Game Day: Miami vs. NC State - Dec. 31

NC StateatMiami

Setting the Scene
Date: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Fla.

Broadcasts
Television: RSN – Justin Kutcher, Brian Oliver
Affiliates: FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Sun, FOX Sports Midwest Plus/FOX Sports Indiana Plus, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, YES, NESN, ROOT Sports Pittsburgh, SportsTime Ohio, FOX Sports Detroit, FOX Sports North Plus, FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports San Diego, FOX Sports Prime Ticket ROOT Sports Rocky Mtn., ROOT Sports Northwest.
Radio: 560 WQAM / Sirius 132, XM 193, Internet 955 – Joe Zagacki
Online: ACC Network Extra http://es.pn/2g5ABpB

Series
All-time: Miami trails 8-12
Since rebirth in 1985-86: 8-11
Home: 4-4
Away: 2-7
Neutral: 2-1
Last matchup: Jan. 30, 2016. Miami L, 85-69.
Under Coach Larrañaga: 4-5
Coach L all-time vs. NC State: 4-6

Polls
Miami – AP: RV / USA Today: RV / KenPom: 32
NC State – AP: NR / USA Today: NR / KenPom: 55

Weather
Coral Gables: High 76 / Low 71
Raleigh, N.C.: High 52 / Low 41

The Matchup Between Miami and NC State
Since Coach L arrived in 2011, Miami is 1-2 against NC State. In those two losses however, the Canes fell by just a combined five points.
In a 72-64 win over the Wolfpack in 2009, Jack McClinton went an astounding 16-for-16 (100%) from the line. Since the program relaunched in 1985, that is the most free throws made without a miss in one game.
While Miami fell in last season’s matchup with NC State, Ja’Quan Newton had himself a solid all-around game. The point guard finished with 10 points, four steals, two assists and two rebounds.
This will be the Hurricanes first game on New Year’s Eve since 2008 when they beat North Florida, 94-41.
For active ACC coaches, Jim Larrañaga (118) and Mark Gottfried (108) rank second and third for most wins by the coach at their current school in the first five years.

The Last Meeting: Miami at NC State, Jan. 30, 2016.
Anthony “Cat” Barber scored 30 points to help North Carolina State beat No. 15 Miami 85-69. Sheldon McClellan scored 18 points to lead the Hurricanes (16-4, 5-3), who could not rally back from a four-point halftime deficit. Miami trailed by 10 midway through the first half and closed to within 64-59 with about 4½ minutes left, but the Wolfpack ran off seven-straight scoring possessions to stretch the lead back out and claim the victory. Angel Rodriguez finished with 15 points and a game-high six assists. Davon Reed (12) and Ja’Quan Newton (10) also scored in double-figures for Miami. Newton also tallied four steals, tying a career-high. The Hurricanes shot a season-best 93.8 percent (15-of-16) from the free throw line.

Miami in ACC Openers
The Canes are 4-8 in ACC openers since joining the league for the 2004-05 season. UM is 1-5 on the road and 3-3 at home in ACC opening games. The Canes have started ACC play at home for four straight seasons after being on the road four-straight from 2009-10 to 2012-13.

20-Straight Wins at Home
Miami has won 20 straight games at the Watsco Center, with a 7-0 mark this season, added to 13 straight victories in the 2015-16 campaign. UM’s last loss at home was Nov. 27, 2015, when the Canes fell, 78-77, to Northeastern.
In six seasons under Coach L, Miami is 70-20 (.778) overall at home and 39-7 (.848) in non-conference play at home. In both 2012-13 and 2015-16, the Canes had just one loss overall at the Watsco Center.

Miami in Non-Conference Games Under Coach L
Miami has posted 10-or-more wins in the non-conference slate in three straight seasons.

Coach L Ties to the ACC
Coach Jim Larrañaga was an assistant coach at Virginia from 1979-1986, under the leadership of Terry Holland. In those seven seasons, Larrañaga helped the Cavaliers to five NCAA appearances: Final Four twice, Elite Eight once, Sweet 16 once and Round of 64 once, as well as two NIT appearances, including the Championship and Quarterfinal round.

Sam Waardenburg Added to Canes Hoops Squad
New Zealand native Sam Waardenburg has signed a grant-in-aid agreement with the University of Miami men’s basketball team, Head Coach Jim Larrañaga announced Thursday. Waardenburg, a forward from Henderson, New Zealand, will join the team immediately but is expected to begin competition with the Hurricanes for the 2017-18 season.

