No. 13/12 Canes Open Friday Against Gardner-Webb
Nov. 10, 2017 | 8 p.m.
Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Fla.
13/12 Miami vs. Gardner-Webb
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami men’s basketball team opens its 2017-18 regular season Friday evening with an 8 p.m. matchup with Gardner-Webb at the Watsco Center. ACC Network Extra has the live broadcast online, while WINZ 940-AM has the radio broadcast.
Ranked No. 13 in the preseason by the Associated Press and No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, Miami owns its highest preseason ranking in program history.
The game is part of an opening-night doubleheader, as the 24th-ranked Miami women’s team takes on FIU at 6 p.m. One ticket is good for both games. Fans with a men’s basketball game ticket may sit in any general admission location for the women’s contest.
Now in his seventh year at the helm of the Miami program, head coach Jim Larranaga has led the Hurricanes to five 20-win seasons as well as three NCAA tournaments, including two straight. UM returns three starters from its 2016-17 squad, which went 21-12. The Canes were picked fourth in the 2017-18 ACC Coaches Preseason Poll, the Hurricanes’ highest standing at any point during their time in the ACC.
Miami welcomes back 10 players from their 2017 NCAA Tournament squad, including starters Bruce Brown, Jr., Anthony Lawrence II and Ja’Quan Newton. In all, Miami returns six players who averaged double-figure minutes last season.
Newton averaged 13.5 points and 31.4 minutes per game last year and has made 95 career appearances. After a standout rookie season, Brown (11.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 31.9 mpg) is back, as is Lawrence (6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 26 mpg).
Miami also returns Dejan Vasiljevic, Ebuka Izundu and Dewan Huell, each of whom averaged at least 13 minutes per game last year. Izundu and Huell are the Canes’ top returning post threats, while Vasiljevic averaged six points in 17 minutes per game off the bench.
The Hurricanes also have welcomed in a highly-acclaimed freshman class of Deng Gak, Chris Lykes and Lonnie Walker IV. Each was an ESPN Top 100 recruit last season.
This is Miami’s first-ever meeting with Gardner-Webb, a member of the Big South Conference from Boiling Springs, N.C. GWU went 19-14 last year, including an 11-7 mark in the Big South. The Runnin’ Bulldogs were picked to finish fifth in the preseason Big South poll.
GWU returns 10-of-12 letterwinners and three starters from its 2016-17 team. In addition to preseason All-Conference guard David Efianayi (12.6 ppg), the Runnin’ Bulldogs return veteran wing starters Liam O’Reilly (8.1 ppg) and Jamaal Robateau (9.5 ppg), along with two-year starter L’Hassane Niangane at center.
Miami remains home Sunday for a 4 p.m. game with Navy.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
