No. 11 Canes Return Home to Face North Florida
Nov. 25, 2017 | 4 p.m.
Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Fla.
Attending a Game at the Watsco Center
Buy Tickets | Directions
No. 11 Miami (4-0) vs. North Florida (1-6)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes | RSN Affiliates
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The No. 11 Miami men’s basketball team returns home Saturday (Nov. 25) to take on North Florida at the Watsco Center. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
The Saturday game will be televised regionally on the ACC’s Regional Sports Network, which can be seen in Florida on Fox Sports Sun and on various networks throughout the nation. The telecast also will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, available through the WatchESPN app.
WQAM 560-AM has the local radio broadcast.
Ranked No. 11 nationally in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, the Hurricanes (4-0) are coming off a 57-46 win over La Salle on Wednesday in Reading, Pa. The game served as a homecoming for freshman Lonnie Walker IV, a Reading native. Dewan Huell led the Canes with a career-high 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, helping UM grind through a tough shooting night. Miami shot 36.7 percent from the field as a team, but the Hurricanes held La Salle to 28.8 percent shooting.
The Canes’ defense has limited its opponents to 51.2 points per game and 33.8 percent shooting, both of which are best in the ACC. Miami held La Salle to 0-for-15 shooting from 3-point range, the first time UM has blanked an opponent from behind the arc in seven seasons under Jim Larrañaga. The Hurricanes are limiting their opponents to 22.1 percent shooting from 3-point range, which also is tops in the ACC.
Huell paces Miami in scoring this year with 13.5 points per game and has reached double figures in all four of the previous games. Ja’Quan Newton and Dejan Vasiljevic each are averaging 11.5 points per game. Bruce Brown is averaging 8.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.8 rebounds per game. He leads all ACC guards in rebounding this year.
North Florida (1-6) won its first game of the season Tuesday, a 101-77 triumph over Edward Waters, but the Ospreys have challenged themselves with tough games at then-No. 2 Michigan State, Michigan, VCU and then-No. 8 Florida. UNF also suffered consecutive three-point defeats last weekend against Mount St. Mary’s (84-81) and Wofford (86-83). Ivan Gandia-Rosa leads the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game, while Garrett Sams (12.4) and JT Escobar (12.3) also are averaging in double figures.
Miami and North Florida have a relatively brief all-time series, with the programs meeting four times since 2007. UM has won each of the previous four, including all three contested at the Watsco Center. The teams played last November in Jacksonville, with the Hurricanes rolling to a 94-56 victory. Jim Larrañaga is 2-0 in his career against UNF.
Miami has a tough upcoming week, as the Hurricanes play a pair of programs that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament. UM travels to No. 14 Minnesota Wednesday (Nov. 29) for a 9 p.m. game in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, then takes on Princeton Saturday (Dec. 2) in an 8 p.m. neutral-site contest at the Hoophall Miami Invitational at AmericanAirlines Arena.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