Miami Records 1,000th Program Win
With a 78-67 win over Columbia on Dec. 28, 2016, the University of Miami men’s basketball team earned its 1,000th program victory.
The Canes’ first game was on Jan. 8, 1927, a 45-20 win over Rollins under Coach Art Webb. Current Coach Jim Larrañaga has helped UM to both its 900th victory, a 73-58 win over Hawaii on Dec. 22, 2012, and the 1,000th win, over Columbia.
Miami’s Milestone Victories
No. 1 – 1/8/27 – Rollins, 45-20, Coach Art Webb
100 – 2/8/46 – Florida Southern, 61-43, Coach Hart Morris
200 – 12/6/55 – Tampa, 96-59, Coach Bruce Hale
300 – 2/25/61 – Florida State, 75-73, Coach Bruce Hale
400 – 1/6/67 – Jacksonville, 75-70, Coach Bruce Hale
500 – 3/1/88 – USF, 92-71, Coach Bill Foster
600 – 11/24/96 – FAU, 83-74, Coach Leonard Hamilton
700 – 11/29/01 – Howard, 87-71, Coach Perry Clark
800 – 12/20/07 – North Florida, 85-63, Coach Frank Haith
900 – 12/22/12 – Hawaii, 73-58, Coach Jim Larrañaga
1,000 – 12/28/16 – Columbia, 78-67, Coach Jim Larrañaga

What’s Trending, Individually
Freshman guard Bruce Brown has grabbed at least four rebounds in each of the first 12 games, has eight-or-more in five outings and pulled down double-digit boards in two contests. He has at least two assists in nine contests, and has a steal in nine of 12 games.
Freshman forward Dewan Huell has scored double-digit points in five of 12 games. He has attempted at least one free throw in every game but three (Wofford, GWU and Columbia), and is hitting them at a 78.9 percent (15-19) clip.
Sophomore Ebuka Izundu has been perfect from the field in three of eight outings in which he has attempted a shot: 5-5 Western Carolina, 2-2 at UNF, 2-2 vs. Rutgers. He has a block in five of the last six outings and has scored in six straight games.
Sophomore guard Anthony Lawrence, Jr., has swiped at least one steal in each game but two (Wofford and SC State), and had three-or-more in four outings.
Redshirt senior forward Kamari Murphy has pulled down seven-plus rebounds in every game but four (Rutgers, SC State, GWU and Columbia), and grabbed double-digit boards in four outings. He has one double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Wofford.
Junior point guard Ja’Quan Newton has scored 11-plus points in every game but one (FAU-8). He has three steals in a trio of games and has dished three-or-more assists in nine outings. He has made a free throw in every game but one (GWU), hitting 100 percent of his attempts five times.
Senior guard Davon Reed has scored in double digits 10 times this season, including eight straight games. He has grabbed five-plus rebounds in six outings. Reed has hit at least one shot from long range in every game, with multiple threes in eight contests, led by five against FAU. He has multiple threes in four straight games.
Freshman DJ Vasiljevic has drained three-or-more shots from 3-point range in four outings and has hit a three in all but three outings (Florida, Rutgers, FAU).

Canes Ranked in Top 10 Defensively by KenPom.com
Miami is ranked sixth nationally in defensive effective field goal percentage (41.7), eighth in defensive 3-point field goal percentage (28.3) and 19th in defensive 2-point field goal percentage (41.4), according to Kenpom.com on Dec. 29.

R33D from Long Range
Senior guard Davon Reed has knocked down 14 shots from long range in the past four games. He was 3-of-5 vs. SC State, then went 5-of-9 vs. Florida Atlantic, 3-of-7 vs. George Washington and 3-of-7 vs. Columbia. For the year, he is 27-67 (40.3%) from downtown, hitting multiple 3-pointers in eight outings.

In Wins and Losses
Miami has hit 3.7 more 3-pointers and handed out 6.2 more assists per game in it 10 victories than in its two losses. UM also averages 22.2 more points per game.

Starting The ACC Gauntlet
According to KenPom.com, 13 ACC teams are ranked in the top 60 in the country, including four in the top 10 and nine in the top 35.
As of Dec. 29, Miami is No. 32 and NC State is No. 56. The Canes then travel to No. 46 Syracuse before returning to the Watsco Center for No. 27 Notre Dame. UM ends the regular season ACC schedule with five straight teams who are currently in the top 36 – Clemson (22), at Virginia (1), vs. Duke (2), at Virginia Tech (36) and at Florida State (23).