MBB Opens Regular Season Friday Versus Lehigh
November 9, 2018 | 7 p.m.
Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami (0-0) vs. Lehigh (1-0)
Tickets | Directions | Watch Live | Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team tips off its 2018-19 regular season at 7 p.m. Friday as it plays host to Lehigh (1-0) at the Watsco Center.
Tickets remain available and can be purchased online HERE or at the Watsco Center ticket office.
The game will stream online HERE via ACC Network Extra, which is available to authenticated users through ESPN3.
Things to Know
• In each of its first three games, Miami plays the preseason favorites in their respective conferences – Lehigh (Patriot League), Stephen F. Austin (Southland) and Bethune-Cookman (MEAC).
• Miami is 55-13 all-time in season openers, including 6-1 under Jim Larrañaga.
• UM returns 63 percent of its scoring, 65 percent of its rebounding and 46 percent of its assists from the 2017-18 squad.
• DJ Vasiljevic led the ACC in 3-point shooting last season at 41.1 percent.
• Formerly Dewan Huell, Hernandez legally changed his last name as a way to honor his mother, Christina Hernandez.
• Miami, Duke, North Carolina and Virginia are the only ACC schools to record six or more 20-win seasons in the last seven years.
Miami is opening its 69th season of men’s basketball. The Canes return seven letterwinners from their 2017-18 team, which went 22-10, tied for third in the ACC and reached the program’s third straight NCAA Tournament: Hernandez, Lawrence, Vasiljevic, Ebuka Izundu, Chris Lykes, Rodney Miller Jr. and Sam Waardenburg. Miami also gains the services of forward Deng Gak, who redshirted last year during his freshman season.
Miami added five newcomers to the program, with three arriving via transfers. Zach Johnson scored 1,344 points in three seasons at Florida Gulf Coast and was a First-Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection last season before coming to UM as a graduate transfer. Anthony Mack sat out last season at Wyoming and has four years of eligibility remaining at UM. Junior guard Kameron McGusty is sitting out this season after transferring from Oklahoma. He averaged playing in 63 games and averaging 9.4 ppg in two years with the Sooners. Sophomores Willie Herenton and Dominic Proctor joined the program as walk-ons.
UM rolled to a 91-61 win over Barry University on Oct. 30 in exhibition action at the Watsco Center in the team’s final tune-up for the regular season. Hernandez led the Canes with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Johnson and Vasiljevic added 17 points apiece.
Lehigh opened its regular season Tuesday with a commanding 85-61 road win at Monmouth. Lehigh led by as many as 30 points in the second half. Pat Andree led Lehigh with 31 points, while Jordan Cohen added 15 points. Lehigh out-rebounded Monmouth, 47-28, and hit 11 3-pointers in the win.
Miami holds a 6-1 edge in the all-time series against Lehigh, with all six wins coming at home. The programs last met on Dec. 9, 2006, in Coral Gables, with the Canes scoring a 79-58 win.
The Canes remain home Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest against Stephen F. Austin, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season. The game will be televised by ESPNU.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
