MBB Looks for Second-Straight Road Win
Feb. 15, 2014 | 6 p.m.
Cassell Coliseum | Blacksburg, Va.
TV: RSN – FOX Sports Florida
Watch the game on these affiliates: FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Florida, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, New England Sports Network Plus, FOX Sports Arizona Plus, FOX Sports Indiana Plus, FOX Sports North Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Wisconsin, FOX Sports Prime Ticket, FOX Sports Detroit Plus, ROOT Sports Pittsburgh, ROOT Sports Rocky Mtn., ROOT Sports Northwest, MSG Plus, FOX Sports Ohio, ESPN3 (Subject to Blackout).
Radio: 560 WQAM
Web: WQAM.com | Watch ESPN
Miami 12-12 (3-8)
Game Notes | Stats | Record Book | Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results
The Game
Miami travels to Blacksburg, Va., for a rematch with Virginia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. The Canes lost the first game against the Hokies, 61-60 in overtime on Dec. 8., the ACC opener for both teams.
The Series
Miami is 13-11 in the all-time series against Virginia Tech, which dates back to the 2000-01 season. The Canes are 7-4 against the Hokies at home, 1-2 on neutral courts and 5-5 on the road. UM is 7-10 vs. VT in ACC play and since the arrival of Coach L in 2010-11, Miami is 3-1 against Virginia Tech.
The Broadcasts
Catch the game on RSN with Wes Durham and Cory Alexander making the call.
Watch the game on these affiliates: FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Florida, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, New England Sports Network Plus, FOX Sports Arizona Plus, FOX Sports Indiana Plus, FOX Sports North Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Wisconsin, FOX Sports Prime Ticket, FOX Sports Detroit Plus, ROOT Sports Pittsburgh, ROOT Sports Rocky Mtn., ROOT Sports Northwest, MSG Plus, FOX Sports Ohio, ESPN3 (Subject to Blackout).
Also check out the game on 560 WQAM Radio with Joe Zagacki.
The Coach
Head coach Jim Larrañaga has a 531-366 overall record in his 30th season as a head coach. He is 61-32 in his third season at the University of Miami.
The Polls (as of Feb. 12)
KenPom.com: Miami – 70, Virginia Tech- 209.
NCAA RPI: Miami – 112, Virginia Tech- 227.
SOS: Miami – 39
The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Coral Gables – 75/58. Blacksburg, Va. – 34/19.
Up Next
Miami hosts a pair of ACC matchups when Notre Dame comes to town on Feb. 19, followed by a matchup against Boston College on Feb. 22.
Strength of Schedule
Of all ACC teams, Miami has the No. 1 strength of schedule in league games only. The Canes have faced Syracuse twice, as well as Duke and Pittsburgh.
Senior Starting Five at Florida State
Coach Larrañaga started the oldest, most experienced and strongest lineup against the Seminoles: The seniors. Garrius Adams manned the PG position, flanked by wings Rion Brown and Erik Swoope. Donnavan Kirk and Raphael Akpejiori started in the paint for Miami. The starts for Swoope and Akpejiori were the first of the season, and just 18 and fourth, respectively, in their careers.
Former Man-to-Man Team Gets In the Zone
After playing man-to-man defense 95 percent of the time in his first 40 years of coaching, Jim Larrañaga’s team is now playing zone 95 percent of the game. At FSU, though, the Canes played a mix of 1-2-2, 2-3, box-and-one, triangle-and-two, and man.
Stifling D by the Hurricanes
While playing primarily zone, Miami has held 15 of its last 17 opponents to less than 70 points, and only four teams overall this season have scored more than 70 points on the Canes: 80-Georgia Southern, 71-George Washington, 74-Maryland, 73-Florida State.
In eight of the last 10 conference games, Miami has held opponents considerably below their offensive season scoring averages. Those eight teams entered the game with the Canes averaging a combined 75.6 points per game, but have been held to an average of 57.3 ppg.
Cardiac Canes
Miami leads all ACC schools having played 12 games decided by five points-or-less or in overtime. Miami has played five overtime games and seven others that were decided in the final minutes. Miami is 1-4 in overtime this season and 3-4 in close games that ended in regulation.
Brown Among Most Improved in the ACC
Rion Brown has improved his scoring 8.1 points per game from a season ago, the fifth-best improvement in the ACC this season. Trevor Cooney (+10.6) leads the ACC, T.J. Warren (+10.5) is second, followed by Jerami Grant (+8.9) and Marcus Paige (+8.8).
Three Minutes or Less
Excluding Miami’s losses to Nebraska and Duke, in UM’s other 10 losses, the Canes have been within three points of their opponent with three minutes or less remaining in regulation.
Record Watch
Rion Brown is currently No. 10 on Miami’s all-time list of 3-point shots made in a career. His 157 trail No. 9 Johnny Hemsley (164). Jack McClinton holds the record with 286 made from distance.
