Mad Question Askin', Blunt Passin', Music Blastin'

The #21/#22 Miami Hurricanes are now 4-1.  Like most had figured, the Canes went 2-0 against Florida Southern and Stetson and earned the bronze in the Paradise Jam tournament (beating Southern Miss and San Diego, losing to #2 UConn).  And, just as expected, the Top-25 Canes are heading into the most important week in recent history with something to prove.

Both match-ups this week loom large for Miami. First comes a Tuesday home contest against Ohio State in an A.C.C./Big Ten Challenge game (the Canes didn't play in the series last season).  Miami then travels to Kentucky to face the Wildcats on Friday night. Both opponents made it to the postseason last year; the Buckeyes won their second N.I.T. championship in program history and the Wildcats lost an opening round March Madness match-up with #6-seed Marquette.  

Although neither program is currently ranked, each game poses a huge challenge for a Miami program still trying to prove its for real.  Wins against Ohio State on Tuesday (7:00 PM, ESPN) and Kentucky on Saturday (5:30 PM, ESPN) would go a long way to help shut the naysayers up, at least for awhile.  

Let's start with Ohio State, shall we?

Yeah...there's not a whole hell of a lot to say about the undefeated Buckeyes just yet.  OSU has only played three games so far, and their competition hasn't been too difficult. Wins over Delaware State (70-42), Bowling Green (61-57), and Samford (59-22) haven't proved much for this team. Draw whatever conclusions you want from those results, but the truth is this: OSU is still a very large unknown.

Head Coach Thad Matta has worked wonders with the basketball program since taking over in Columbus five years ago.  After recruiting Greg Oden and Mike Conley in 2006, Matta led the Buckeyes to the 2007 National Championship game after winning the Big Ten tournament and earning a #1 seed for March Madness.  Last season resulted in the N.I.T. championship trophy for his Buckeyes, but this year's team...well, the potential for success remains somewhat in question.

Gone are the impressive play and three-point shooting of seven-footer Kosta Koufos (14.4 ppg), taken with the 23rd overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2008 NBA Draft.  The other two leading scorers from last year's team, seniors Jamar Butler (15.0 ppg) and Othello Hunter (9.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg), are long gone. 

So where does that leave the Buckeyes? Well, defending N.I.T. champions at the very least.

Matta brought in a Top-5 recruiting class to help counter his losses, but none of the Buckeye freshman have had a serious impact in the early going.  2008's #1 overall player and 7-foot center B.J. Mullens hasn't earned a starting spot yet, and he's averaging 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds (!)  in only 16.3 minutes.  Fellow five-star freshman (#19 overall) William Buford is also coming off the bench for Matta, averaging an uneventful 8.0 ppg.

Sophomores have carried Ohio State in the early going.  Swingman Evan Turner (6-7) is averaging 12 points and over 7 rebounds in his first three games, and Jon Diebler (6-6) is not too far behind (10.3 ppg).  Both played bench roles for the Buckeyes last year but have earned spots in the starting five for '08/'09.  Fellow sophomore Dallas Lauderdale, who averaged less than a point per game in his first season with OSU, has stepped up big for the Buckeyes and is averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in his own starting role.

Rounding out the starting five for the Buckeyes are juniors Jeremie Simmons and David Lighty.  Simmons, a 6-2 guard averaging eight points (43.8% three-point shooter), is in his first of two years of eligibility after transferring from D-II Mott College.  David Lighty is the only player left from Matta's outrageous '06/'07 signing class, which included Oden (Portland Trail Blazers), Conley (Memphis Grizzlies) and shooting guard Daequan Cook (Miami Heat).   

Matta has run a rotation of about eight guys, each of whom see over 15 minutes per game.  Miami is going to have to receive continued production from its equally deep line-up.  Crucial will be the play of Hurricane star Jack McClinton.  The senior is averaging his lowest points-per-game totals in three years at Miami (15.8) and has gotten off to very slow starts in the past two games, registering two points in the first half against San Diego and zero in the first half against Stetson.  

