No. 15/16 MBB Opens ACC Play at Pitt
Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 | 4 p.m.
Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, Pa.
No. 15/16 Miami (11-1, 0-0 ACC) at Pitt (8-5, 0-0 ACC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes | ACC Network Affiliates
CORAL GABLES, Fla .– The No. 15/16 Miami men’s basketball team opens Atlantic Coast Conference play at 4 p.m. Saturday at Pitt at the Petersen Events Center. The ACC Network has the television broadcast, while WMEN 640-AM has the local radio broadcast. The game also will stream through the WatchESPN app (subject to blackout).
Ranked No. 15 in the latest Associated Press Poll and No. 16 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll this week, Miami finished 11-1 in the non-conference portion of its schedule after a third-place finish at the Diamond Head Classic on Monday. The Hurricanes finished the tournament by rallying from a 13-point deficit and hitting 11 of their last 12 shots to top Middle Tennessee, 84-81.
Miami is averaging 75.5 points per game while limiting its opponents to 59.0 points per game and 36.6 percent shooting, each of which ranks second in the ACC. UM ranks third nationally behind only Virginia (52.3) and Texas Tech (58.7) in scoring defense. The Canes also are limiting their foes to 27.8 percent shooting from 3-point range, which is lowest in the ACC and eighth-lowest nationally.
Dewan Huell leads Miami in scoring at 13.9 points per game and also is grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game. DJ Vasiljevic is averaging 11.5 points per game, while Bruce Brown Jr. is scoring 11.1 points per game and leading the team with 7.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Ja’Quan Newton is averaging 10.1 points per game and currently stands just 16 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
Winners of seven of its last eight contests, Pitt (8-5) is averaging 69.9 points per game and giving up 68.8 per contest. Jared Wilson-Frame leads the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game, while Ryan Luther is averaging 12.7 points and a team-high 10.1 rebounds per game. Marcus Carr is scoring 11.8 per game. Pitt’s last game was on Dec. 22, a 63-59 home win over Towson.
Miami continues a tough road stretch as it opens ACC play with three of its first four league games on the road. Eight of UM’s upcoming opponents, totaling 10 games (five home/five road), feature teams in the current KenPom top 40: Virginia (3), Duke (4), North Carolina (8), Clemson (23), Notre Dame (25), Florida State (27), Louisville (33), Virginia Tech (37).
Miami leads the series with Pitt, 19-18, including 3-1 since the Panthers joined the ACC for the 2014-15 season. UM has won three straight against Pitt, including a 72-46 victory on Jan. 14, 2017, at the Petersen Events Center in the teams’ lone meeting last season. The Hurricanes are 7-10 all-time in road games at Pitt.
Miami travels to Georgia Tech on Jan. 3 before returning home Jan. 7 to face off against No. 24 Florida State.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
