Canespace

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Declaring yourself eligible for the NFL draft against good advice is a bad idea.

But doing it just because your friend does it is probably even worse.

Or just stupid. If your friend asks you to jump off a bridge...do you?

Well, it depends on the friend, right?

I bring you the interesting and curious case of Kendrick Norton and RJ McIntosh. These former Miami Hurricanes entered the 2018 NFL draft looking to get rich quick. They clearly failed in their mission.

They were not drafted in the first three rounds and are likely to make less money than if they would have stayed for their Senior seasons, performed well and won something that mattered. But that is apparently too much to ask.

With their fifth-round pick (No. 139 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Miami defensive tackle R.J. McIntosh. McIntosh was a projected fourth-round talent (some even had him as a third-round talent) who fell to the Giants early in the fifth-round.

Kendrick Norton | DL | Miami (FL) 7th Round | 242nd overall

Good luck guys, I hope you are successful.

If not, when you grow up, this will be a lesson.

I hope the NFL is very, very kind to you!

We Remember U

On this Memorial Day 2018 we would like to offer a very sincere THANK U to all of the incredibly brave men and women who defend our freedom!

For all of those men and women who have served in the U.S armed forces and who have literally put their lives on the line to protect and defend the United States of America this blog is for U.

For all of the courageous men and women who recognized that freedom isn't free and found it necessary to put themselves in harms way we thank U.

For all of those Army soldiers who have fearlessly risked their lives to defend our Country in World Wars, regional conflicts and in other military battles against the current war on terrorism, we honor U.

For all of those Navy sailors, who save the free world on the open seas, without concern for their own safety to defend the world's oceans we recognize U.

For all of those highly skilled Air Force pilots and their support crews who defend our airspace with their incredible talent and ability we salute U.

And for all of those who served as a Marine like my father who faught in Korea and served as a Staff Sargent in Camp LeJune, NC may God bless you and keep you safe and well. It's not easy being first in and last out.

We wish all American defense personnel and all U.S. citizens across our great Nation the peace, freedom and security that all sovereign Nations deserve.

We would like to take this opporuntity to wish all of our armed forces and all of our Canespace Nation family and friends a safe, happy and fun Memorial Day.

Miami Hurricane fans salute U and ask that God Bless America!

For all of those men and women who have served in the U.S armed forces and who have literally put their lives on the line to protect and defend the United States of America this blog is for U.

For all of the courageous men and women who recognized that freedom isn't free and found it necessary to put themselves in harms way we thank U.

For all of those Army soldiers who have fearlessly risked their lives to defend our Country in World Wars, regional conflicts and in other military battles against the current war on terrorism, we honor U.

For all of those Navy sailors, who save the free world on the open seas, without concern for their own safety to defend the world's oceans we recognize U.

For all of those highly skilled Air Force pilots and their support crews who defend our airspace with their incredible talent and ability we salute U.

And for all of those who served as a Marine like my father who faught in Korea and served as a Staff Sargent in Camp LeJune, NC may God bless you and keep you safe and well. It's not easy being first in and last out.

We wish all American defense personnel and all U.S. citizens across our great Nation the peace, freedom and security that all sovereign Nations deserve.

We would like to take this opporuntity to wish all of our armed forces and all of our Canespace Nation family and friends a safe, happy and fun Memorial Day.

Miami Hurricane fans salute U and ask that God Bless America!

Rock U Like A Hurricane

Last season, Miami Hurricanes fans created, quite simply, one of the best home-field advantages in college football and it looks to be even better in 2018 as the Hurricanes are on pace to sell out of season tickets for the first time since moving to Hard Rock Stadium in 2008.   
 
On Saturdays, Hard Rock Stadium transformed into a deafening cauldron filled with cheers, chants and turnover chains as the Hurricanes finished 7-0 at home in the regular season, sending them to the ACC Championship Game for the first time and a berth in the Capital One Orange Bowl for the first time in a decade.
 

"Every so often, I would take my headsets off to listen how loud it really was," head coach Mark Richt said. "I just wanted to get a gauge. There's no doubt in my mind our fan base helped us get it done."