If anyone on the Hurricanes can take over a game, it's Jack. He might have to do just that if the Canes can't keep up the strong output across the board (nine different scorers in each of the past two games).  The Buckeyes are not particularly big, but Diebler and Turner are both starting guards listed at over 6-6. The Canes won't have to deal with an outrageous size disadvantage, but if Haith maintains his starting line-up, Dews (6-3) and McClinton (6-1) will be covering players taller than themselves (five inches taller in McClinton's case).  

Toss in the fact that the 7-footer Mullens is coming off his best performance of the season so far, and it means this: the Canes will have to fight a lot harder to win the battle of the boards than they did against either Stetson or San Diego (but probably not UConn...thanks, Hasheem.)  Dwayne Collins will probably be guarding Lauderdale (a player equal in height) at the outset, and Cyrus McGowan and Jimmy Graham should be able to take care of the other big men (none of whom are listed over 6-8 or who play a serious role).  

6-7 junior Brian Asbury, averaging 10 points per game over the past two games, could see serious minutes on the floor against the oversized Buckeye swingmen. This could also mean freshman sensation DeQuan Jones (6-6) will see the floor early as well; Jones is coming off a few decent appearances where his vaunted explosive abilities have been on display.

Will McClinton finally be able to score early and often to help the Canes handle the Buckeye guards?  Will the Canes look down low, where they seem to hold the scoring advantage, as their primary option?  What about James Dews, what’s he going to do with his match-up disadvantage given a very disappointing start to the season?  None of these questions have definitive answers just yet, but there is one conclusion to draw from all of this pre-game hoopla:

Tuesday is going to be one heckuva day for Hurricane basketball. Opportunities on primetime ESPN to help shut people up just don’t occur that often.  The last time one such opportunity arose, the football team blew it against Georgia Tech.  Let’s hope Tuesday goes a little better for the U-Crew.  

They're Sly Like A Fry Guy Stealing My Fries

FINAL SCORE:  UM: 79  STETSON: 65

Julian Gamble adds a free throw (and misses one too) to make that ten Hurricanes with points. Not a dominant performance, but not a bad one either.  Stay tuned for post-game coverage!

 

2:36/2nd Half:  UM: 76  STETSON: 60

McClinton adds two more free throws and has all of his 12 points in the second half.  This one should be over.  Diaz is an ugly 0 for 10 from the field for Stetson after chucking up yet another airball.

3:20/2nd Half:  UM: 74  STETSON: 56

What did you expect?  Obviously Captain Jack hits all three, right?

3:26/2nd Half:  UM: 71  STETSON: 56

McClinton gets fouled shooting a three-pointer and will be at the line for three attempts when the time-out is over.

4:20/2nd Half:  UM: 71  STETSON: 56

When the lead is small/  

and you're strugglin' hard/

who you gonna call?/ 

LANCE HURDLE!  

The point guard hits a three pointer and gets fouled but misses the free throw for the potential four-point play.  Jack McClinton adds a long two-pointer, and the Canes are up 15 again.  

5:45/2nd Half:  UM: 66  STETSON: 54

Kris Thomas hits another three-pointer to cut the lead to 12.  McClinton's only got five points on the night, but luckily frontcourt starters McGowan and Collins have combined for 26 so far tonight.  

7:15/2nd Half:  UM: 66  STETSON: 51

Jimmy Graham misses two free throws, but the Franchise (DqJ) grabs an offensive rebound and dishes it to Jimmy, who makes up for the two misses with a lay-up.  The Hatters have stayed in this one all night, give them credit.  

8:19/2nd Half:  UM: 64  STETSON: 49

Asbury hits two free throws (shooting over 90% on the year from the line) and Collins is subbed out after a monster bucket of his own.  The Haters follow up the little run by the Canes with a three-pointer by Kris Thomas, but McClinton answers with a jumper.    

