Game Day: Miami vs. Illinois - Dec. 2 - ESPN2

Dec. 2, 2014  |  9 p.m. 
BankUnited Center | Coral Gables, Fla.

TV: ESPN2
Radio: 560 WQAM  |  WVUM 90.5
Web: Watch ESPN
Satellite Radio: Sirius 108 | XM 193

17/20 Miami (7-0) vs. Illinois (6-0)

The Game
No. 17/20 Miami hosts Illinois in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchup Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. in the BUC.

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Miami is 2-5 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, with a 2-1 record at home. The ACC has won 10 of the 15 Challenges played to date; there have been two ties. ACC teams have won 88 of the 155 Challenge games (.568) played to date. Teams that lead at halftime are 115-38 (.752) in Challenge play.

The Series
Miami is tied 1-1 in the all-time series against Illinois, which dates back to the 1969-70 season. The Canes are 0-1 against the Fighting Illini at home and 1-0 at neutral sites. Miami won the last matchup against Illinois, defeating the Fighting Illini, 63-59, on Mar. 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas.

The Broadcasts
Catch the game on ESPN2 with Mark Jones and Kara Lawson making the call. Also check out the game on 560 WQAM Radio with Joe Zagacki, the Voice of the Hurricanes, as well as WVUM 90.5 radio, Miami’s student station.

The Coach
Head coach Jim Larrañaga has a 543-370 overall record in his 31st season as a head coach. He is 73-36 in his third season at the University of Miami.

The Polls (as of Nov. 30)
AP: Miami 17, Illinois RV USA TODAY: Miami – 20, Illinois RV
KenPom.com: Miami – 22, Illinois – 24

The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Coral Gables – 76/71. Champaign, Ill. – 38/29.

Trending
• UM has made at least six 3-pointers in every game, topping out with 14 at Charlotte.
• Miami is 4-0 when dishing out more than 15 assists.
• The Canes are 7-0 when posting less than 15 turnovers.
• Miami has shot at least 43.9 percent from the field in every game.
• Other than the 27.3 percent at Charlotte and 39.1 percent against Howard, the Canes have hit 43.8 percent or better from the 3-point line in every game. Miami’s best was 60.9 percent (14-23) at Charlotte.
• Miami’s low point total is 66 points, with an average of 77.0 ppg. One season ago, the team averaged 61.5 ppg.
• UM has posted four-or-more blocks in five-of-seven games.

Canes Open 7-0 for First Time Since 2009
Miami improved to 7-0 to open the season for the first time of Coach Larrañaga’s UM career. The Canes opened 4-1 in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and 3-2 in 2013-14. The last time UM opened 7-0 was in 2009-10, when Miami opened 8-0.

The Last Time Out Against Illinois
With the 63-59 win over Illinois in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas, Miami moved on to face Marquette in its second Sweet 16 game in program history. The ACC Champion Canes improved to 29 wins on the season. Rion Brown led the way with 21 points, and Shane Larkin added 17, while Kenny Kadji pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Tonye Jekiri, then a freshman, scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and had one steal and one assist in seven minutes. The complete box score is on page 5 of the notes.

Sharing the Ball
Through seven games, the Hurricanes have averaged 16.1 assists per game on 28.3 made field goals per outing. Miami’s high was 21 assists against South Alabama. Angel Rodriguez leads the way with 4.7 per outing.

UM Shooting 50 Percent
Miami is shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three while holding opponents to 39.6 percent and 30.5 percent, respectively.
The Canes have shot better than 50 percent from the field in their last four games, and have made no less than 43.9 percent of their shots in any game. UM has also hit 50.0 percent or better from distance in three games.

Taking Each Game Half By Half
Through seven games, Miami has shot 50 percent or better from the field in seven halves and 50 percent or better from three in six halves.

Learn More about Your Hurricanes
Renewed Hoops  |  Homecoming: The Angel Rodriguez Story

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