And now, building off the momentum of that 2017 season, the Hurricanes are surging towards a record season ticket pace as we approach the 100-day countdown to the 2018 campaign.
 

Miami is projected to sell out its season ticket allotment of nearly 47,000. Fewer than 3,200 season tickets remain for the 2018 season –  far less than the number of seats historically sold in the final three months prior to kickoff.  
 
The Hurricanes averaged 58,682 fans last year at Hard Rock, which ranked second in the nation at stadiums with seating capacities below 70,000.
 
"Miami had one of the most electric atmospheres in college football last year and I have no doubt our fans will bring the same energy and enthusiasm to Hard Rock this fall," Director of Athletics Blake James said. "Our season ticket sales are a clear indication of that passion and support."

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, following a 28-10 loss that put Miami in the ACC Coastal driver's seat in October, said he hadn't seen such an atmosphere at Miami since the Hokies' trip to the Orange Bowl back in 2000 – when quarterback Michael Vick was just a sophomore.
 
The following week, ESPN's College GameDay's first visit to Coral Gables served as the pregame backdrop for Miami's nationally televised, prime time tilt against then-No.3 Notre Dame. After Miami's resounding 41-8 win, Irish linebacker Drue Tranquill called it "the loudest game I've ever played in."

A press box packed with national media members agreed.
 
"But what absolutely is not up for debate is the atmosphere inside the stadium on Saturday night, the vibe that pulsed from the first row all the way to the top row," ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson wrote after the game. "Miami swaggered on the field and in the stands, and even when the team finally left the field to 'Rock You Like a Hurricane,' a large swath of fans remained for high fives and cheers."

The action on the field is now matched by unparalleled amenities at Hard Rock, which has undergone more than $500 million in renovations over the past three years. Those renovations include new concourses, luxury suites, club seats, and other premium seating options that makes a day (or night) at the stadium a memorable experience from tailgate to kickoff to the final whistle.
 
Miami's 2018 home schedule includes home dates with Savannah State (Sept. 8), FIU (Sept. 22), North Carolina (Sept. 27), Florida State (Oct. 6), Duke (Nov. 3) and Pittsburgh (Nov. 24). Season tickets for this year's six-game slate are just $160.  To view available inventory, click here or call 1-800-GO-CANES.
 

APR: It's All About Academics

Twelve University of Miami Athletics programs were recognized for perfect single-year scores of 1,000 in the 2016-17 Academic Progress Report (APR), released Wednesday by the NCAA.
 
Among the Miami programs earning perfect scores for the 2016-17 school year on the men's side were the baseball, cross country, diving, tennis and track & field teams, while on the women's side, the cross country, rowing, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball teams each claimed scores of 1,000 for 2016-17.
 
The report comes one week after Miami's men's cross country, golf and women's tennis teams were recognized for perfect multi-year APR scores of 1,000.
 
"It's a remarkable achievement for 12 of our teams to post perfect APR scores for 2016-17," Director of Athletics Blake James said. "Our student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom, and our dedicated coaches and academic staff members work tirelessly to help them achieve these results."
 

In addition, the Hurricanes' football (965), men's basketball (969) and women's basketball (990) teams each topped their respective sports' multi-year national average.
 
The APR, created to be a more real-time measurement of academic success than graduation rates, is a team-based metric through which scholarship student-athletes each term earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. This report is based on NCAA Division I APR data submitted by the institution for the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years.
 
In the fall of 2011, the Division I Board of Directors approved tougher academic standards, including setting a new standard that teams must meet to participate in postseason competition. The goal of the NCAA's academic performance program is improvement, not punishment.

Hurricanes To Face Fighting Irish in ACC Tourney

No. 7 seed Miami opens its run at the 2018 ACC Baseball Championship Tuesday, May 22 against No. 11 seed Notre Dame at 7 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Sunday.

The Hurricanes (27-25, 16-13 ACC) will play No. 2 seed Clemson (43-13, 22-8), who heads up Pool B as the Atlantic Division champions, Thursday, May 24 at 7 p.m.
 
North Carolina (37-17, 22-8 ACC) earned the No. 1 overall seed and will head up Pool A. The Tar Heels will be joined by eighth-seeded Georgia Tech (31-25, 14-16) and 12th-seeded Pitt (27-25, 11-19).

