Game Day: Notre Dame at #17/15 Miami

The Game
No. 17/15 Miami returns to the BankUnited Center Wednesday, Feb. 3 for a 7 p.m. matchup against Notre Dame.

The Broadcasts
Catch the game on ESPN2 with Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Jeff Van Gundy on 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 577-387 overall record in his 32nd season as a head coach. He is 107-53 in his fifth season at the University of Miami, with a 46-32 mark in ACC play.

The Polls (as of Feb. 1)
AP: Miami -17, Notre Dame – RV
USA TODAY: Miami – 15, Notre Dame – RV
KenPom.com: Miami – 17, Notre Dame – 31
NCAA RPI: Miami -16, Notre Dame – 35

The Weather
Game day temperatures: Coral Gables – 79/70; Notre Dame, Ind. – 37/24.

The Series
Miami is 8-10 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, 3-5 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites. UM is 1-2 against ND under Coach L and Larrañaga is 1-3 all-time against Notre Dame. Miami lost the last matchup with Notre Dame, falling to the then-No.11/9 Fighting Irish, 70-63, on Mar. 12, 2015 in the ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina.

ACC Legend
The Atlantic Coast Conference and University of Miami Director of Athletics Blake James are proud to announce Miami’s John Salmons as a member of the 2016 ACC Men’s Basketball Legends Class. Salmons was a two-time All-BIG EAST player, and was a 2002 NABC All-District 6 player for the Canes. He also won the 2002 BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award. From 1998 to 2002, Salmons played in four-straight postseason tournaments, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. Salmons is listed No. 19 on the all-time scoring list at Miami, and is third in career assists, third in steals and tied for fifth in games started.

The Canes Convert at the Line
Miami has connected on 359-of-471 (76.2%) shots at the free throw line ,while opponents have just 353 attempts at the charity stripe. UM averages 18.0 points per game at the line, and has posted a +12.8 scoring margin this season. Miami ranks ninth in the nation in free throw percentage and No. 67 in free throws made. The Canes have drawn 397 fouls, while committing only 347, which ranks UM No. 26 in the country in fewest fouls.

McClellan One of Top Shooting Guards in the Nation, Top in ACC
Senior guard Sheldon McClellan has posted the 12th-best shooting percentage (51.7%) in the country among guards, and has the top shooting percentage among guards in the ACC, according to stats on NCAA.org on Jan. 31. McClellan’s 2-point shooting percentage is 61.0 percent this season.
McClellan is currently on three national player of the year watch lists: Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy for Men’s National Player of the Year and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.

Rodriguez Among the Best
Angel Rodriguez is now one of only three active Division I players with at least 1,200 career points, 450 assists, 180 steals and 150 3-pointers. Stats as of Jan. 30.
Angel Rodriguez, Miami – 1255 points, 482 assists, 183 steals, 164 3-pointers;
Jalan West, Northwestern State – 1592 points, 614 assists, 219 steals, 212 3-pointers;
Juan’ya Green, Hofstra – 2043 points, 662 assists, 207 steals, 211 3-pointers.
3 steals away: Marcus Paige, North Carolina – 1585 points, 528 assists, 177 steals, 248 3-pointers.

The Newton Effect
In Miami’s five ACC victories Ja’Quan Newton has averaged 14.4 points and 2.8 assists per game, hitting 55.8 percent from the field. In the Canes’ three losses he has put up 8.0 points and 1.3 assists per outing, knocking down only 30.8 percent of his shots. In wins Kamari Murphy averages 5.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. In losses Murphy posts 3.7 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Jekiri on the Boards
In 124 games at Miami senior Tonye Jekiri has grabbed 796 rebounds, ninth-most in Miami history. He has improved his rebounds per game from 1.6 as a rookie to 9.8 as a senior. He also has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 34 games over the past two seasons (57 games played), after doing so just three times in his first 67 outings.

Last Week with Angel Rodriguez
In last week’s games against Duke and NC State, Angel Rodriguez handed out 17 assists with just two turnovers, while hitting 47.4 percent (9-19) from the field, 40.0 percent (6-15) from three and 1.000 percent (4-4) at the line for 14.0 points per game. He also grabbed 4.0 rpg.