Canespace

Batter Up!

With Opening Day 25 days away, the University of Miami baseball team picked up its fourth preseason top-25 ranking.

The Miami Hurricanes were listed at No. 25 in Baseball America’s preseason poll, the publication announced Monday morning.

Earlier this offseason, the Hurricanes were tabbed 18^th by Perfect Game, 23^rd by Collegiate Baseball and 25^th by D1Baseball.

Miami will begin its season ranked for the eighth time in the last nine years.

The Hurricanes are one of six programs from the ACC in Baseball America’s initial top-25, joining No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 5 Virginia, No. 12 Florida State, No. 16 NC State and No. 21 Georgia Tech

The complete poll can be viewed here.

Miami is set to begin its fourth campaign under head coach Gino DiMare on Feb. 18 against Towson, following a 2021 season that saw the Hurricanes finish 33-21, including a 20-15 mark in conference play.

DiMare guided Miami to its most ACC wins in five years and 47^th postseason appearance in program history, earning the No. 2 seed in the Gainesville Regional.

Miami also brings in the No. 7 overall recruiting class in the nation, according to Baseball America. The Hurricanes’ heralded class is comprised of 18 newcomers, which features 11 freshmen and seven transfers.

Nine Hurricanes were listed among Perfect Game’s Top 500 incoming freshmen, including four in the top 200.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

The blog title for those "in the know" is in honor of musical artist Meatloaf, who recently passed away. We hope he flew away like a bat out of hell and is resting in peace in paradise by the dashboard light.

It also leads us, in kind of a strange way, to a fan debate about whether Miami Hurricane basketball fans see the glass half full or half empty as it relates to UM Head Coach Jim Larranaga. 

Canespace recently had some very high praise for Coach L in our last article.

And now, after a second loss to FSU this season due to another horribly slow start and exciting late comeback that fell one point short, some Canes fans are once again questioning his competence.

Those arguing the glass is half full say that Coach L had impressive ACC wins against both Duke and UNC even though they lost to FSU (twice). Those arguing the glass is half empty say that going 0-2 in the home and home series against arch rival FSU and former UM coach Leonard Hamilton is simply unacceptable.

It actually seems to me that both sides may be correct. Both set of facts may be completely true. It is the lens through which they are viewed that resuts in the difference in opinions and attitudes towards Coach L.

To be completely honest, in recent years Miami basketball has been plagued by inconsistent recruiting, several critical injuries and many other challenges that Coach L, or any other coach for that matter, would have found extremely challenging. Some UM fans blame Coach L for those issues, some see him as a victim of those issues. And who knows who is right or wrong?

Anyway, from my really comfortable second guessing chair, I want to summarize this article by making the following statements:

1. Most, if not ALL Canes fans (including myself), acknowledge that hiring Jim Larranaga has been positive for Miami.
2. Coach L has accomplished some very significant achievements at Miami. For that we can all be thankful.
3. Jim Larranaga is a good man, a very good coach and a really good person with many great qualities.
4. The UM basketball program is better for having Larranaga on campus and in charge of the team.

My hope is that Coach L accepts that he is only getting older, doesn't need this stress anymore, has nothing left to prove and retires with the dignity and grace that he deserves. That would be the ideal exit strategy.

It is my opinion that with a new AD at Miami, and a new football head coach, a new basketball head coach is in order for the Hurricanes. Time flies, change is often necessary and coaching transitions happen.

In my humble opinion, it is time for that important transition to take place for the University of Miami basketball program. 

Who Knew That Larranaga Had Some New Tricks?

They called him old.

They called him tired.

They said the game had passed him by.

They were wrong.

No, we are not referring to our good friend and long-time blogger NativeCane shown above with his cute little FSU harem.

And no, we are certainly not talking about KYCane or RaizeCane who can be seen below with two Louisville lovelies with the rock hard abs.

We are talking about none other than the Dean of college basketball with 38 years of experience on the job in UM basketball coach Jim Larranaga.

Coach L has shown that the old man apparently has some new tricks up his sleeve for his ACC opponents this season. His latest trick was to top off a nine game winning streak with a huge, stunning, last second two-point win over second-ranked Duke on Saturday. And, he did it on the road nonetheless.

