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This Is How U Exceed All Expectations

When this men's college basketball season started not much was expected of your Miami Hurricanes. They were picked by "experts" to finish 12th in the ACC.

Some said they were short on talent, short in height and short on bench depth.

Some fans said their coach was old and tired and should be moving on. 

Most people agreed that the Hurricanes would go quietly into the good night.

Turns out that these people were very wrong. In fact, they were dead wrong.

Coach Jim Larranaga delivered a coaching performance for the ages in shaping and molding the 2022 Miami team into something nobody expected.

A beautiful group of hard fighting, never say die, collection of misfits who exceeded all expectations and made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA finals for the first time in UM history. We will take that anytime!

So on this short, but sweet note, we would like to thank Coach Larranaga and the 2022 men's basketball team for one hell of a fun and exciting ride. 

You have earned our great respect and our sincere gratitude.

It was certainly not expected, and definitely exceeded all of our expectations.

Canes Advance Because Coaching Matters

The University of Miami men’s basketball team took down second-seed and top-10-ranked Auburn, 79-61, Sunday night to earn the fourth Sweet 16 berth in program history.

No. 10-seeded Miami (25-10, 14-6 ACC) led the Tigers, ranked No. 8/7, from start to finish at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, holding the advantage for 39-plus minutes in a spectacular display at both ends of the floor.

Third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong scored a game-high 21 points for the Hurricanes, who are headed to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last decade.

“I can’t be happier for my guys. They did such a fantastic job of executing the game plan,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said after leading his team to the Sweet 16 for the third time in his 11-year tenure. “We just kept plugging away. Our defense is about pressure, keeping pressure on the opponent and trying to force turnovers. These guys did a fantastic job of doing that.”

The Hurricanes made six of their first nine shots, while Auburn (28-6, 15-3 SEC) opened 1-of-4 with four turnovers, helping Miami grab a 13-4 edge after just 4:19 of action.

The Tigers pulled back within five, but Miami regained its nine-point edge, 23-14, with 7:27 on the clock. At that point, the Hurricanes had five steals and zero turnovers, while holding Auburn to 5-of-19 shooting.

Miami eventually took a one-point lead, 33-32, into the locker room after the Tigers scored the final five points of the half. It marked the smallest lead of the entire session for the Hurricanes, who led for the final 19:28 of the frame.

Through 20 minutes, Miami held the Tigers to 38.7 percent shooting (12-of-31), including a 2-of-10 mark on 3-pointers after they missed their first seven attempts.

The Hurricanes scored eight straight points to begin the second half, taking a 41-32 edge with 17:35 to play. Miami went on to take a 14-point advantage, 64-50, with 7:17 left after posting an 11-4 run in just 3:12.

Auburn answered with six straight points in 80 seconds to make it 64-56 with 5:55 remaining, but Miami used an 8-2 run to go back up by 14, 72-58, with just 2:13 to play. That eventually became a game-ending 15-5 burst, as the Hurricanes won by 18 points, their largest margin of the game. Miami scored the final seven points in the last 73 seconds.

“The second half, we were everywhere. These guys were able to make plays, get to the open court,” Larrañaga said. “Auburn is a very high, up-tempo team but we feel very, very comfortable in that environment, as well. These guys ran for layups and made a lot of really good decisions in the open court. I congratulate all of them.”

Wong’s game-best point total came on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and a 5-of-5 clip at the line, and he added six rebounds. Sixth-year redshirt senior guard Kameron McGusty totaled 20 points on a superb 10-of-18 mark, also notching six rebounds, four assists and a game-best four steals. He tied the program record for steals in an NCAA Tournament game and became the third Hurricane with double-digit made field goals in such a contest.

Sixth-year redshirt senior guard Charlie Moore nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, a career-high nine rebounds and a game-best eight assists, adding three steals. Fourth-year junior guard Jordan Miller posted 12 points and three steals.

Sophomore guard KD Johnson and junior forward Jaylin Williams co-led the Tigers with 12 points apiece. Sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr., tallied 11 points and freshman forward Jabari Smith had 10.

Smith, a Second Team All-American and presumptive top-three NBA Draft pick, shot just 3-of-16 from the floor, including 1-of-8 from 3-point range, though he did lead all players with 15 rebounds to log a double-double. Meanwhile, sophomore forward/center Walker Kessler, a Third Team All-American, scored two points and shot 0-of-6 from the floor.

The Hurricanes shot 48.5 percent (32-of-66) from the floor and 80.0 percent (12-of-15) at the line, while limiting Auburn to just a 30.4 percent clip (21-of-69) from the field at the other end, the lowest mark by an opponent this year. En route to posting the second-highest NCAA Tournament point total, Miami set a program record for made field goals in the event.

