Game Day: Miami at Pitt - Jan. 14

MiamiatPittsburgh

Setting the Scene
Date: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, Pa.

rv Miami Hurricanes (11-4, 1-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga
Record at Miami: 129-61, sixth season
ACC Record at Miami: 55-36
Career Record: 599-395, 33rd season

Pittsburgh Panthers (12-5, 1-3 ACC)
Head Coach: Kevin Stallings
Record at Pitt: 12-5, First Season
Career Record: 467-288, 24th season

Broadcasts
Television: RSN – Justin Kutcher, Dan Bonner
Affiliates: FOX Sports South; FOX Sports Carolinas; FOX Sports Sun; FOX Sports Midwest Plus; FOX Sports Indiana Plus; Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic; YES; NESN Plus; ROOT Sports Pittsburgh; SportsTime Ohio; FOX Sports Detroit Plus; FOX Sports Southwest Plus; ROOT Sports Rocky Mtn.; ROOT Sports Northwest
Radio: 560 WQAM – Joe Zagacki
Online: Watch ESPN – http://es.pn/2hngTSM

Series
All-time: Tied 18-18
Since rebirth in 1985-86: 11-14
Home: 11-7
Away: 6-10
Neutral: 1-1
Under Coach Larrañaga: 2-1
Coach L all-time vs. Pittsburgh: 2-2
Current streak: Miami won 2
Last matchup: Feb. 9, 2016. No. 12/11 Miami won, 65-63.
Last Pitt win: Feb. 5, 2014. No. 25/22 Pitt won, 59-55 OT.

Polls
Miami – AP: NR / USA Today: RV / NCAA RPI: 69 / KenPom: 38
Pitt – AP: NR / USA Today: NR / NCAA RPI: 26 / KenPom: 51

Weather
Coral Gables, Fla.: High 76 / Low 69
Pittsburgh, Pa.: High 37 / Low 29

The Matchup Between Miami and Pittsburgh
Miami is 18-18 all-time against Pittsburgh, and 2-1 against the Panthers with Coach L at the helm.
Last year’s game with Pittsburgh was certainly one to remember. Point guard Angel Rodriguez, the shortest player on the court, tipped one in with 1.4 seconds left and the Canes came away with a 65-63 victory.
Since they began tracking assists in 1985, Miami’s program record for assists in one game belongs to Michael Gardner, who had 14 against Pitt in 1993.
This will be the first matchup between Coach L and Pittsburgh’s new head coach Kevin Stallings.
In Miami’s first matchup with Pittsburgh on Dec. 26, 1947 the Canes narrowly edged the Panthers, 43-40.

Miami Hits the Road for Three Straight Games
The Hurricanes will play three consecutive games on the road, beginning with Pittsburgh on Jan. 14, followed by Jan. 18 at Wake Forest and Jan. 21 against Duke, which will be on ESPN’s College GameDay.

What’s Trending, Individually
Freshman guard Bruce Brown has grabbed at least four rebounds in each of the first 15 games, has eight-or-more in seven outings and pulled down double-digit boards in two contests. He has at least two assists in 11 contests, with five-plus in six outings.
Sophomore Ebuka Izundu has a block in seven of the last nine outings and has scored in eight of his last nine games.
Sophomore guard Anthony Lawrence, Jr., has swiped at least one steal in each game but three, and had three-or-more in four outings. He has five-plus rebounds in six of the last eight outings.
Redshirt senior forward Kamari Murphy has recorded a pair of double-doubles (vs. Wofford, vs. NC State). He has pulled down double-digit boards in six outings.
Junior point guard Ja’Quan Newton has recorded four 20-point games this season. He has scored 11-plus points in every game but two (FAU-8, Syracuse-8). Newton has three steals in a trio of games and has dished out three-or-more assists in 10 outings. He has made a free throw in every game but one (GW).
Senior guard Davon Reed has scored in double digits 12 times this season, including 10 of the last 11 games. He has scored 20-plus in three outings this season. He has grabbed five-plus rebounds in seven outings. Reed has hit at least one shot from long range in every game, with multiple threes in 11 contests, led by five against FAU. He has multiple threes in seven straight games.
Freshman DJ Vasiljevic has drained three-or-more shots from 3-point range in five games and has hit a three in all but three outings (Florida, Rutgers, FAU).

Block Party Against Notre Dame
As a team, the Hurricanes swatted 12 Notre Dame shot attempts on Jan. 12, the most ever in an ACC game for the Canes, and the most this season by UM. The previous ACC high was nine twice, the last time against Wake Forest in 2009, and this season’s high was eight, twice, with the last occurrence against Rutgers on Nov. 30.
Three players – starters Davon Reed and Bruce Brown, and reserve Ebuka Izundu – each set career game highs with three blocks apiece. Kamari Murphy added a pair, and Anthony Lawrence, Jr., added one.

Canes Outrebound Fighting Irish
Three Hurricanes pulled down nine-plus boards against the Irish, led by 12 from Kamari Murphy, added to nine apiece from Bruce Brown and Anthony Lawrence, Jr., who had seven offensive boards. As a team, Miami outrebounded Notre Dame, 47-38.

Reed Posts Career Bests Against ND
Against Notre Dame, senior guard Davon Reed tied his career bests of 21 points and three blocks, and set career marks with nine field goals made and 17 field goals attempted.

Canes in National Stats
Miami is ranked in the top 100 in 13 NCAA statistical categories as of Jan. 9. The Canes are fourth in fewest fouls, eighth in scoring defense (59.7) and No. 16 in field goal percentage defense (38.4%). UM is also No. 22 in rebound margin and No. 42 in 3-point field goal defense. A complete list of national stats is on page eight of the notes.

Larrañaga Approaching 600 Career Victories
Coach Jim Larrañaga is just one win shy of 600 career victories, posting a 599-395 mark in 33 seasons as a head coach. With 600 wins, he will be one of five ACC coaches with 600 victories, and the other four men are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Coach L has won 27 games at American International, 170 at Bowling Green, 273 at George Mason and 129 at Miami.

Miami in ACC Games
Through games as of Jan. 12, five Hurricanes are ranked in ACC stats, including Bruce Brown, Anthony Lawrence, Kamari Murphy, DJ Vasiljevic and Davon Reed.
Bruce Brown: Steals – 10th – 1.67/g
Off. Rebounds – T8th – 3.0/g
Rebounding – 9th -8.0/g
Anthony Lawrence: Off. Rebounds – T8th – 3.0
Kamari Murphy: Off. Rebounds – 4th – 4.3
Rebounding -8th – 8.7/g
DJ Vasiljevic: 3-Point FG Made – 9th – 2.7/g
Davon Reed: Minutes Played – T5th – 37.0/g
Scoring – 21st – 15.7

R33D from Long Range
Senior guard Davon Reed has knocked down 21 shots from long range in the past seven games. He hit five against FAU, three against SC State, George Washington, Columbia and NC State, and a pair at Syracuse and vs. Notre Dame. For the year, he is 34-90 (40.3%) from downtown, hitting multiple 3-pointers in 11 outings, including three-or-more six times.