No. 3 NC State (40-14, 19-11) is joined in Pool C by No. 6 Florida State (39-17, 16-13) and No. 10 Virginia (28-24, 12-18), while Pool D features No. 4 Duke (39-14, 18-11), No. 5 Louisville (40-16, 18-12), and No. 9 Wake Forest (25-30, 13-17).
 

The ACC Baseball Championship will feature a pool-play format, leading into a four-team, single-elimination bracket to determine the league champion. Each team in the four pools will play one game against each of the other two opponents in its pool Tuesday through Friday (May 22-25). The four teams with the best records within their respective pools will advance to Saturday's semifinals, with the winners playing on Sunday in the ACC Championship Game.
 
Game times Tuesday through Friday are set for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday's semifinals are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., while Sunday's championship will begin at noon.
 
The tournament will get underway Tuesday with No. 12 Pitt versus No. 8 Georgia Tech at 11 a.m., followed by No. 10 Virginia versus No. 6 Florida State at 3 p.m., and No. 11 Notre Dame versus No. 7 Miami at 7 p.m.

A Perfect 10

Sophomore righthander Evan McKendry struck out 11 and junior Danny Reyes homered to lead the Hurricanes to their 10th straight win Friday night, 4-3, over Boston College.

McKendry (7-6) recorded his fourth double-digit strikeout performance in the victory to extend the nation's second-longest winning streak at Mark Light Field.

The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native allowed three unearned runs in 6.2 innings. He scattered seven hits and three walks in the 122-pitch outing.

Junior Frankie Bartow closed out his fourth save of the season with a clutch two-inning performance.

The righthander entered in the eighth inning with Miami leading 4-3 and a pair of Eagles runners on the corners and no outs.

Bartow was able to escape the jam unscathed, inducing three groundouts to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard.

An emotional Bartow was candid in his postgame remarks.

"I was just trying to do my job. I was thinking about doing the same thing I've always been doing – what I'm best at, just getting groundballs," Bartow said. "I was throwing strikes. It was a very emotional night for me tonight.

"I believe in us and we got the job done…this team, we're fighting. That's what counts."

After honoring eight Hurricanes during Senior Day pregame festivities Friday, Miami will look to make it 11 straight wins on Saturday in skipper Jim Morris' final regular season game as head coach.

The Weekly Round Up: Hurricane Happenings

Women's Track: Lady Canes Take ACC Title

It came down to the final event and every point mattered, but the Miami Hurricanes won the 2018 ACC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
 
With 117 points, the Miami Hurricanes earned their third ACC outdoor championship and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. Miami, which hosted the ACC Outdoor Championships, outlasted Virginia Tech (111 pts), Florida State (102.5), Clemson (74) and Louisville (69.5) to win the title on their home track.
 
"We've got a young group and they never stopped believing. I think they just came in here at their home track and they know there is tradition here and it meant as much to them as it does to me to win it at home. You never want someone else to beat you in your home facility, especially when you don't get the chance to host ACCs every year, so this was definitely special."
 
Miami was led to the title by ACC Women's Track MVP Symone Mason and ACC Women's Field MVP Michelle Atherley. The duo combined for 51.5 of Miami's 117 total points, with Mason adding 25 in the sprints and relays and Atherley contributing 26.5 from the heptathlon, high jump and 100m hurdles.

Baseball: Hurricanes Hang 16 On Hokies

Tony Jenkins returned to the Miami outfield on May 9 against FGCU in place of an injured Michael Burns.

He has made his presence felt ever since.

A day after scoring the winning run in a thrilling 12-inning victory, Jenkins clubbed the first two home runs of his career in Miami's 19-hit barrage, keying a 16-4 victory over Virginia Tech in Game 2.

Miami's offense tied the season mark for hits and set the season mark for runs in the win, extending UM's winning streak to seven straight games.

Miami capitalized on seemingly every scoring opportunity, collecting 11 hits with runners on base (11-for-25) and nine with runners in scoring position (9-for-22).

"Jenkins of course had the big day with two home runs, but lots of guys had a lot of big hits," head coach Jim Morris said. "We did well statistically with guys in scoring position and guys on base. We hit very well situationally."

