Classic.
The last team to score 100 points against the Hurricanes in a non-overtime game was Providence on February 21, 1990, a 101-67 Friar victory at the Providence Civic Center.
Miami has not allowed a team to score 100 points at home since Kansas defeated Miami 100-73 on January 10, 1990, a current streak of 224 games.
BLOCK PARTY:
Miami forward Anthony King set a school and ACC record with 13 blocked shots against Florida Atlantic on November 29, 2004. His 13 blocks broke the old ACC mark of 12 held previously by Ralph Sampson (Virginia), Derrick Lewis (Maryland) and Cedrick Lewis (Maryland). His 13 blocks were one shy of the NCAA record and ranks as the fifth most in NCAA history.
King is averaging a league best 5.5 blocks per game. He nearly has as many blocks (22) as points (23) this season.
MIAMI VS. THE SEC:
Miami is 36-58 (.383) all-time against SEC teams. Miami has faced Florida 64 times, more than any other SEC school. Not counting Florida the Hurricanes are 15-15 against the SEC.
KING RECORDS TRIPLE-DOUBLE:
Miami sophomore forward Anthony King recorded the first triple-double in school-history and just the 20th in ACC history with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 13 blocks against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 29, 2004. The triple-double is actually the third of King’s career. He registered two triple-doubles while playing at Southern Durham High School in Durham, N.C.
GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY:
The Hurricanes roster this season may be one of the most geographically diverse of any team in the nation. Miami’s 14-man roster is represented by 12 different states and Puerto Rico. Each of Miami’s 11 scholarship players hail from different states or country.
HAITH NAMED RECRUITER OF THE YEAR:
Frank Haith was been named the Rivals.com 2004 National Basketball Recruiter of the Year. As an assistant at Texas last season Haith helped the Longhorns land the top recruiting class in the nation during the 2004 recruiting season. Texas signed three McDonald’s All-Americans including LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson and Mike Williams, and kept two of the state’s top players close to home including Dion Dowdell and Conner Atchley. Haith has recruited a total of six McDonald’s All-American’s including Rodney Rodgers (Wake Forest, 1990), Jerald Brown (Texas A&M, 1995) and Brad Buckman (Texas, 2002). He also coached six players that are in the NBA including T.J. Ford (Milwaukee Bucks), Joshua Howard (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Owens (Memphis Grizzlies), Darius Songaila (Sacramento Kings), Calvin Booth (Seattle Sonics) and Rodney Rogers (New Jersey Nets).
HURRICANES SIGN THREE:
Head coach Frank Haith signed 6-6 swingman Brian Asbury (South Miami), 6-0 point guard Denis Clemente (Miami Calusa Prep) and 6-7 forward Adrian Thomas (Pembroke Pines Flanagan) to national letters of intent to attend the University of Miami next fall. The three South Florida signees mark the most in one UM recruiting class since the rebirth of the program in 1985-86. All are ranked among the top-100 players in the nation.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES:
Miami guard Rob Hite was one of the most improved players in the BIG EAST last season. He was one of the Hurricanes’ most consistent offensive threats scoring in double-figures in 25 of 30 games. Hite’s numbers were significantly improved in almost every category from his freshman season and have improved even more this season.
HIGH FLYERS:
Miami’s returning guards have an average vertical jump of 38.4 inches. Leading the way is sophomore Guillermo Diaz who has a vertical leap of 41 inches.
PLAYING ABOVE THE RIM:
The Hurricanes recorded 90 dunks (3.00 per game) last season. Miami’s 90 dunks were the most since UM had 111 dunks during the 1988-89 season. Rob Hite led the Hurricanes in dunks last season with 29. This season the Hurricanes have recorded 14 dunks in the opening four games (3.5 per game).
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
The Hurricanes are 19-21 versus ranked opponents since 1996-97 and have defeated at least one ranked team in nine of the last 10 seasons. Miami is 28-87 (.243) all-time against ranked teams including a 25-73 (.255) record since the rebirth of the program in 1985.
