Game Day: Miami at Syracuse - Jan. 24

The Game
The Canes hit the road for New York, when Miami faces Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

The Series
Miami is 5-16 in the all-time series against Syracuse, which dates back to the 1963-64 season. The Canes are 3-9 at home against the Orange and 2-7 on the road. Syracuse won the last matchup with Miami, defeating the Canes, 64-52, on Jan. 25, 2014 at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables.

The Broadcasts
Catch the game on the ESPN2 with Sean McDonough and Kara Lawson 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 549-375 overall record in his 31st season as a head coach. He is 79-41 in his fourth season at the University of Miami, with a 34-23 mark in ACC play.

The Polls (as of Jan. 23)
AP: Miami -RV; Syracuse – NR USA TODAY: Miami – RV; Syracuse – NR
KenPom.com: Miami – 46; Syracuse – 68 NCAA RPI: Miami – 57; Syracuse- 56

The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Coral Gables – 73/54; Syracuse, N.Y. – 22/33.

The Quote
“Well they were terrific. I thought [Angel] Rodriguez was sensational. He not only scored, but he controlled the game. It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen in Cameron from an opposing player. Their whole team played well, but he really set the tone in how well he played. He was great—not good—he was great. “
– Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, following Miami’s 90-74 win on Jan. 13

Coach L Approaching Win No. 550
Coach Jim Larrañaga is one win away from 550 career victories and now has 300 total conference game 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 and Boeheim
Miami coach Jim Larrañaga and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim are two of five ACC coaches with a Final Four appearance to his credit. At George Mason, Larrañaga took the 2006 Patriots to the Final Four. Larrañaga and Boeheim are two of five active ACC coaches with 500 or more wins. Larrañaga and Boeheim have both won the following coach of the year awards: Naismith, AP, Henry Iba, Clair Bee and their respective conference (ACC/CAA and BIG EAST).
Larrañaga and Boeheim have faced off on three occasions prior to Syracuse joining the ACC in 2013-14:
1. Bowling Green lost at Syracuse in 1995. Coach L forgot his suit and borrowed a camel hair jacket and slacks from opposing head coach Boeheim for the game.
2. In 1984, Larrañaga was an assistant at Virginia when the Cavaliers beat the Orange in Atlanta to move on to the Final Four.
3. While playing at Providence in 1970, Larrañaga defeated Syracuse assistant Boeheim in the Charlotte Invitational.

Canes on the Road
Through Miami’s first three road games, the Canes lead the ACC in average miles traveled per game at 1,201. The second-highest in the league through games this weekend is 893 miles per game by Boston College. Despite only playing three games on the road (at Duke, Notre Dame and Syracuse), the Canes are second in total miles traveled with 3,602, behind Florida State (4,112), who has played five road games.
This season Miami travels to the four farthest teams from Coral Gables, Boston College (1,259 miles), Syracuse (1,216), Notre Dame (1,153) and Pittsburgh (1,015).

Making the Extra Pass
The Hurricanes knocked down 19 shots against NC State and tallied 15 assists in the game. Angel Rodriguez led the way with six helpers, followed by three from Sheldon McClellan. The Canes have dished 14+ assists in six of the last seven games and 12 total times this season.

McClellan Notches Double-Double Against NC State
Junior forward Sheldon McClellan recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds against NC State, added to his three assists and perfect 7-7 mark at the line. This was the second double-double in McClellan’s career, the first was 31 points and 11 rebounds at Charlotte.

Hitting from Long Distance
Against NC State, Miami was 8-25 from the field in the first half, hitting six 3-point shots. For the game, Miami knocked down nine from long distance. UM has hit at least nine from three in the past three games and 10 times this season, topping out with 14 at Charlotte on Nov. 25.

Jekiri Leads ACC in Rebounding
Junior Tonye Jekiri is atop the conference in rebounds per game at 10.1 and in ACC games only with 12.5. In ACC games, Angel Rodriguez is No. 7 in scoring with 17.5 ppg and Sheldon McClellan is No. 15 in scoring with 14.5 ppg.

Jekiri Impresses in Junior Season
Junior forward Tonye Jekiri has nearly doubled his output in points and rebounds each season as a Hurricane. The 7-footer is averaging 7.8 points and 10.1 rebounds this season, up from 4.2 ppg and 5.5 rpg his sophomore year and 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds his rookie campaign. Through 18 games, he has already surpassed his 22 assists from last year, posting 28 in 2014-15. He is just one block short of his sophomore total of 29.

Canes Faced Three Top 15 Teams in Four Games
Over a 19-day span, Miami faced three teams ranked in the Top 15 and one 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, then lost to No. 12 Notre Dame (Jan. 17), after leading for 29 minutes of the game. Miami then defeated RV NC State (Jan. 22). In late February, the Canes will face another tough stretch against ranked teams when Miami plays at No. 10 Louisville (Feb. 21), then comes home to face in-state rival Florida State (Feb. 25) and No. 15 North Carolina (Feb. 28).

Bench Points Key For The Hurricanes
The Canes have recorded 18+ points off the bench in 13 of 18 games this season, led by 34 against South Alabama, 33 at Duke and 32 at Notre Dame. In five of its last six games, UM has tallied 28 (CofC), 29 (UVa), 7 (BC), 33 (Duke) and 32 (ND)