Game Day: Miami at No. 12 Notre Dame, Jan. 17

The Game
The Hurricanes hit the road for their second-straight Top 15 matchup when Miami faces No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Joyce Center.

The Series
Miami is tied 8-8 in the all-time series against Notre Dame, which dates back to the 1985-86 season. The Canes are 4-4 at home against the Fighting Irish, 3-4 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites. Miami won the last matchup with Notre Dame, defeating the Fighting Irish, 71-64, on Feb. 19, 2014 at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables.

The Broadcasts
Catch the game on ESPN2 with Dave Lamont and LaPhonso Ellis making the call. Also check out the game on 560 WQAM Radio with Joe Zagacki, the Voice of the Hurricanes.

The Coach
Head coach Jim Larrañaga has a 548-374 overall record in his 31st season as a head coach. He is 78-40 in his third season at the University of Miami, with a 33-22 mark in ACC play.

The Polls (as of Jan. 15)
AP: Miami -NR; Notre Dame – 12
USA TODAY: Miami – NR; Notre Dame – 12
KenPom.com: Miami – 50; Notre Dame – 15
NCAA RPI: Miami – 56; Notre Dame- 47

The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Coral Gables – 76/62; Notre Dame, Ind. – 40/33.

Miami Downs No. 4 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium
Miami defeated No. 4 Duke 90-74 Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, improving the Canes’ season road record against Top 10 teams to 2-0, and upsetting the Blue Devils’ 41-game home winning streak, among many other notes. See page four for a complete listing.

Canes Score 90 Against Duke
At No. 4 Duke, Miami scored 90 points for the fifth time in Coach L’s UM career, and the third time in ACC play. The Canes shot 51.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent (10-20) from three in the game, the sixth time this season Miami has hit more than 50 percent of its shots. UM scored 56 points (66.7 FG%) in the second half against the Blue Devils, a team that only allows opponents 62.7 points per game, on the average.

Rodriguez and Jekiri Lead ACC
Junior Angel Rodriguez leads the league in scoring (ACC games only) with 22.0 points per game, while classmate Tonye Jekiri is atop the conference in rebounds per game at 9.9 and in ACC games only with 12.3. Sheldon McClellan is No. 19 in scoring with 13.7 ppg, and 25th in rebounding at 5.7 rpg. Jekiri’s 2.3 steals per game are third in the league.

Point Guards Score 47 of 90 points
Point guards Angel Rodriguez and Manu Lecomte scored 47 of Miami’s 90 points at Duke. Rodriguez was 8-15 from the field, 4-6 from distance and 4-6 at the line for 24 points while Lecomte, who came off the bench, was 5-10 from the field and 3-4 from three, along with 10-11 at the line for 23 points. The last time two Hurricanes scored 20+ points was in the ACC Tournament in 2013, when Shane Larkin had 28 and Trey McKinney Jones knocked down 20.

Jekiri Posts Back-to-Back ACC Double-Doubles
Junior forward Tonye Jekiri has posted a pair of double-doubles in ACC play with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Duke added to 13 points and 15 rebounds against Boston College. Jekiri just missed a double-double against Virginia, with eight points and 12 rebounds. He now has three double-doubles this season and four for his career. The native of Nigeria has scored 10+ points five times this season, and grabbed 10+ rebounds eight times.

Canes Face Three Top 15 Teams in Four Games
Over a 21-day span, Miami will face three teams ranked in the Top 15 and two receiving votes. The Canes started with No. 3 Virginia, a double-overtime loss on Jan. 3. After defeating unranked Boston College, UM downed No. 4 Duke (Jan. 13) by 16 points in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Miami next travels to No. 12 Notre Dame (Jan. 17), then hosts RV NC State (Jan. 22) and travels to RV Syracuse (Jan. 24). In late February, the Canes will face another tough stretch against ranked teams when Miami plays at No. 6/7 Louisville (Feb. 21), then comes home to face in-state rival Florida State (Feb. 25) and No. 15/16 North Carolina (Feb. 28).

Coach L Approaching Win No. 550
Coach Jim Larrañaga is two wins away from 550 career victories and one ACC win away from 300 conference victories. He started the 2014-15 season with a 536-370 overall and 297-185 conference record in 30 years as a head coach.

Cruz Uceda To Debut For Canes Against Notre Dame
Junior Ivan Cruz Uceda, a 6-10 forward, will debut for the Hurricanes on Jan. 17 at Notre Dame, after being ruled ineligible for 50 percent of Miami’s games in the 2014-15 season. He is ineligible due to an NCAA rule that requires a student-athlete to enroll in college one year after high school graduation.

Hurricanes Visit Homestead Air Reserve Base
On January 6, the Hurricanes visited the Homestead Air Reserve Base, where the team learned about military procedures, held an interactive basketball practice with airmen, ate dinner with the troops, and took photos with an F-16.

