Hurricanes Host Georgia Tech on Saturday
Feb. 24, 2005
<=””>Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
GEORGIA TECH (15-9, 6-7)
at
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (16-9, 7-7)
When: February 26, 2005 – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Convocation Center (7,000) – Coral Gables, Fla.
TV: WBFS-TV (UPN)
Radio: WQAM (560 AM); WVUM (90.5 FM); WSUA (1260 AM) in Spanish
Websites: UM (www.hurricanesports.com); GT (www.ramblinwreck.com)
Up Next: at #7/#10 Duke, March 3 at 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Tickets: $15, $25, $30 – Call 305-284-CANE in Dade or 1-800-GO-CANES
ON GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech enters its match-up with Miami with a record of 15-9, 6-7 in the ACC, following a 60-56 home loss to Duke on Wednesday night. The Yellow Jackets boast a senior laden line-up that reached the NCAA Championship game last season. Junior guard/forward Jarrett Jack has done it all for the Yellow Jackets this season averaging team-high’s scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (4.5 apg), steals (1.9 spg), three-point field goal percentage (.405) and free throw percentage (.887). He also has pulled down 5.3 rebounds per contest and is shooting 50.8 percent (120-236) from the field. Georgia Tech has four players averaging in double-figures in scoring including senior guard B.J. Elder (12.5), senior guard Will Bynum (12.0) and senior center Luke Schenscher (10.3). The Yellow Jackets are the top defensive team in the ACC holding opponents to just 65.2 points per game, 38.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 shooting from three-point range. Georgia Tech leads the league in all three categories
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 is 16-9 this season with the Hurricanes and needs just one more win to tie the UM record for most wins by a first-year coach. Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt is in his sixth season with Georgia Tech and ninth season overall. His record at Georgia Tech is 91-63 (.591) while his overall mark is 157-90 (.636).
LAST GAME – MIAMI 65, FLORIDA STATE 49
February 22, 2005
Leon County Civic Center, Tallahassee, Fla.
Guillermo Diaz scored 19 points and Robert Hite added 17 to lead the University of Miami to a 65-49 win over Florida State in Tallahassee to sweep the season series. The win marked the first for Miami in Tallahassee since January 16, 1960. Miami led 30-17 at the half, with Florida State managing only three points in the final 9:24 of the half. Al Thornton came off the bench to lead the Seminoles with 12 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Swann added 10. The Seminoles shot 28.1 percent and just 16.6 percent from 3-point distance. Florida State’s starting lineup produced just 13 points, although the team’s scoring leader, Von Wafer, did not start. Wafer, who scored 25 points at Miami last month, and Thornton first entered the game with 3:23 left in the first half with the Seminoles trailing 28-16. Anthony Harris had 13 points and William Frisby 11 for Miami while Diaz and Hite led the Hurricanes in rebounds with 8 and 7, respectively. Miami shot 45.7 percent, but hit 8 of 16 from 3-point distance and had a 40-33 rebound advantage.
LAST GAME AGAINST GEORGIA TECH:
#9/#10 GEORGIA TECH 80, MIAMI 69
January 6, 2005
Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta, Ga.
Will Bynum scored 21 points to lead the ninth-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to an 80-69 win over the University of Miami spoiling the Hurricanes’ ACC debut. The Yellow Jackets built a 14-point halftime lead and then held off Miami’s surge in the first 5 minutes of the second half. Luke Schenscher scored 15 points and Jarrett Jack chipped in 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds. The Hurricanes came into the game with an eight-game winning streak, including an upset of Florida. Miami was led by Guillermo Diaz who scored a game-high 27 points including several acrobatic shots that drew gasps from the crowd at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets led 46-32 at halftime, seizing control with a 14-1 spurt. Miami got back in the game with a 15-2 run to start the second half. But the Yellow Jackets never surrendered their lead. Bynum hit a shot in the lane, the first of five straight Georgia Tech points. Miami’s momentum was stymied, and Jack finished off the Hurricanes when he sank a 3-pointer with 2:25 remaining to make it 75-64.
A WIN VERSUS GEORGIA TECH WOULD:
Improve Miami’s record to 17-9 overall and 8-7 in the ACC.
Improve Miami home record this season to 12-4.
Clinch a .500 record in ACC play.
Give Miami a split of the season series with Georgia Tech.
Tie Frank Haith with Ron Godfrey (1967-68) for most wins (17) by a first year coach at Miami.