The Hurricanes opened just 1-of-10 from 3-point range and finished 3-of-15 (20.0 percent), but still outshot the Tigers from deep, as they went 5-of-26 (19.2 percent), the second-lowest ledger by a Miami foe this year.

Miami, which committed only four turnovers and forced 13, registered 10 steals compared to Auburn’s one. That led to a staggering 30-1 edge in fast-break points and 17-2 advantage in points of giveaways for the Hurricanes, who also posted a 48-28 margin in paint points to earn the first NCAA Tournament victory over a top-two seed in program history.

The Hurricanes now head to Chicago, where they play No. 11-seeded Iowa State Friday at 9:45 p.m. ET, live on TBS from the United Center.

Drama 101: Hurricanes Hold On To Beat USC

The University of Miami men’s basketball team won a thrilling 68-66 NCAA Tournament first-round matchup Friday evening against seventh-seeded USC.

The No. 10-seeded Hurricanes took a 13-point first-half lead on the Trojans, ranked No. 21/22, and withstood a 17-point turnaround that saw USC take a four-point second-half edge. With the score even and just three seconds to go, sixth-year redshirt senior guard Charlie Moore calmly sank a pair of free throws to give Miami (24-10, 14-6 ACC) its first postseason victory since 2016.

Third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong scored a game-high 22 points, including each of the first 13, for the Hurricanes at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

“We played a great first half, got up by 11 [at the break]. We forced turnovers. We played exactly like we hoped we’d play,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “And then in the second half, Southern Cal made some adjustments. They actually changed their starting lineup to start the second half. They got off to a great start and they ended up taking the lead, but our guys never give up and they kept plugging away. We had some guys off the bench who stepped in and gave us quality minutes. We shot 1-for-14 from three, but still won the game because we took care of the basketball. We only had three turnovers in a 40-minute game; that really helps.”

The Hurricanes held USC (26-8, 14-6 P12) scoreless for the first 3:14, as the Trojans missed their first four shots, en route to a 2-of-10 start from the floor. Miami began 1-of-9 at the other end.

Wong scored all of the Hurricanes’ 13 points through eight-plus minutes, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-4 at the line while his teammates began 0-of-8 on field goals. The Trojans, however went on an 8-3 run to take a 14-13 edge, their first lead, with exactly nine minutes on the clock.

The Hurricanes answered with a 16-2 burst, sparked by 10 straight points, in 5:42 to turn a one-point deficit into a 13-point lead, 29-16, with 3:03 on the clock. USC went 7:02 without a field goal until making a jump-shot with 1:59 to go in the frame. Miami eventually took an 11-point cushion, 31-20, into the locker room, with USC tying the lowest first-half point total by any Hurricane foe this year.

Despite shooting 0-of-8 from 3-point range through 20 minutes, its first half of the year without a long-range make, Miami held USC to a 29.7 percent clip (8-of-27) from the floor and forced 12 turnovers, while committing just one.

The Trojans scored 17 points in the first 5:18 coming out of the break, including using a 12-0 run in just 3:16 to take a 37-33 edge with 14:42 remaining, as Miami went scoreless for 4:43. A personal 5-0 run from Wong then put the Hurricanes back ahead, 38-37, with 13:53 to play.

After conceding the lead soon thereafter, Miami used a 7-0 run in 2:03 to take a 47-42 advantage with 9:05 left. The Trojans then countered with a 7-1 burst to go up, 49-48, with 7:12 to go. After the sides exchanged baskets, Moore hit the Hurricanes’ first and only 3-pointer with 5:47 on the clock to give his team a 53-51 edge.

USC responded with three points in a row, going in front, 54-53, with 4:51 remaining, but then the Hurricanes began to retake control. They went on a 12-4 run, capped with six straight points in 68 seconds to build a seven-point edge, 65-58, with 44 ticks left after a pair of free throws by freshman guard Bensley Joseph.

The Trojans once again responded, as senior guard Drew Peterson hit back-to-back 3-pointers, sandwiched around a Miami turnover to trim the deficit to one, 65-64, with 25.3 seconds left. Following a free throw by sixth-year redshirt senior forward Sam Waardenburg to double the lead a second later, Peterson leveled the score at 66 with 14.2 seconds left, capping a personal 8-1 run in just 20 seconds.

At the other end, Moore drove to the rim, got fouled with three ticks to play and hit both his free throws. Peterson’s last-second half-court shot missed the mark, sending the Hurricanes into celebration.

“All is well that ends well. I’m just so happy,” Larrañaga said. “When you get guys like Charlie Moore and Jordan Miller who transfer in, you just hope that it’s a good experience for them. The other guys who have been here for a long time, they know what our program has been about.”

And So It Begins

In so many ways, it marks the start of a new season. But on this particular morning, the first day of spring football practice signaled so much more.