10:32/2nd Half:  UM: 58  STETSON: 46

Asbury and Blair exchange buckets in each other's faces, but the Hatters hit another three after the exchange and keep the lead at 12.  Just put this one away already!

11:56/2nd Half:  UM: 54  STETSON: 41

Cyrus has gotta start making more free throws - goes 1 of 2 from the line once again, that's thre misses on the day. The inside players are doing decently well for the Canes today - Cyrus has a career high 14, Dwayne has 8, Jimmy's got 6.  Someone's gotta step up and put this game out of Stetson's reach, though.

14:30/2nd Half:  UM: 51  STETSON: 41

I don't like this.  The Canes need to start running away with this one, they're letting the Hatters stay in this one, and with a guy like Blair, the Hatters can easily start on a tear.  Back to back three-pointers for the Hatters.  

15:10/2nd Half:  UM: 47  STETSON: 35

Another time-out on the floor.  Not a bad job by the WVUM commentators today, I'm pretty content with the commentating.  207 games in a row for the Canes with a made three-pointer?  Bet you didn't know that.

15:41/2nd Half:  UM: 46  STETSON: 33

Lance Hurdle darts for an and-one opportunity after a lay-up and will be at the line once the television timeout finishes.  

17:20/2nd Half:  UM: 44  STETSON: 31

Jack hits a three-pointer to finally get on the board, but Blair hit another shot before it to up his total to 19.  Can someone try and stop this guy?

19:45/2nd Half:  UM: 37  STETSON: 27

Blair scores on an easy bucket past Dews, the Canes commit a turnover, and Stetson cuts the lead to 10 with momentum.  Way to come out of the gates strong, guys.  

Halftime Score/Thougts:  UM: 37  STETSON: 25

Cyrus has another 1 for 2 performance from the line, but the Canes end the game pretty slowly and are up double-digits going into the locker room.  

Miami is shooting a whopping 60% from the field against Stetson and are only up 12.  They let Garfield Blair take over the game for the Hatters in the early to middle stages, and his 15 points are carrying Stetson to a game thats a lot closer than it should be, given the percentages.  The Canes are definitely going to need to cut down on turnovers (11).

Is a twelve-point halftime lead a bad thing?  No, not usually, but against a relatively weak team like Stetson, Miami needs to step it up in the second half.  McGowan (9) and Dews (8) are bright spots for the Canes, and so is Eddie Rios (two three-pointers), but what about the second unit - Asbury, Graham, DeQuan?  Two points apiece against Stetson?  Come on guys, let's go.

Jack had a bad first half for the second game in a row but only had two field goal attempts total.  I'm sure he'll have some points by the end of the game.  The Canes need to keep shooting well but cut the the offensive fouls and turnovers.  Yeah, the Canes should pull this one out, but let's hope for a better second half all around.

3:16/1st Half:  UM: 36  STETSON: 23

Sloppy ending to the first half on both sides.  The Canes turn the ball over, the Hatters return the favor with an offensive foul, but Cyrus gives the inbound pass away.  Blair's got 15 points for the Hatters and is the game's leading scorer.  

4:52/1st Half:  UM: 36  STETSON: 20

DeQuan Jones adds his first two points of the game, and the Canes already have eight players with points and none of them have the last name "McClinton".  Pretty impressive wide-range of scoring for the Canes, a repeat performance of the finale against USD where nine players scored in the first half.  

6:12/1st Half:  UM: 34  STETSON: 20

Jack McClinton's off to another slow start (zero points), but James Dews certainly isn't.  Adds another bucket (eight points), and the Canes are now shooting over 70% from the field.  

7:21/1st Half:  UM: 30  STETSON: 16

Dwayne Collins drops a one-handed reverse dunk, Eddie Rios adds two three-pointers on back to back Canes possessions, Asbury hits a bucket, and just like that, the Canes are up by fourteen.  Three-point shooting is on (5 for 7) for the Canes in the early going today!