Sophomore righthander Evan McKendry tossed eight strong innings for Miami, weaving his way out of significant damage for most of the afternoon. He struck out eight and scattered nine hits and four runs (three earned) in another quality effort.

Women's Tennis: Hurricanes Advance To Sweet 16

For the 12th time in 13 years, the University of Miami women's tennis team is headed to the NCAA Team Championship Sweet 16.

Miami (18-7, 11-3 ACC), both ranked and seeded No. 16, came back from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits against No. 22 UCF Saturday in the Round of 32 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center, en route to a 4-3 victory.

The win clinched Miami's 23rd all-time Sweet 16 appearance, including the 13th under 17th-year head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews.

"It feels so good. To do it with this group, through the adversity that we've had, for this team to just stick together and fight is just [amazing]," Yaroshuk-Tews said of being back in the Sweet 16. "We're getting there with pure fight; that's what we're about. They were able to do that today through nerves and through doubts. They just stuck it out and they fought. I'm so proud of them."

Weekly Update: Hurricane Happenings

MEN'S TENNIS The University of Miami men's tennis team received a bid to the 2018 NCAA Team Championship, as announced on the NCAA selection show Tuesday evening. The Hurricanes (14-12, 4-8 ACC), who will compete at the national stage for the 23rd time in program history, will remain in-state and travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face in-state foe, North Florida, in the opening round Saturday, May 12. Miami is ranked No. 39, while the Ospreys are unranked. Click here to read the full story
BASEBALL It took five hours and 28 minutes, but the Hurricanes departed with a win Sunday evening– exactly what head coach Jim Morris and his team were looking for. In a game that featured a near two-hour rain delay, eight pitching changes and 28 combined hits, junior Romy Gonzalez walked it off for the Hurricanes in a 12-11 win to cap a weekend sweep of Bethune-Cookman at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. Click here to read the full story
GOLF The Miami women's golf team plays in the NCAA Austin Regional Monday through Wednesday at the par-72, 6,341-yard University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas. Making their sixth straight trip to an NCAA Regional under head coach Patti Rizzo, the Canes are attempting to advance to the NCAA Championships for the third straight year and the 26th time in program history.  Click here to read the full story

A Few Interesting Facts From The 2018 NFL Draft

With all of the hoopla surrounding the 2018 NFL Draft, I thought we would try to take a look at some of the more interesting statistics and story lines that resulted from the highly anticipated annual event. Here is what we found on the surface:

Not surprisingly, Alabama had the most selections with 12 of which 4 were taken in the first round. Nick Saban's seemingly annual pilgrimage to the National Championship game keeps drawing in much of the top talent in the Country each and every year.

Alabama helped lead the way for the SEC to have 53 selections overall. The SEC was closely followed by the ACC with 45 picks. The other conferences were not close as the Big 10 had 33, the Pac 12 had 30 and the Big 12 had 20. FCS division II/III schools also represented well with 23 picks in total.

Three teams had 7 selections in the 2018 NFL Draft: Ohio State, LSU and (somewhat surprisingly) N.C. State. It would seem that if North Carolina State was going to make some noise in the ACC it would have been last year. Seems like oh well for the Wolfpack.

Four teams had 6 players picked in 2018: Georgia, Penn State, FSU and Miami. Even though FSU had an off year and Miami started very strong and then faded after injuries to key offensive players, both schools continue to feed the pipeline to the NFL.

Teams with 5 players selected included Florida, Virgina Tech and Wisconsin. In spite of its continued floundering, Florida always recruits well. Of course we all know that Miami beat Virginia Tech convincingly and lost to Wisconsin badly in the bowl game.

Turns out that UCF, the little team that could, the undefeated and proudly self proclaimed "National Champions", had 4 selections in 2018. To put that in perspective, that is the same number of draft picks that National powerhouses like USC and Notre Dame had. Let that soak in and marinate for a while.

Other Florida schools that had at least one selection were USF with 2 and FIU with 1. The one selection tied FIU with Nebraska, where Cornhusker Nation hopes that hometown hero and former UCF coach Scott Frost can fix things that are broken.