Brown is also closing in on 1,000 career points, as he currently has notched 960. Only 34 previous Canes have scored at least 1,000 points for UM, including Durand Scott and Reggie Johnson from last year’s team, and Malcolm Grant from Coach L’s first season at the U.
Miami’s Top Seven, A Year Ago
A season ago, only two of Miami’s top seven guys were playing for the Canes, while another was out with injury. Four of Miami’s current top seven players were scattered across the world.
Manu Lecomte – An amateur in a professional league in Belgium.
Garrius Adams – Sitting out while rehabbing a knee injury.
Rion Brown – Miami’s seventh man, averaged 6.3 ppg in 20.3 mpg in ACC.
Donnavan Kirk – At DePaul, in the BIG EAST Conference.
Tonye Jekiri – At UM, averaging 1.7 ppg in 6.9 ACC minutes.
Davon Reed – Princeton Day School (N.J.)
James Kelly – Owens Community College.
Canes Get to the Line
Miami scored 24 points at the line at FSU, on 33 attempts, both team highs in ACC play. In the last five games, Miami has averaged 27.0 FT attempts, hitting 18.4.
Recapping Miami at Florida State
Starting 5: Garrius Adams, Rion Brown, Erik Swoope, Raphael Akpejiori, Donnavan Kirk … Garrius Adams scored in double-figures (12) for the fifth straight game and 13th time this season. Adams recorded his 68th assist Monday, setting a new personal best for a season. His previous season high of 66 was set during the 2010-2011 season … After Monday’s game, Rion Brown set career highs in games started (23), minutes (832), points (349), rebounds (145) and assists (54). Brown scored in double-figures (14) for the sixth straight game and 19th time this season. Rion Brown has hit multiple threes in six-straight games, connecting on two against Florida State … Manu Lecomte has recorded an assist in 10 straight games (29 during the stretch). Lecomte has recorded the best 5-game scoring stretch of his freshman campaign, scoring 59 points during the span … Donnavan Kirk has recorded a block in 20 games this year (45) and is six away from setting a career best, previously set in 2012-13 at DePaul (50) … Raphael Akpejiori has scored in three straight games for the first time this season, scoring four against Florida State, two against Pittsburgh and three vs. NC State. He also recorded a season high three blocks, topping his previous high of one set against Syracuse on 1/25/14 … Tonye Jekiri scored a career high 15 points Monday night against FSU, surpassing his previous high of 10 set on 12/30/13 against Loyola. Jekiri’s rebounds (113) and minutes (488) have now doubled his rebound and minutes production from the 2012-13 season (55 rebounds/235 minutes).
2013-14 Signing Class
A consensus Top 60 player, Ja’Quan Newton of Neumann-Goretti High in Philadelphia, is a 6-2, 180-pound guard listed as the No. 55 player in ESPN’s Top 100 list. James Palmer, a senior at St. John’s College High, is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Washington, D.C., who helped his squad to a 20-win season by averaging 12 points, five rebounds and two assists as a junior. Omar Sherman, out of Duncanville, Texas, is a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward who is a four-star prospect, according to ESPN and Scout.com. Ivan Cruz Uceda is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward originally from Madrid, Spain, ranked No. 55 overall by ESPN. Cruz Uceda will be available to play a pair of seasons for Miami following his two years at Harcum College in Pennsylvania.
The four newcomers will join an already talented 2014-15 class, which includes redshirt-freshman Deandre Burnett, who is out this season with an injury, and transfers Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez, who are currently sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules.
Stats breakdowns
In Miami’s 12 wins:
Six players average 7.3 ppg or better.
Miami scores 67.8 ppg, shooting 46.8% FG.
The Canes average 34.9 rpg, 12.7 apg and 5.7 spg.
Rion Brown shoots 44.4% FG and grabs 6.9 rpg.
Donnavan Kirk averages 11.4 ppg and Manu Lecomte 9.3 ppg.
In Miami’s 12 losses:
Two players average 7.4 ppg or more.
Miami scores 55.7 ppg, shooting 36.6% FG.
The Canes average 34.8 rpg, 8.8 apg and 4.7 spg.
Rion Brown shoots 40.1% FG and grabs 5.2 rpg.
Donnavan Kirk averages 6.8 ppg and Manu Lecomte 6.9 ppg.
In ACC home games:
Miami shoots 35.4% FG and 31.5% 3FG.
UM makes 9.5 FT per game.
The Canes hold opponents to 39.4% 3FG.
In ACC road games:
Miami shoots 45.8% FG and 36.0% 3FG.
UM makes 14.8 FT per game.
The Canes hold opponents to 29.9% 3FG.
Miami in National Stats
As of Feb. 9, Miami is ranked No. 10 in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 59.3 points per game. The Canes are also ranked No. 26 in field goal percentage defense, at just 39.6 percent. UM is No. 10 in personal fouls per game, No. 14 in fewest fouls, No. 48 in fewest turnovers, No. 48 in turnovers per game.