Rodriguez at His Best Against the Best
In Miami’s three games against Top 10 teams – No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Duke and No. 8/7 Florida – Angel Rodriguez has put on a show, averaging 24.3 points and 5.0 assists.
Against Florida, he scored 22 of his 24 points in the final nine minutes, draining five second-half three-pointers to help Miami earn the win.
The junior scored 17 points in the second half against the Cavaliers, knocking down three clutch free throws with 0.9 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. In the two overtimes combined, he scored six points, including 4-4 at the line, and dished out three assists, accounting for 13 of Miami’s 17 overtime points.
At Duke, Rodriguez scored eight-straight points – including two from long distance – to give Miami a decisive lead. He tallied 15 points and four steals in the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Rodriguez Shines in the Second Half
Senior guard Angel Rodriguez knows how to finish a game. In seven games, he has scored double-digit points in the second stanza, including 22 at Florida, 17 against Virginia, 15 at Duke and 14 vs. Boston College.

Breaking Down the Stats
Through 16 games, Miami is 12-4 overall, 6-3 at home, and 6-1 away from the BankUnited Center (3-0 on the road and 3-1 at neutral sites).
Despite facing two Top 10 teams on the road – at No. 6/7 Florida and at No. 4 Duke – Miami averages 6.0 ppg, 6.4 FG% and 9.4 3FG% better on the road than at home.

Rodriguez on Robertson & Cousy Award Watch Lists
Junior PG Angel Rodriguez is one of 36 players listed on the watch list for the 2015 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award and was one of 24 players named to the early-season watch list for the 2014-15 Oscar Robertson Trophy for national player of the year, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced Nov. 24.

Jekiri Controlling the Boards
Junior forward Tonye Jekiri is controlling the boards for Miami, averaging 9.9 through 16 games. Jekiri tied his career high of 13 against Drexel, then set his new mark of 16 the next night, against Akron. Jekiri has secured 8+ rebounds in 13 of 16 games this season. Jekiri also has 27 blocks and 28 assists for the Canes.

Bench Points Key For The Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have recorded 18+ points off the bench in 12 of 16 games this season, led by 34 against South Alabama and 33 at Duke. In its last four games, UM has tallied 28 (CofC), 29 (UVa), 7 (BC) and 33 (Duke).

Recapping Miami at Duke, Jan. 13, 2015
* With Miami’s 16-point win at Cameron on Jan. 13, UM ended Duke’s 41-game home winning streak, the longest active streak in Division I. The last team to defeat Duke at home was North Carolina on March 3, 2012, with an 18-point victory.
* Miami also snapped Duke’s 19-game ACC home game winning streak.
* According to the Associated Press, Duke’s loss to unranked Miami marked just the seventh home loss the Blue Devils have sustained in the last 242 games against unranked teams.
* Miami’s 90 points scored against Duke are the most points scored by an unranked opponent in a regulation win in Cameron Indoor Stadium since NC State’s 96 points on Feb. 23, 1983.
* Miami has dealt Duke its last two regular-season losses by 16-or-more points: 27 (90-63) on Jan. 23, 2013 at Miami, and 16 (90-74) on Jan. 13, 2015 at Duke.
* In a span of six days, Miami’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both beat teams ranked No. 4 in the country with the men defeating Duke by 16 points, and the women taking down Notre Dame by 15 points. Miami and North Carolina are the only schools in the country with wins over top five teams in men’s and women’s basketball this season. Miami is the only one with wins over a top four team in both.

With back-to-back wins over Duke by NC State and Miami …
*Duke was beaten in back-to-back regular season games for the first time since 2009 (Feb. 11, 101-87 to UNC; Feb. 15, 80-74 to Boston College).
*Duke was defeated in back-to-back games by 12+ for the first time since 1995-96 (March 8, 82-69 to Maryland; March 14, 75-40 to Eastern Michigan).
*Coach K lost consecutive conference games by 12+ for the first time since 1982-83. That same season, Duke lost its last two games by 12+ points, including a 43-point loss in the ACC Tournament to No. 2 Virginia, where Coach Jim Larrañaga was an assistant coach.

Miami’s 16-point win over Duke …
* is the most lopsided loss an unranked visitor has handed to a ranked Duke team in the ACC era.
* is the third time in the past 25 years Duke has lost a home game by more than 16 points. The other two were 88-70 vs. UNC on March 3, 2012 and 77-60 vs. NC State on Jan. 18, 1995.
* is the Blue Devils’ worst defeat since the 18-point loss to Louisville on March 31, 2013 in the NCAA Tournament.
* is the fifth-largest home margin of defeat of Coach K’s Duke career. In 526 home games, his worst home losses are: 24 to D. Smith (‘83), 20 to D. Smith (‘89), 18 to R. Williams (‘12), 17 to Valvano (‘83), 16 to Larrañaga (‘15).