It was every bit a new beginning for Miami’s players, some of whom were back on the field after dealing with injuries or who now find themselves the veteran leaders of the team.

But it was a homecoming, too, for a former Hurricanes offensive lineman who won two national titles at Miami and on Monday, returned to Greentree in a role he’d once only dreamed of having: head coach of the Miami Hurricanes.

“Yeah, it’s pretty insane. That’s pretty insane,” said Mario Cristobal, who returned to his alma mater as its new coach last December and presided over his first practice Monday. “Now, it’s the first hundred days. I think it was…yesterday or today where a hundred days actually kick in. Oh man, it still hasn’t set in. But what did set in is that this journey began 25 years ago. Twenty-five years ago. I’m like ‘Wow.’ That first meeting with [former head coach Butch] Davis upstairs led to this opportunity.

“So, yeah, the excitement is through the roof and through the stratosphere to be able to get after it, always keeping in mind that we’ve got to teach and teach and teach and then teach some more as we mentor. But just keeping the focus on them. I’ll focus on my stuff someday. Maybe in, I don’t know, July when we could have things settle down a little bit and then reflect. But no, without a doubt, this is…it is absolutely, man, it’s awesome.”

Cristobal continued, “The coaches are asking ‘What are you doing here?’ I’m like ‘I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Job’s not done. Job’s not finished.’ And that’s what we are supposed to do. Best part about her, she’s relentless, tireless. There’s just no give. She’s going to finish everything and that’s what we do. That’s the way we’ve been raised. So I think it’s good. I think it was incredible to be on Greentree today, man.”

And Cristobal was very much all over Greentree throughout his first practice.

The coach moved from position group to position group and from drill to drill, lending his expertise, providing support and taking in the work being done all around him.

His drive – and the motivation from the rest of Miami’s staff – players said kept the Hurricanes going throughout a two-hour practice under the warm South Florida sun.

“It was a great day today. There’s a lot of stuff to work on still, some little missed assignments that we need to get more detailed on, but other than that, I thought we had a good practice,” said quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, the ACC Rookie of the Year who threw for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his passes last season. “Guys were working hard, great effort…It’s special. Every time we get the opportunity to go out there and play, it’s always a blessing. You go out there with your teammates and do what you love to do. You couldn’t ask for me. And yeah, Coach Cristobal’s first time in like a set practice out there. It was pretty cool. He’s one of the top coaches in the country. We’re really excited he’s here.”

Added defensive end Jahfari Harvey with a smile, “We got that [energy] from all the coaches, making us work, how it’s supposed to be. [They’re] getting on us, coaching us hard. A whole bunch of, how do I say it? Getting on our tail today.”

Read more here:

https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2022/03/07/fb-feature-spring-day-one-the-excitement-is-through-the-roof/

Lady Canes Are Living Large

The University of Miami women’s basketball team is headed to its first ACC Championship title game in program history after downing the No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22-8, 13-5 ACC), 57-54, Saturday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Hurricanes (20-11, 10-8 ACC) have won three games in three days en route to a title game berth, including back-to-back victories over top-25 opponents. Miami has come close to playing in the ACC Championship, making three semifinals appearances before this season, but never completed the bid.

Miami is just the second seven-seed to make it to championship Sunday, following in the footsteps of the 1992 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Hurricanes are looking to become the first seven-seed to cut down the nets in Greensboro, N.C.

Graduate student Kelsey Marshall led the charge for the Hurricanes, recording 18 points and four 3-pointers in the game to pace all scorers. Senior Karla Erjavec joined Marshall in double-figures with 10 points on the afternoon, nine of which came in the second half alone.

After her historic 27-point outing on Friday, graduate student Destiny Harden cooled off a bit on offense but was still a crucial piece for the Hurricanes, leading Miami on the boards with seven rebounds.

Eight Hurricanes scored in Miami’s victory over Notre Dame and eight players also tallied a rebound in the contest. As a team, the Hurricanes outrebounded the Fighting Irish, 36-31, including an 11-3 mark on the offensive end.

The Miami seniors would not be denied and Erjavec responded with a driving layup to give Miami the 52-51 edge. Marshall followed up with a huge 3-pointer at 1:55 in the fourth to put Miami ahead by four. Senior Dara Mabrey responded with a three of her own to make the score 56-54, in favor of the Hurricanes, with 36 ticks left on the game clock.

Senior Mykea Gray took a trip to the free throw line, knocking down 1-of-2 shots, to put Miami up, 57-54, and the Hurricanes made a huge stop on defense to seal the victory.

The Hurricanes will take on reigning ACC Champion and first-seeded NC State Wolfpack on Sunday in the ACC Championship title game. The contest is slated to tipoff at 12 p.m. and will air on ESPN.

Read more at: hurricanesports.com