Game Day: Miami vs. Clemson - Feb. 8

The Game
Miami wraps up its two-game homestand on Sunday, Feb. 8 when the Canes face Clemson at 6:30 p.m.

The Series
Miami is 9-12 in the all-time series against Clemson, which dates back to the 1955-56 season. The Canes are 5-3 at home against the Tigers, 2-6 on the road and 2-3 at neutral sites. Clemson won the last matchup with Miami, defeating the Canes, 58-54, on Mar. 4, 2014 at the Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson. Coach L is 3-1 against Clemson.

The Broadcasts
Catch the game on ESPNU with Adam Amin and LaPhonso Ellis making the call. Also check out the game on 560 WQAM Radio with Joe Zagacki, the Voice of the Hurricanes, and 90.5 WVUM, Miami’s student station.

The Coach
Head coach Jim Larrañaga has a 550-378 overall record in his 31st season as a head coach. He is 80-44 in his fourth season at the University of Miami, with a 35-26 mark in ACC play.

The Polls (as of Feb. 6)
AP: Miami -NR; Clemson – NR
USA TODAY: Miami – NR; Clemson – NR
KenPom.com: Miami – 67; Clemson – 85
NCAA RPI: Miami – 63; Clemson – 75

The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Coral Gables – 76/63; Clemson, S.C. – 66/49.

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

Reed Steps up Against Louisville
Davon Reed stepped up against No. 8/9 Louisville on Feb. 3, hitting 7-8 shots from the field and 5-6 from distance on his way to a team-high 19 points. He added five rebounds, two steals and an assist in 33 minutes off the bench. Reed has notched 10+ points in four of the last five games and grabbed 4+ rebounds in the past three outings. He is shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 58.1 percent from distance in 14 games, after missing the first eight with a knee injury.

Larkin Bobble Head Giveaway
The first 4,000 fans at the BankUnited Center for the Feb. 8 game against Clemson will receive a limited edition Shane Larkin bobblehead. Larkin, currently playing for the New York Knicks after being selected by Dallas in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, led Miami to the first ACC Regular Season Championship and ACC Tournament Championship in program history as a sophomore in 2012-13. Larkin averaged 14.5 points for the Hurricanes en route to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a Sweet 16 appearance. The Orlando, Fla., native was selected Lute Olson National Player of the Year, a second-team All-America (AP, NABC, ESPN) and a John Wooden All-American. Larkin was also named to the All-ACC First Team, All-ACC Defensive Team and ACC Tournament MVP, and was he selected ACC Player of the Year by ACC coaches, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.

This Season Miami has …
• Defeated Duke and Syracuse on the road in the same season, the second time this has ever happened, and the first time since UNC did during the 1983-84 season
• Defeated three ranked teams: at No. 8/7 Florida, vs. No. 24/25 Illinois and at No. 4 Duke
• Defeated a pair of Top 7 teams in the same season, both on the road: No. 6/7 Florida and No. 4 Duke
• Won two true road games against ranked opponents for the first time since 1998-99: No. 6/7 Florida and No. 4 Duke
• Defeated Coach K (1,000 wins), Coach Boeheim (962), & Coach Donovan (496)
• Ended Duke’s 41-game home winning streak, the longest active streak in Division I
• Snapped Duke’s 19-game ACC home game winning streak
• Snapped Florida’s streak of 33 consecutive home wins, which was the longest streak in school history
• Scored 90 points against Duke, 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.
• Dealt Duke the most lopsided loss (16 points) an unranked visitor has handed to a ranked Blue Devil team in the ACC era
• Defeated Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, in front of the largest collegiate crowd of the season to date: 30,677

Cardiac Canes – Year Two
Miami has played seven games this season that have been decided by five points-or-less. In 2013-14, Miami led the ACC having played 13 games decided by five points-or-less or in overtime. Miami played five overtime games and seven others were decided in the final minutes. Miami was 1-4 in overtime that season and 3-4 in close games that ended in regulation.

Rodriguez Closing in on 1,000 Career Points
Point guard Angel Rodriguez is closing in on 1,000 career points. The native of Cupey, P.R., scored 640 points in two seasons at Kansas State and has recorded 287 points through 22 games at Miami. On Dec. 8 against Savannah State, teammate Sheldon McClellan topped the 1,000-point plateau.

Miami Plays to the Crowd
Miami is 7-2 when playing in front of a crowd that is 75 percent of the arena’s capacity, with one loss at sold-out No. 12 Notre Dame and one at home. Miami is 4-5 when the crowd is less than 75 percent capacity. (Numbers based on true home and road games only, not neutral sites)

Jekiri’s Junior Season Numbers Continue to Improve
Junior Tonye Jekiri has posted five double-doubles in his last 11 games, including four in ACC play. Jekiri has posted 10+ rebounds 12 times, and in seven of the last nine games. This season he has 10+ points in eight outings. Jekiri has led the team in scoring in two of the past four games with 13 both at Syracuse and against Georgia Tech.
The native of Nigeria has nearly doubled his output in points and rebounds each season as a Hurricane. The 7-footer is averaging 8.2 points and 10.0 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 22 games, he has already surpassed his 22 assists from last year, posting 31 in 2014-15, and blocks with 32, up from his sophomore total of 29.