9:46/1st Half:  UM: 20  STETSON: 16

Blair adds two free throws, and becomes the first player in double figures on either team.    

10:22/1st Half:  UM: 20  STETSON: 14

Garfield Blair is eating the Canes alive on the perimeter.  He's got nine points of his own after adding his second three-pointer on the last Hatter possession.  

11:01/1st Half:  UM: 20  STETSON: 11

James Dews adds his second three-pointer of the day to increase the Canes lead to nine.  Let's hope the Canes junior keeps shooting and hitting, it would be great to head into the week with Dews coming off a big game.  Miami currently on a 9-0 run.  Cyrus has eight points, Dews has six, Collins has four, Hurdle has two.  McClinton's the only starter with zero points.

12:30/1st Half:  UM: 17  STETSON: 11

Cyrus hits one of two from the line but adds a two-handed jam on the next trip down the court.  The Canes stop the Hatters once again and McGowan adds another bucket, this time a three-pointer.  Cyrus the Virus is on fire.

13:54/1st Half:  UM: 11  STETSON: 11

Five team fouls on Miami already and Stetson ties the game with a three-pointer.  The Canes really have to get going here, they don't want the Hatters sticking around for the whole game.

15:36/1st Half:  UM: 11  STETSON: 8

Another offensive foul after the TV Timeout, this time on Brian Asbury.  

15:53/1st Half:  UM: 11  STETSON: 8

James Dews answers a Garfield three-pointer with one of his own.  Love to see that out of the junior, hopefully he can get this next week started with a huge game this afternoon.  Canes have a couple offensive fouls early on. 

17:53/1st Half:  UM: 8  STETSON: 5

Lance Hurdle hits both his free throws after another Dwayne Collins jumper on the previous possession and the Canes up their lead to three.

19:01/1st Half:  UM: 4  STETSON: 2

Game's a post match-up so far as all six points have been scored by the big men - Cyrus has a bucket and Dwayne has two made free throws.  Continued impressive free throw shooting for the big man.

3:28 PM: Lance Hurdle gets the start at point guard for the Hurricanes over Eddie Rios after a great Paradise Jam tournament.  I expect Hurdle starting to remain the status quo for the remainder of the season.  James Dews is starting today, along with Jack McClinton, Dwayne Collins and Cyrus McGowan.

3:10 PM: It looks like its officially basketball season now. Jacory throws a pick that pretty much ends the last game of the season against N.C. State.  Off to the Sears Toilet Bowl for the Hurricane Football Team, who wrap up the year at 7-5.  

2:53 PM:  The Canes take on an upstart Stetson Hatters squad today with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 PM.  A week ago, the Hatters barely lost to Florida State (79-77), a team projected to finish in the top half of the ACC.  They lost by 30 to #8 Texas in their very first game (68-38), but are currently 2-2 on the season.

This isn't a throwaway game for the Canes.  Stetson returns most of their top scorers from 2007-2008 when they went 16-16, including seniors Garfield Blair (16.1 PPG) and Kris Thomas (7.4 PPG), as well as junior A.J. Smith (11.4 PPG).  It will once again be interesting to see how Frank Haith divides his minutes before a huge upcoming week with matches against Ohio State and Kentucky.

Will Coach Haith try and give Dews another opportunity to find himself against weaker competition?  Will he keep his frontcourt on a constant rotation of Dwayne, Cyrus and Jimmy?  What about freshman DeQuan Jones - what role will he play?  The Canes should win this game without very much difficulty, but that's not what you should be looking at; let's see how Haith manages this one.

People Never Get The Flowers While They Can Still Smell Em

The plane finally lands in the airport, the car finally arrives in the driveway, and you grab your bags and finally walk up those back stairs. Greeted by the friendly faces and wonderful aromas emanating from the 'place you call home', you begin to sense it.  After all that anticipation, you're finally back, and so is that special feeling of warmth that permeates every household this time of year.  It sounds cheesy, sure, but it's all true.