Here is the story from www.hurricanesports.com (read more there):

The University of Miami men’s basketball team matched its record for the highest-ranked opponent defeated on the road in program history, shocking second-ranked Duke, 76-74, Saturday night at a sold-out Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Hurricanes led by as many as eight points in a start-to-finish thriller to become the first team in the nation this season to knock off a top-two team on the road. Sixth-year redshirt senior guard Charlie Moore scored a team-high 18 points for the Hurricanes, who tied a program record in ACC play with 15 steals.

Seven of those steals came from Moore, good for the most ever by a Hurricane in ACC play and tied for the second-most ever by an opposing player at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The stingy defense helped Miami (13-3, 5-0 ACC) up its winning streak to nine in a row.

“That was an exciting game from start to finish,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said after moving to 7-7 against Duke during his time at The U. “I thought our guys played extremely well and got us off to a good start. Duke came roaring back and played very well. We were tied up at the half and both teams kind of just exchanged punches in the second half.

“Duke, obviously, has earned their high ranking,” he continued. “I’m really proud of the way my guys executed the game plan and stuck together.”

The Hurricanes, who forced eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes, used an 8-0, 51-second burst to grab a 14-6 lead after just 5:11, but Duke (12-2, 2-1 ACC) quickly answered. After the two teams exchanged baskets, Miami went scoreless for 5:24, missing 10 straight shots, as the Blue Devils scored 13 straight points, including drilling three consecutive 3-pointers, to go up by five, 21-16, with 9:52 on the clock.

Duke extended its run to 18-2, taking a 26-18 lead with 7:02 left in the half. The Hurricanes, however, countered right back, holding the Blue Devils without a point for five minutes and notching 10 in a row at the other end to go ahead, 28-26, with 2:52 remaining.

The sides went into the intermission deadlocked at 32, the first even score at the break for Miami this season. The Hurricanes notched 11 first-half steals, setting a program record in the ACC era (since 2004-05) for a single frame. Moore, who scored a game-best nine first-half points, individually recorded five steals, already tying his career high. In total, Miami forced 13 turnovers and committed just four, en route to a 13-0 edge in points off giveaways.

Duke took a five-point lead in the second half, but Miami answered with a 13-2 surge in just 3:08 to go in front by six, 60-54, with 9:12 left. The spurt was part of a streak of nine straight made field goals, including three in a row by third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong.

The Hurricanes held a three-point edge, 71-68, in the final 100 seconds, but Duke scored six consecutive points in 48 seconds to go up, 74-71, with 44.9 ticks remaining. Moore made a driving layup through contact at the other end and although he missed the free throw, fourth-year junior guard Jordan Miller grabbed the rebound and sixth-year redshirt senior guard Kameron McGusty made a layup to put Miami up by one. After a defensive stop, Wong split a pair of free throws with 16 seconds to play.

Duke then missed multiple shots at the other end, sending the Hurricanes into a raucous celebration in front of the silent crowd of 9,314.

“When they got ahead by three, it didn’t look good for us, but Charlie Moore made a sensational move to the basket, made an incredible layup and then Jordan Miller came up with an incredible offensive rebound,” Larrañaga said. “Kameron McGusty hit the game-winner, so a lot of guys contributed throughout the game.”

And no, we are definitely not talking about Terrance here with his FSU hotties.

Everyone knows Terrance got game!

Here is a list of some of Coach Larranaga's accomplishments while at Miami:

