Miami Men’s Basketball Set for Preseason Exhibition
Nov. 1, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami vs. Newberry College
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The No. 12-ranked University of Miami men’s basketball team returns to the hardwood on Wednesday at 7 p.m., as it welcomes Newberry College to the Watsco Center for its lone exhibition game of the 2017-18 campaign.
The Hurricanes will look to build on their successful 2016-17 season in which they posted a 21-12 overall record and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Miami’s NCAA berth a year ago marked the team’s third trip to the Big Dance in the last five years.
Miami enters the year after it was predicted to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll. The fourth-place ranking ties for Miami’s highest-ever finish in the ACC’s annual poll. The Hurricanes were also picked fourth in 2008-09 and have been picked fifth on three separate occasions (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16). Since 2011, Miami has ended every season above its projected finish in the ACC preseason poll.
The Hurricanes welcome back 10 players from last year’s squad, including starters Bruce Brown, Jr., Anthony Lawrence II and Ja’Quan Newton. In addition, the Hurricanes return 40.5 percent of their scoring and 40.8 percent of their rebounding from a year ago.
Miami also added three high-touted newcomers in the form of Deng Gak, Chris Lykes and Lonnie Walker IV. On Oct. 17, Walker IV was among 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. The 6-foot-5-inch guard was also named a McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American and was regarded as a consensus top-20 prospect coming out of high school.
Walker is the first Hurricane to be named to the Jerry West Award watch list since Sheldon McClellan in 2015.
Jim Larrañaga, who enters his seventh season at Miami, coaches the Hurricanes. In six years at The U, Larrañaga has posted a 139-69 record and has won more than 600 games (609-403) in 33 years as a head coach.
Newberry College enters Wednesday night’s game in the hopes of building off of last year’s 18-11 campaign. The Wolves have won 18-or-more games in each of the last four seasons. Newberry led NCAA Division II in steals per game (13.1) and three-point field goals per game (14.2). 2017 South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year Marshall Lange, who averaged 12.8 points per game a year ago, leads the way for Newberry.
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra HERE, as well as carried live on WVUM 90.5 FM HERE.
Following the Hurricanes’ matchup with Newberry, Miami will open the regular season at home on Nov. 10 against Gardner-Webb with tipoff set for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