Alone amongst all the rest, however, one house on Old Cutler Road in Palmetto Bay, FL won't be sharing its Thanksgiving with anyone.  Dreary and desolate, this house won't be filled with laughs over bottles of wine or smiles over slices of pie.  Even with a beautiful exterior and lush inside, this home is different.  It will always be different.  It would like to be the same as any other on Old Cutler Road, but it just can't be.

It has become a symbol of tragedy.

A year ago today, a man's life was taken after something that happened in that very home only a day earlier.  No details about what transpired in Palmetto Bay that night are needed.  Our feelings towards those responsible for his death should not resemble any burning vengeance.  According to all who knew Sean Taylor, vengeance was not his style.

"He got the bad rap," said Buck Ortega (in an interview with the Miami Herald), former teammate of Taylor with both the Hurricanes and Redskins.  "That was not Sean.  I saw how much he cared about the people he loved."

It all started when Taylor transferred to Gulliver Preparatory School in Pinecrest, FL.  He starred on offense and defense at Gulliver, rushing for 44 touchdowns (a state record) his senior season en route to a Florida 2A State Championship.  He had over 100 tackles for the Raiders on defense, and ended the season ranked as the #1 prospect in Miami-Dade County.  

Perhaps more important than any of his accolades earned there, Gulliver Prep was the place where he fell in love with a young woman named Jackie Garcia, of Key Biscayne.

After an immensely successful high school career, Taylor committed to the University of Miami.  As a freshman, Taylor played a key role in the team's 2001 championship run.  He was a star at the U by his sophomore year, when he was named a second-team All Big-East selection after finishing third on the team in tackles (85) and recording four interceptions.    

At the end of his junior year...well, Taylor might have been the best player in all the land.  He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American, earned a reputation in the process as the fiercest hitter in the country.  He led the Big East with 11 interceptions and 77 tackles his junior season, and he declared himself for the NFL Draft.  

Taylor was one of six Hurricane players drafted in the first round that year, selected fifth overall by the Washington Redskins.

During his time in the NFL (about 3 1/2 years), Taylor racked up totals of 299 tackles, eight forced fumbles, and 12 interceptions.  Sports Illustrated declared Taylor the hardest hitting player in the NFL prior to the 2007 season, when he was also named posthumously to his second Pro Bowl.  

He was a player coming into his own, and he began to take the game more seriously.  He was quoted in a pre-2007 season interview as saying, "...you play a kid's game for king's ransom.  And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, "Oh I could have done this or I could have done that."  He was making an effort to change his reputation, one that was marred by a few unfortunate instances that had unfairly labeled him as another typical "Miami thug."  

That thug was now engaged to Garcia and had his very own 18-month-old daughter at the time, also named Jackie.  It is said that Taylor loved nothing more than reading to Jackie at night.  He cared about his family and friends, and, not surprisingly, his memorial service at Florida International University drew over 4,000 people, including past teammates and Miami alumni.  

Watching NFL legends like LaVar Arrington and Clinton Portis cry as they spoke at his service drew many viewers to tears as well.  Taylor meant something.  Taylor was special.  Taylor was different.  If you were at the candlelight vigil service at the University of Miami on December 2nd, 2007, you couldn't help but feel part of his beauty as you listened to the tear-jerking words of his fiancee.  

The NFL paid tribute to Taylor with #21 decals placed on helmets of all teams after his death for the remainder of the season.  You can pay tribute to Taylor, too.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner with your family and friends. Try to smile and remind your mother and father, brother and sister how much you love them as often as you can.  It's an opportunity that has bypassed men like Sean Taylor, and it's an opportunity that too many, myself included, take for granted on a daily basis. 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and to Sean: Rest In Peace.  We miss you.