TV/RADIO:
The Miami-Florida State game will be broadcast live in Miami on WBFS-TV (UPN). Mike Hogewood will handle the play-by-play duties with Gil McGregor adding analysis. The game will also be broadcast on the Hurricane Radio Network, WQAM (560 AM). Joe Zagacki “The Voice of the Hurricanes” will call the action with Josh Darrow adding analysis. Brian London will serve as studio host. WVUM (90.5 FM), the University of Miami student radio network, will also broadcast the game. The game will be broadcast in Spanish on WSUA (1260 AM). Roly Martin and Joe Martinez will call the action.
SENIOR DAY:
Miami’s game against Georgia Tech marks the final home game of the season and last home game for seniors William Frisby and Brandon Okpalobi. The two will be honored in a ceremony prior to the game. Miami is 13-6 on Senior Day since the rebirth of the program in 1985. Miami has won five of its last seven games on Senior Day.
THE SERIES:
Miami and Georgia Tech meet for the second time this season and the fifth time overall. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series 3-1 including a 80-69 win in Atlanta earlier this season. Miami’s lone win over Georgia Tech came on January 3, 1953, an 82-60 win in Miami.
TALKING RPI:
As of February 21 the Hurricanes were No. 56 in the RPI rankings according to Collegiate Basketball News. The ACC is currently the nation’s top-rated conference and has seven teams ranked among the top-64 in the RPI.
PLAYING HIS BEST AGAINST THE BEST:
This season Miami sophomore guard Guillermo Diaz has played his best when facing the best. Miami has faced eight ranked teams this season and in those games Diaz is averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. He is shooting 69-138 (.500) from the field against ranked teams this season including 25-57 (.439) from three-point range. Diaz has scored 20-or-more points in seven of the eight games versus ranked opponents.
PLAYING LIKE A FIRST-TEAMER:
Guillermo Diaz has put together a season worthy of first team All-ACC consideration. As of February 23rd, Diaz is the only player in the ACC to rank among the league leaders (conference games only) in scoring (2nd), rebounding (21st), field goal percentage (7th), three-point field goal percentage (9th) and steals (3rd).
ROCKING THE CONVO:
The University of Miami has already recorded four sellouts in ACC play this season and announced on Monday, Feb. 7 that the Georgia Tech game on Feb. 26 at the Convocation Center is also a sellout. Through the first seven ACC home games this season the Hurricanes are averaging 6,290 fans per game marking an 86% increase in attendance over last season. Last season Miami’s average attendance through seven BIG EAST home games was 3,374.
FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS:
Head coach Frank Haith has guided the Hurricanes to a 16-9 record heading into Miami’s match-up with Georgia Tech. The 16 wins ties him for the second most by a first-year coach at Miami. The school-record for victories by a coach in his first season at Miami is 17 set by Ron Godfrey during the 1967-68 season. The team’s .640 winning percentage ranks as the best by a first-year coach at Miami during the post-World War II era.
ACC’S TOP SCORING TRIOS: The Miami trio of Robert Hite, Guillermo Diaz and Anthony Harris have accounted for 66.6 percent of the team’s scoring which is the second highest of any scoring trio in the ACC. Duke’s J.J. Redick, Daniel Ewing and Shelden Williams rank first accounting for 66.7 percent (1306 of 1958) of the Blue Devils’ scoring this season. In addition UM’s guards are the second highest scoring scoring trio in the ACC averaging 48.2 points per game. Duke (54.7 ppg) ranks first.
HITTING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS:
Miami is the top-ranked offensive rebounding team in the ACC averaging 14.80 offensive rebounds per game. The Hurricanes have taken advantage of their second chance opportunities converting their 370 offensive rebounds this season into 379 total points, or 1.02 points per offensive rebound. Miami is averaging 15.2 points per game off offensive rebounds or 21.0 percent of the team’s scoring. Miami has three players that rank among the top-10 in the ACC in offensive rebounding including Anthony King (3rd), William Frisby (5th) and Gary Hamilton (10th). No other ACC school has more than one player ranked among the top-10 in offensive rebounding.
23 AND COUNTING:
Miami guard Guillermo Diaz has scored in double-figures in 23 consecutive games. The streak is currently the longest in the ACC. Duke’s Shelden Williams is second having scored in double-figures in 14 straight games. Diaz’ streak is the fourth-longest since UM reinstated the program in 1985-86.
KING MOVES UP BLOCKED SHOT LIST:
Anthony King has already recorded 77 blocked shots this season which ranks fourth on UM’s all-time single-season list. King is on pace to record 86 blocks this season which would set a UM single-season record. King is just the fourth player in school-history to register 70 or more blocks in a season.=””>
