Gameday: Miami vs. Tennessee Tech - Nov. 11
Nov. 10, 2011
| Miami vs. Tennessee Tech Nov. 11, 2011 | BankUnited Center | ACCNetwork.com | 560 WQAM Radio Gametracker stats |
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Miami 0-0 (0-0) |
Tennessee Tech 0-0 (0-0) |
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Attending a Game at the BankUnited Center • Visit Miami • Miami Weather • BankUnited Center Seating Map • Directions • Parking Info • Tickets |
Game Notes – Miami vs. Tennessee Tech 
The Coach Jim Larranaga Era of University of Miami men’s basketball opens the 2011-2012 regular season with a game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Friday at the BankUnited Center. Tipoff for the home opener is set for 7 p.m.
The Hurricanes will begin a new era of basketball when first-year head coach Jim Larranaga makes his debut for Miami. The 2006 Clair Bee Coach of the Year, Larranaga arrived in Miami with five NCAA Tournament and three NIT appearances in 14 years at George Mason.
UM will look to the leadership of preseason All-ACC selection Malcolm Grant (14.8 ppg, 3.2 apg) and junior Durand Scott (13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.1 apg). Other key returners include junior Garrius Adams and sophomores Raphael Akpejiori, Rion Brown and Erik Swoope. Four playmakers have also been added to the 2011-2012 roster: a pair of junior transfers in Kenny Kadji (Florida) and Trey McKinney Jones (UMKC), as well as a duo of freshman guards, Bishop Daniels and Shane Larkin.
The Hurricanes were picked to finish fifth in the ACC in 2011-12 after going 21-15 overall and 6-10 in the conference a season ago, finishing ninth and playing in the NIT, where they advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Alabama.
The Golden Eagles will also debut a new head coach in Steve Payne. Tennessee Tech returns four starters and 87 percent of its scoring from a squad that advanced to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game a season ago. Payne was promoted from his post as associate head coach in March, replacing the retiring Mike Sutton, who he had worked under at Tech since 2002.
Tennessee Tech returns its top three leading scorers from 2010-11 in senior guards Kevin Murphy and Zac Swansey and junior Jud Dillard. Murphy, the OVC Preseason Player of the Year and a first-team selection last season, averaged 17.0 points per game, while Dillard added 11 per game. Swansey scored 9.7 while also dishing out 6.4 assists per game to rank seventh amongst all Division I players.
The Golden Eagles are picked to finish second in the OVC in the league’s preseason poll while Murphy and Swansey were both all-league selections. Tech finished 20-13 a season ago and went 12-6 in conference play, finishing fourth. The Golden Eagles then advanced to the championship game of the OVC Tournament and earned a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Miami is 3-0 in the all-time series against Tennessee Tech, but all three games have been close. Miami claimed a 67-59 victory in 2004-05 in Coral Gables and won 111-101 in 1989. The first game of the series was played back in 1947 and Miami took a 55-51 victory.
<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0ecd17241d” mce_href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0ecd17241d” >Men’s Basketball: Miami vs. Tennessee Tech</a>