I Never Thought It Could Happen, This Rappin' Stuff

Thank you for all your help in jump-starting this blog to a very successful first two weeks out of the gate.  The reception has been incredible and the support from readers has been tremendous, to say the least.  I've enjoyed a truly awesome experience so far, and I hope the same goes for all of you.  I plan on continuing to provide coverage of Canes Hoops in as timely and informative of a manner as I possibly can.

When I first thought of starting a Canes Hoops blog, I kept in mind what many of us realized after last season: Frank Haith was building something special in Coral Gables.  With new talents pouring in (from DeQuan to Durand), a new practice facility on the way, and a newer and more difficult schedule (from the Paradise Jam to Ohio State), a taste of success has brought countless new challenges to the table.

The challenge for Coach Haith and the boys is to sustain this success, and the Hurricanes are definitely doing their part early on.  After an initial #16 ranking, the Canes suffered a setback at the hands of Connecticut but are still ranked in the Top-25.  Coach Haith is bringing in a Top-20 recruiting class for 2009 (and has potentially tapped into a deep New York talent pool), and his Canes are 3-1. The team is fresh off a thrashing of a second-round NCAA tournament team (San Diego) and are on ESPN's BottomLine every time you look as a ranked team.  It's great, isn't it?  No doubt about it, the Canes are in a nice little spot right now.

Keep in mind, however, that next week is one of the most important stretches in recent memory for Coach Haith.  After a matchup with Stetson (who only lost to Florida State by two) on Saturday, the Canes face Ohio State and Kentucky the following week.  Sure, things are nice now, but the tone has the potential to become dreary sooner rather than later.  Check back at the same time next week and we'll see how optimistic everyone's feeling, ok?

In the mean time, there's a bunch of new features I'll be posting over the next few weeks.  As I mentioned before, I was able to attend Brandon Knight's season opener for Pine Crest and will be sharing my thoughts on his performance (with pictures!) from the Panthers' opening tournament at Miami Northwestern.

I'll be interviewing Canes' recruit Garrius Adams in the next week, so if anyone has any questions they'd like answered, feel free to shoot me a request at caneballblog@gmail.com.  I'm also planning on interviewing Jimmy Graham and hopefully Coach Haith in the following weeks (as well as any other requested players), so stay tuned for more progress on that.

Thanksgiving 2009 (11/27)  marks the one-year anniversary of Sean Taylor's tragic death.  Please check back for a special on #26 tomorrow.

Remember to keep checking back for updates and features in the following days.  It's been a very enjoyable past couple weeks, and I'd like to build on that by providing even more in-depth coverage of all things related to Canes basketball.  

And if you don't know, now you know.

   

Miami On Fire, You Better Be Cautious

Don't be misled by the title of this blog entry.  The Canes have no huge winning streak going.  They haven't managed their way into anybody's Top-10.  And after a loss at the hands of #2 Connecticut on Saturday, the Canes were anything but on fire heading into their consolation match against San Diego. 

The #21/#22 Canes, however, put a quick end to the bleeding yesterday, thrashing the San Diego Toreros en route to a 80 - 45 win in the consolation match of the Paradise Jam tournament.   The win gives the Canes a third-place finish in the tournament and improves Miami's record to 3-1 in their first four games. 

When (and if) the Canes finally get their shooting going, teams should be very wary.  Even when the Canes' shots are not dropping in overwhelming numbers, Miami has the versatility and capability of simply dominating games. Last night was a prime example of this (against a tournament team, no less).     

After a 13-point loss to the Huskies in their second-round matchup, the Canes dropped about five spots in the polls (#21 in one, #22 in another).  Miami rebounded from the loss with their most lopsided win since last year's 43-point, 104-61 season opening win over Florida Southern.

The Canes did not need a standout performance from their captain and star senior Jack McClinton to pull this one out.  Four players scored in double-figures for the Canes, with McClinton only managing nine points in 27 minutes.  Fresh off a 27-point, awe-inspiring performance against Connecticut, McClinton shot only 1-6 from behind the arc and 2-7 overall.

