Men's Basketball Hosts Florida Southern in Friday's Season Opener
Nov. 8, 2007
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team opens its 2007-08 season at home at the BankUnited Center on Friday at 7:30 p.m. versus Florida Southern.
Game 1: Florida Southern (0-0) at Miami (0-0)
Date: Friday, Nov. 9, 2007 | Time: 7:30 p.m. | Site: BankUnited Center (Coral Gables, Fla.)
TV: UMTV | Radio: WQAM (560 AM) | Internet Video: www.ACCselect.com
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) | Florida Southern (www.flsouthern.eduathletics)
Tickets: 1-800-GO-CANES; www.hurricanesports.com
Probable Miami Starters (06-07 Stats)No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast1 Lance Hurdle (G, 6-2, 180, Jr.) -- -- --33 Jack McClinton (G, 6-1, 185, Jr.) 16.7 2.5 2.132 Brian Asbury (F, 6-7, 223, Jr.) 11.7 5.9 1.300 Jimmy Graham (F, 6-8, 251, Jr.) 5.6 4.0 0.550 Anthony King (C, 6-9, 246, R-Sr.) 7.9 9.3 0.6
Probable Florida Southern Starters (06-07 Stats)No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast1 Brandon Jenkins (G, 6-2, 180, Fr.) — — –5 Braxton Williams (G, 6-4, 200, Jr.) 6.3 3.4 2.222 Rob Eldridge (G, 6-2, 205, Jr.) 13.1 4.1 4.532 Zach Smith (F, 6-5, 190, Jr.) — — –30 Will Graham (F, 6-8, 215, Sr.) 10.7 8.5 1.4
Miami’s Nov. 9 season-opener versus Florida Southern marks the earliest regular-season start in program history. The Hurricanes, 43-13 all-time in season openers, have won 14 straight openers by an average of 22 points — including a perfect 3-0 mark under fourth-year head coach Frank Haith.
The Hurricanes return four starters from last year’s squad — who despite injury and adversity — tied a school record with four wins over ranked opponents and finished strong, taking three of their last four opponents to overtime and advancing to the second round of the ACC Tournament.
Among the key returners for Miami is junior guard Jack McClinton, who averaged a team-high 16.7 points per game last season and led the ACC in three-point percentage (.440), three-pointers per game (2.93) and free throw percentage (.895), and senior center Anthony King, who returns for his fifth season after missing the final 24 games of 2006-07 due to injury. King started the first eight games of last season and was leading the ACC with 9.3 rebounds per game when he sustained the injury.
The Series
Miami has opened the season versus Florida Southern on five occasions — although not since the 1956-67 season — and is 5-0 versus the Mocs in openers and 58-8 all-time versus Florida Southern.
A Look at Florida Southern
The Moccasins return all five starters from a team that went 8-20 in 2006-07, including Will Graham who averaged 10.7 points and a team-best 8.5 boards an outing and Rob Eldridge who added 13.1 points, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Despite returning a solid corps, Florida Southern was picked to finish eighth of nine teams in the preseason Sunshine State Conference poll.
