Men's Basketball Faces VCU in Puerto Rico Tip-Off Semifinals
Nov. 15, 2007
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The University of Miami men’s basketball team will take on Virginia Commonwealth in the semifinals of the inaugural O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Friday, Nov. 16, at 1:30 p.m. (EST). The first two rounds will be broadcast on ESPNU, while Sunday’s championship game will be shown on ESPN2.
Game 3: VCU (2-0) vs. Miami (2-0)
Date: Friday, Nov. 16, 2007 | Time: 1:30 p.m. (EST) | Site: Coliseo de Puerto Rico
TV: ESPNU | Radio: 1360 AM | Internet Video: None
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) | VCU (www.vcuathletics.com)
Tickets: 866-994-0001
Probable Miami StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast23 James Dews (G, 6-3, 203, So.) 13.0 4.5 2.033 Jack McClinton (G, 6-1, 185, Jr.) 13.0 3.0 4.532 Brian Asbury (F, 6-7, 223, Jr.) 9.5 3.5 2.500 Jimmy Graham (F, 6-8, 251, Jr.) 4.0 8.0 0.550 Anthony King (C, 6-9, 246, R-Sr.) 11.0 7.5 2.0
Probable VCU StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast2 Wil Fameni (F, 6-7, 250, Sr.) 7.0 6.5 1.015 Michael Anderson (F, 6-7, 205, Jr.) 12.5 6.0 0.021 Franck Ndongo (F, 6-7, 200, So.) 3.0 3.5 0.53 Eric Maynor (G, 6-2, 175, Jr.) 9.0 3.5 5.524 Jamal Shuler (G, 6-3, 180, Sr.) 17.5 2.5 0.5
Anthony King helped lead the Hurricanes over Marist in first-round action, finishing with a team-high 13 points, five rebounds and a game-high four blocks, while sophomore guard James Dews added 11 points – including three three-pointers – and five boards in his first career start. Junior guard Jack McClinton extended his double-figure scoring streak to 14 – the second-longest active streak in the ACC – with 11 points and a pair of assists, while freshman guard Eddie Rios dished out a career- and team season-high eight assists.
The Series
Friday’s game marks the fourth meeting between Miami and VCU. The Hurricanes lead the all-time series 2-1, including a 73-58 victory in their last meeting on Feb. 9, 1991, in Miami.
A Look at VCU
Like Miami’s first-round opponent, VCU comes off a banner year in which the Rams advanced to the second round of the 2006-07 NCAA Tournament after knocking off Duke (79-77) in the first round. VCU defeated Houston, 73-72, in the Tip-Off’s first game – behind a combined 38 points from Jamal Shuler and Michael Anderson – to advance to Friday’s semifinals.