Luckily for Jack, his teammates were there to help him this time - unlike in the previous game, when other than Dwayne Collins (16 points), the rest of the team recorded twenty points total.

One of the questions going into the night was how Frank Haith would divide his team's minutes after a lackluster performance from too many players against Connecticut.  Well, no player other than Jack played more than 22 minutes, and every player other than Adrian Thomas got at least 15 minutes on the night.  Sure, a lot of that had to do with the score quickly turning into a blowout in the second half (Gamble with as many minutes as Graham?), but Haith was still rotating early and often.

Jimmy Graham recorded his first double double of the season in only fifteen minutes on the court.  You read that right.  He finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds in his outrageously effective time on the floor, all while coming off the bench.  Double-Zero helped pick up a lackluster showing from Dwayne Collins, who started the game off hot but finished with only eight points and four boards.

Lance Hurdle once again started the game on the bench, but came in and finished with 10 points (two three-pointers) in an effective 18 minutes.  The star of the night may have been Brian Asbury, who took over the game in the middle of the second half by scoring six straight points and grabbing rebounds in between possessions, finishing with 14 points in only 17 minutes.  He was a perfect 6 for 6 from the stripe.  

The James Dews watch is still on; the junior's game has been missing all season, and last night was no different.  He finished with six points, missed both his three-point attempts, and did not find his way to the free throw stripe for the third time this year.  After shooting over 90% from the line last year, Dews has managed only two free throw attempts the whole season.

It might be time to get a little worried about Dews.  Although it's only four games into the season, he has been shockingly bad in the early going. He's shooting 31% from the field, 13% from three-point range, and averaging only 5.5 points a game in his starting role.  Coach Haith is going to need more than that from his junior shooting guard, who averaged over 10 points a game last year and shot over 40% from the field.  No one should be giving up on him just yet, but for a player who was expected to help take over the scoring duties once Jack graduates next year, early returns are not positive whatsoever.

Luckily (as mentioned before), the team's two leading scorers from last year were picked up by the performances of their teammates.  Nine Miami players recorded points in the game, and the Canes outrebounded San Diego by a 42- 28 margin on the way to a thorough stomping of a potential tournament team. 

Team defense may have been the most encouraging part of the season heading into last night's game, and the trend certainly continued; the Canes held the Toreros to only 32.7% shooting from the field.  Miami outscored USD by a scandalous 42 to 15 margin in the second frame.

 The Canes did not perform particularly well after losses last season, with six of their L's coming on two three-game losing streaks in the regular season.  Luckily they ended the pain quickly this time.  USD was led by senior Brandon Johnson (10 points) and Chris Lewis (11 points).

The next two weeks are some of the most important weeks for Canes basketball in some time (excluding March Madness, of course).  After a matchup with Stetson on Saturday (11/29), the Canes play Ohio State at home on 12/2 and then travel to Kentucky four days later (12/6).  

Both games are ESPN match-ups and potential opportunities for Frank Haith to prove his team is the real deal.  Out of any team ranked in the preseason Top 25, Miami had the worst Vegas odds of running the table and winning it all.  

Those two games may end up in people laying down their life savings on the Hurricanes as champions, sure, but they also could end up in disaster.  The last thing Coach Haith and the Hurricanes need is to lose the support of fans with two losses to surprisingly unranked teams.  Two losses and the loss of their ranking would give Miami yet another "us against the world" mentality (which always seems to help athletes thrive at the U), but let's just hope for two wins.  This program could really use them.

After all is said and done,  the Canes finish with a medal-winning performance in the Paradise Jam.  While it would have been nice to play a ranked Wisconsin team in the championship tilt with a shot at gold, bronze isn't bad for a team who had their path to the championship detoured by a monster roadblock named Hasheem Thabeet.  

I Wanna Act Ballerific Like It's All Terrific

Final Score:  UM:  80  USD: 45

The Canes outscore the Toreros 42 to 15 in the second half en route to a 35-point, thorough trouncing.  Stay tuned for post-game coverage and thoughts.