MIAMI HURRICANES POSTGAME NOTES
– The Hurricanes moved to 9-22 all-time against Duke, including 3-11 on the road and 7-7 in Larrañaga’s tenure.
– Since Larrañaga arrived in 2011-12, Miami’s seven wins against Duke are solely the second-most of any program during that span, trailing only the 10 by North Carolina, which plays Duke at least twice a year.
– The Hurricanes’ three road victories over Duke since Larrañaga’s 2011-12 arrival are solely the second-most of any team, behind just the four by North Carolina.
– Miami (7-7) and Louisville (6-6) are the only ACC teams with a .500 record against Duke during Larrañaga’s tenure, with one of the Cardinals’ wins coming before they joined the league.
– According to ESPN Stats & Info, Larrañaga is the fifth coach with multiple AP top-five road wins over Duke, joining Dean Smith (five), Gary Williams (three), Roy Williams (three) and Dave Odom (two).
– Larrañaga, who entered the game with the ninth-most victories of any active Division I coach, is now 683-467 in 38 years as a head coach, including 213-133 in 11 seasons at Miami.
– With 213 wins as an ACC head coach, Larrañaga tied Vic Bubas for No. 14 on the all-time leaderboard.
– Larrañaga now has nine wins over top-10 foes during his Miami tenure, including eight in ACC play.
– According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, unranked teams had lost 59 consecutive road games against top-two teams in the nation prior to Saturday night.
– The only other team in country to defeat a top-three opponent on the road this season is No.23 Wisconsin, which won at third-ranked Purdue on 1/3/22.
– The victory matched the highest-ranked AP opponent the Hurricanes have ever defeated on the road, as they previously defeated second-ranked Connecticut, 73-71, on 2/20/99 in Storrs, Conn.
– This is the fourth AP top-two win in program history, with three of those four versus Duke, as Miami also knocked off the top-ranked Blue Devils, 90-63, on 1/23/13 and beat the second-ranked Blue Devils, 71-69, on 12/21/62, both at home.
– The Hurricanes now have eight victories all-time over teams ranked in the top five of either poll, including five in Larrañaga’s tenure and six against Duke.
– Miami now owns seven wins over AP top-five teams, including four under Larrañaga and five versus the Blue Devils.
– This is the fifth AP top-three win in program history, including the third under Larrañaga and the third against Duke.
– The Hurricanes are currently the only team in the ACC with a 5-0 league record and sit alone atop the conference standings.
– Miami is 5-0 in ACC play for the second time ever and first since 2012-13, when it started league play 13-0.
– The Hurricanes are riding a nine-game winning streak for the first time since 11/10/17 to 12/22/17 when they started the 2017-18 season with a 10-0 record.

Turn The Page

It is now time for all Miami Hurricane Fans to turn the page.

Depending on who you ask, UM football fans have been wandering in no man's land for somewhere between 18 and 20 years. What is not at doubt is that collectively we have been wandering with no clear direction, lost in the wilderness and at times angry, clueless or frustrated and even hopeless.

A quick summary of this time period of time reads as follows.

Larry Coker inherited a sexy red Ferrari and managed to drive it really well and really fast for one year until he eventually crashed and burned it.

Former UM player Randy Shannon came in and was certain to save the day but in the end it turned out he couldn't save himself from himself.

Al "Pa" Golden brought his shiny new binder and all 12 pillars to Coral Gables only to see them get crushed into pieces in just a few short years.

Manny Diaz actually left, came back, and then clearly proved not to be The Man in Miami but just another coach on the long list of recent losers.

Miami has now turned the page and hired Mario Cristobal to solve this situation and return "The U" to it's rightful place among the college football elites. Can he? Could he? Will he? These questions will all be answered in due time.

I will remind Miami fans once again of the now well known, and at times worn out, Canespace motto: "It is our job to drink beer and cheer. It is the head coach's job to hire and fire."

Yes, contrary to popular opinion, fans don't win games. Coaching, recruiting, talent, schemes, game planning, play calling, committment, communication, motivation and execution do.

So Hurricane football fans my advice is to sit back, crack open a cold one and relax. You are off the clock until September when the games begin again. Then you can drink beer and cheeer for your team in orange and green from The U.

Mario however is now officially on the clock. First he has to fill out his coaching staff. Then they have to recruit like crazy until National Signing Day in February. Then he has to develop a culture in the lockeroom and a plan in the Hecht Athletic Center on how to get things done, recruit better players, win more games and eventually win another National Championship.

Oh, and a special personal note to Mario, our patience has been worn thin over the last 18-20 years so don't give us the old "five year plan" and standard rebuilding speech. Manny barely got three years and then he was toast. We hope, and respectfully request, that you too don't become toast.

It is a new year and Hurricane fans have another new head coach.

So as I see it from where I sit, here' is the deal.

We agree to do our part and drink beer and cheer.

You do your part by hiring and firing coaches as needed.

Then lead Miami to more wins and eventually a National Championship.

Our agreeement is that until then, we will all agree to turn the page.