Game Day: #21 Miami vs. Charlotte - Dec. 5

CharlotteatNo. 21 Miami

The Game
No. 21 Miami returns to the BankUnited Center for three-straight home games, beginning with a Dec. 5 matchup with Charlotte at 4 p.m. The Canes then host Florida Dec. 8 and Charleston Dec. 19. Tickets start at $10.

The Broadcasts
Catch the game on ESPN3 with Ted Sarandis and Mike Jarvis, Jr., 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 567-384 overall record in his 32nd season as a head coach. He is 97-50 in his fifth season at the University of Miami, with a 41-29 mark in ACC play.

The Polls (as of Dec. 5)
AP: Miami -21, Charlotte – NR
USA TODAY: Miami – 21, Charlotte – NR
KenPom.com: Miami – 16, Charlotte – 294 

The Weather
Temperatures on game day: Coral Gables – 80/72; Charlotte, N.C. – 58/30.

The Series
Miami is 6-4 in the all-time series against Charlotte, which dates back to the 1997-98 season. The Canes are 4-1 at home against the 49ers, 1-3 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites. Miami won the last two matchups with Charlotte, on back-to-back outings last year, defeating the 49ers, 77-58, in the championship game of the Charleston Classic on Nov. 23, then winning, 77-74, at Charlotte on Nov. 25.

Miami’s Starters Show Experience
In Miami’s game at Nebraska, the Hurricanes started three seniors and a pair of juniors who have now combined for 280 career starts and 468 games played. Sheldon McClellan has started 69 games, playing in 113, Tonye Jekiri has 60 starts in 111 games, Angel Rodriguez is at 76/104, Davon Reed 38/70 and Kamari Murphy 37/70.
Those five players have been on a Division I team a combined 21 seasons, as McClellan and Rodriguez are both in their fifth year on the court, Jekiri and Murphy are each in their fourth season, and Reed is a true junior.
The average age of the starting five is 21.8 years old: Rodriguez – 23, McClellan – 23, Murphy – 22, Jekiri – 21, Reed – 20.

McClellan on Three National Player of the Year Watch Lists
Senior shooting guard Sheldon McClellan is turning heads across the country, earning nods on a trio of watch lists for national player of the year awards. He is one of 50 players on the Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year early season watch list, one of 33 players on the watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy for Men’s National Player of the Year, and is among the 20 players named to the watch list for the 2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
While leading the Canes to a 6-1 record and No. 21 position in the polls, McClellan is currently ranked nationally in 10 statistical categories. He is No. 44 in free throw percentage (89.7%), No. 50 in field goal percentage (59.7%), No. 81 in total points (119) and No. 96 in field goals made (96). His 59.7 percent shooting is ninth in the nation among guards and fourth-best among players on teams in the top eight basketball conferences (Power Five plus A-10, BIG EAST & American).

Lawrence Amps Up His Play
Freshman Anthony “Amp” Lawrence had a breakout game at Nebraska, playing just 14 minutes in Miami’s overtime victory. In those 14 minutes, he tallied 13 points and seven rebounds, hitting a pair of shots from long distance and knocking down his and-1 free throw attempt.

Newton Improves From Rookie to Sophomore Season
Miami sophomore Ja’Quan Newton has immensely improved his stats from last year through the first seven games of the season. The Philadelphia native is scoring 11.7 points per game while hitting 49.1 percent of his attempts. A season ago, Newton averged 4.0 ppg on 40.5 percent shooting. This year, he has scored more than 10 points and played more than 20 minutes in six games, whereas last year he only scored double-digits four times and played more than 20 minutes in seven of his 34 games played

McClellan tops 1,500 Career Points
Miami senior Sheldon McClellan has scored 1,512 points in his career, tallying 843 in two years at the University of Texas and 669 in a year and seven games at UM.

Larrañaga Closing in on 100 Wins at Miami
In just his fifth year at UM, Jim Larrañaga is closing in on 100 wins at The U. He is currently 97-50. Bruce Hale was the Miami coach who won 100 games the quickest, earning 100 victories in just 159 games. Hart Morris took 163 games, Frank Haith 174 and Leonard Hamilton took 230 games.

Quick Hits
– As a team, Miami is hitting 50.7 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three.
– Miami has posted 14.6 assists per game in the first seven outings.
– Miami’s bench has scored 27.6 points per game. The Canes’ bench players have outscored the opponent’s bench 193-142.
– The Canes have scored 33.1 points per game in the paint, including 50 paint points against Northeastern and 46 against Mississippi State.
– Miami is averaging 17.3 points off of turnovers, compared to 10.6 from the opponent. Miami is averaging just 10.3 turnovers per night, while forcing opponents to give it up 13.4 times per game.
– Miami trailed by only three points in its first two games, two points against Mississippi State and never trailed against nationally ranked Utah or Butler.
– Five Hurricanes are averaging at least 9.4 points per game.
– Five Canes pull down at least 3.0 rebounds per game.
– Five players are averaging at least 21.0 minutes per game.
– Eight Canes have knocked down a 3-pointer and 10 have attempted a three.
– Eight players are shooting better than 45 percent from the field and four are better than 45 percent from long distance.
– Every Cane has scored 10+ points in at least one game.
– UM is averaging 8.7 threes made per game and 20.3 made free throws per game.
– Miami has won six early-season tournaments since 2000: 2015-16 Puerto Rico Tip-Off, 2014-15 Charleston Classic, 2010-11 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, 2009-10 Charleston Classic, 2007-08 Puerto Rico Tip-Off and the 2001-02 Paradise Jam (Virgin Islands).

What’s Trending Individually
Ivan Cruz Uceda has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in every game but at Nebraska.
Tonye Jekiri has pulled down at least 10 rebounds in six games, including four games with 12. He has at least one assist in every outing.
Sheldon McClellan has scored 16+ points in five of seven games, has a steal in every game, and has shot better than 50 percent from the field in all but two games.
Ja’Quan Newton has scored double-digit points in six of seven games after only scoring 10+ in four games as a rookie. He has already scored 82 points as a sophomore after 135 points in 34 games a season ago.
Davon Reed has grabbed at least three rebounds in every game.
Angel Rodriguez has knocked down a 3-pointer in every game. He has scored in double-digits in six-straight games, and notched at least three assists in each outing, including four-or-more in six outings.