Hurricanes Return to Orange Bowl Basketball Classic
Dec. 18, 2009
CORAL GABLES, FLA. – The 10-1 University of Miami men’s basketball team takes on local foe Florida Atlantic on Saturday in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at the BankAtlantic Center at 4 p.m.
Game 12: Miami (10-1) vs. Florida Atlantic (5-4)
Date: Sat., Dec. 19, 2009 | Time: 4 p.m. (EST) | Site: BankAtlantic Center (Sunrise, Fla.)
TV: Sun Sports | Radio: 560 WQAM
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) | FAU (www.fausports.com)
Tickets: 1-800-GO-CANES
Projected Miami Starters
No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast
01 Durand Scott (G, 6-3, 195, Fr.) 7.5 4.6 4.4
23 James Dews (G, 6-4, 213, Sr.) 12.1 1.7 1.6
31 DeQuan Jones (G/F, 6-6, 219, So.) 6.8 3.1 0.8^
20 Cyrus McGowan (F, 6-9, 237, Sr.) 4.5 4.1 1.6^
21 Dwayne Collins (F, 6-8, 241, Sr.) 12.5 8.5 1.3
Projected FAU Starters
No. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast
02 Raymond Taylor (G, 5-6, Fr.) 17.7 2.9 6.2
04 Andre Mattison (F, 6-7, Fr.) 1.4 1.7 0.0
22 Greg Gantt (G, 6-2, Fr.) 14.2 2.2 1.6 28.6
23 Sanchez Hughley (G, 6-4, R-Jr.) 8.2 4.3 1.4*
50 DeMonte Simpson (F, 6-9, Fr.) 7.0 6.8 0.9
* steals per game | ^ blocks per game
The 2009-10 season marks the 15th time the Hurricanes are participating in the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic. The Hurricanes are 3-0 in in-season tournament play this season, winning the Charleston Classic in November. Overall, the Hurricanes are 66-60 in all-time in-season tournament play, dating back to the 1954-55 season.
THE SERIES
Miami leads the all-time series versus Florida Atlantic, 18-1, and has won three straight over the Owls by an average of 19 points per game.
Miami defeated FAU, 85-69, in their last meeting in Coral Gables on Jan. 5, 2009. Dwayne Collins led UM with 24 points, including a career-high 12 free throws on 16 attempts. Jack McClinton added 20 points for the Hurricanes, who controlled the boards with the 47-29 rebounding advantage.
The youthful Owls are led by 5-6, 145-pound freshman guard Raymond Taylor (Miami, Fla./American Heritage), who averages a team-high 17.7 points and 6.2 assists per game, while converting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He has scored 20-plus points in three-straight games and four times this season.
SUNSHINE STATE SERIES
The Hurricanes are 321-153 (.677) all-time versus in-state opponents, including a 23-8 (.742) mark under Frank Haith. Miami has won 54 of its last 66 games versus Florida schools, dating back to the 1992-93 season. In 2009-10, the Hurricanes are 4-0 versus Sunshine State teams — defeating Florida Southern, Nova Southeastern, Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson.
DOUBLE DOWN
With 20 points and a season-high tying 15 rebounds in just 24 minutes on the court in Wednesday’s win at Stetson, Dwayne Collins posted his 17th career double-double and third of the season. Those 17 double-doubles rank fourth most among active ACC players and is sixth in Miami history.
It was Collins’ sixth 20-point game of his career and second this season (he had 22 points on 8-of-8 shooting in the win over Tulane). His second 15-board performance ties for the second-most by an ACC player this season (he also grabbed 15 in the Charleston Classic championship victory over South Carolina).
Collins’ 747 career rebounds rank second among ACC active players and 11th in Miami history. He is 11 boards from becoming one of UM’s top 10 all-time rebounders. In addition, with 1,036 career points, Collins moved up one spot into 29th place among Miami’s all-time scoring leaders. He needs just two points to move into 28th place and six points to jump into 26th place.
DID U KNOW…
The Hurricanes have three players ranked among the ACC’s top 10 in three-pointers per game and three-point field goal percentage — Malcolm Grant, James Dews and Adrian Thomas… Sixth-year head coach Frank Haith is two wins from the 100th of his career… Defensively, the Hurricanes have allowed an ACC-low 56 points per game this season… Offensively, Miami leads all conference teams with 93 made three-point field goals, led by Grant’s 26… Senior Cyrus McGowan graduated on Thursday, becoming the second grad on the squad, alongside Thomas… Miami has won 10 of its first 11 games for the fifth time since UM basketball began in 1926-27.
ACC TIP OFF
The ACC Basketball Tip-Off Show, Raycom’s one-hour television special previewing the 2010 ACC men’s conference basketball season, begins airing this weekend on many stations throughout the ACC footprint. In South Florida, the special will be broadcast on Sun Sports at the following times: Sat., Dec. 19 at 9 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 20 at 11 p.m.; Mon., Dec. 21 at 9 p.m.; Tues., Dec. 22 at 1 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 27 at 11 p.m.; Mon., Dec. 28 at noon; Wed., Dec. 30 at 10 p.m. and Sat., Jan. 2 at 12:30 p.m. CBS will air the special on Fri., Jan. 1 at noon.