Since Coach L’s arrival at Miami in 2011-12 …
* Miami is the only team in the country to beat Duke three times.
* Miami is the only team in the country to play Duke multiple times and have a winning record.
* Duke has five losses by 16-plus – two of them are to Miami.
* Duke is 1-4 when allowing its opponent to score 90 points. Miami has two of those victories: 27 (90-63) on Jan. 23, 2013 at Miami, and 16 (90-74) on Jan. 13, 2015 at Duke. Syracuse and Kansas also won by scoring 90 points, both in 2013-14.
* In Miami’s eight wins over ranked teams, the Canes have outscored their opponents by 10.4 points per game (621-538).
* Miami is the only ACC school with three wins over Duke and one of five ACC schools with multiple wins over the Blue Devils.
* Miami is the only ACC school with a winning record over Duke after playing multiple games. (ND is 1-0).

Since 2009-10 (Duke’s last national championship year) …
*Miami is the only team to win at Cameron Indoor Stadium twice.
*Duke has lost four home games – half of them are to Miami.
*Duke has three ACC losses by 16-plus points – two of them are to Miami.

With wins over No. 6/7 Florida and No. 4 Duke …
* Miami has defeated a pair of Top 8 teams in the same season, both on the road.
* Miami has won two true road games against ranked opponents for the first time since 1998-99, when the Canes downed No. 9/10 St. John’s 73-70, No. 18/17 Syracuse 76-63 and No. 2 Connecticut 73-71, all on their home courts.

Team Notes
* Miami’s win over Duke marked its second win on the road over a Top 10 opponent. Earlier this season, Miami defeated then No. 8/7 Florida.
* The Hurricanes’ win over No. 4 Duke is the highest ranked opponent Miami has defeated on the road since its 73-71 win over No. 2 Connecticut.
* Since the arrival of Jim Larrañaga at Miami, the Hurricanes have posted a 3-2 mark against Duke, earning three of UM’s five all-time wins against the Blue Devils.
* Miami has outscored Duke 380-357 in those five games. The Canes have made 46.1 percent (135-293) of their shots while the Blue Devils have hit only 40.4 percent (127-314). From distance, Miami is 34-93 (36.6%) and Duke is 38-123 (30.9%). The Canes have out-rebounded Duke 196-194 and scored more points in the paint (164-152).
* In the three games played at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Miami has outscored Duke 244-227. Unranked Miami defeated the No. 7/5 Blue Devils 78-74 in overtime in 2012, fell 79-76 to No. 3/3 Duke in 2013, when Miami was ranked No. 6/7, and defeated No. 4 Duke 90-74 in 2015. In those three games, there were 28 lead changes and 23 times the score was tied.
* Miami’s 90 points against Duke were a season high. The Hurricanes’ 56 second-half points were the most points Miami has scored in one half of play all year.
* Miami’s matchup with Duke marked the Canes’ third Top 10 opponent it has faced this season (No. 7 Florida, No. 3 Virginia and No. 4 Duke).
* With the win, Miami improved to 4-7 in ACC road openers since joining the league in 2004-05. They also hold a 3-5 mark against ranked teams in ACC road openers.
* Miami led by as many as 20 points with 1:09 remaining in the game.
* The Hurricanes outrebounded the Blue Devils by a 41-31 count and held a 51.8-43.9 shooting advantage.

Player Notes
* Angel Rodriguez scored a game-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He fell just one point shy of his career-best point total of 25 points, which he set earlier this year against. Virginia.
* Rodriguez scored in double figures for the 13th time this season and the fifth-consecutive game.
* Rodriguez also scored 20-or-more points for the third time this season.
* Manu Lecomte finished with a career-high 23 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field.
* Lecomte finished in double figures for the ninth time this season.
* Sheldon McClellan also scored in double figures as he finished with 14 points. McClellan has scored in double figures in 13 straight games. He has scored in double figures in 14 games this season.
* Tonye Jekiri finished the game with a team-high 10 rebounds. Jekiri has pulled down 10-or-more rebounds in eight games this season, including the last three games.

Head Coach Jim Larrañaga Notes
* Coach Jim Larrañaga is two wins away from 550 career victories and one win away from 300 conference victories. He started the 2014-15 season with a 536-370 overall and 297-185 conference record in 30 years as a head coach.
* Larrañaga has a 548-374 overall record in his 31st season as a head coach, one of five ACC coaches with 500+ wins.
* He is 78-40 in his third season at the University of Miami, with a 33-22 mark in ACC play.
* Miami improved to 3-2 against Duke since the arrival of Coach Jim Larrañaga in 2011-12. Miami has outscored Duke 380-357 in those five games. Larrañaga has three of UM’s five all-time wins against the Blue Devils.