1:00/2nd Half:  UM: 76  USD: 45

Adrian Thomas becomes the tenth player to record points for the Canes tonight after a three-pointer.  Asbury adds another bucket, and the Canes are up by 33 with less than a minute to go.

2:53/2nd Half:  UM: 73  USD: 44

DeQuan adds two more free throws, McClinton hits his first three-pointer of the night, and the Canes are thoroughly stomping the Toreros right now.  Almost a thirty point lead with less than three minutes to go.

3:55/2nd Half:  UM: 68  USD: 44

Eddie Rios adds two free throws and Graham adds his 14th rebound.  Great performance from Double-Zero today.

5:49/2nd Half:  UM:  65  USD: 42

The outrageous defensive streak for the Canes is over, and Jack gets his successful first field goal attempt, a two-point jumper.  Dwayne Collins converts an and-one, and the Canes destruction of USD is almost final. 

8:45/2nd Half:  UM: 60  USD: 35

Talk about a defensive showing for the Canes.  Miami has allowed five points in the first 12 minutes of the second half, and has not recorded a point in roughly ten minutes.  

11:07/2nd Half: UM: 54  USD: 35

The Canes are on a 14-0 run, bolstered by another three-pointer from Lance Hurdle and another bucket by Asbury.  Asbury's got ten points, and Jimmy Graham has a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  San Diego has called two timeouts in the past two and a half minutes with no clear results.

14:29/2nd Half: UM: 47  USD:  35

Jack McClinton adds another pair of free throws, and Jimmy Graham's closing in on a double double (9 points, 9 rebounds) in the early stages of the second half.  The Canes are on a 7-0 run right now.  

15:32/2nd Half: UM: 44  USD: 35

The Canes move the lead back up to nine after the Toreros cut it five early.  Jimmy Graham has the last four points of the game, and James Dews added the first bucket of the second half.  McClinton's gotta get it going if the Canes hope to sustain the offense.

Halftime Score/Thoughts:  UM: 38  USD: 30

The Canes used a late surge from Brian Asbury (six straight points) to up their lead to eight before the halftime buzzer sounded.  The Canes don't have any real advantage on the boards (15 to 14), and are shooting only 20% from three-ball range (2 for 10), but still head into the locker room with a decent lead on the scoreboard.   

Jack McClinton has only two points at the half, but the Canes have received phenomenal bench play early - Graham has five points and five boards, Asbury has a team-high eight points, and the bench has combined for 18 of the team's 38 points so far.

James Dews is still ice cold from three-point range (0 for 3), and McClinton's having a cold streak of his own (also 0 for 3).  If three-point shooting improves, the Canes should be able to strengthen their stranglehold on this game.  

Cyrus has impressed in the early going, with seven points (including a three-pointer) and four rebounds.  Dwayne had five of the Canes first ten points, but he hasn't scored since.  Brandon Johnson has 10 points for USD and Chris Lewis added seven in the first frame to keep the Toreros within striking range.

I'm sorry I haven't been able to provide any real descriptive game updates - that's what happens when there is no video feed on campus.  I'll try and get an idea of what's going on, and I'll make sure to keep you updated during the second half.

1:12/1st Half:  UM: 38  USD: 28

Brian Asbury has scored the last six points of the game and recorded a rebound during the same stretch to up the Canes lead to 10.  USD calls a needed time-out after the Canes' offensive burst.

4:03/1st Half: UM: 32  USD: 25

Cyrus has scored five straight points for the Canes (two free throws and a three pointer), but Chris Lewis has matched him with seven in a row for the Toreros.

6:10/1st Half:  UM: 27  USD: 20

DeQuan Jones adds a dunk, McClinton sinks both of his free throw attempts (thankfully), and the Canes now have nine players who have scored in the first half.  That's impressive.

7:24/1st Half: UM: 23  USD:  18

Jimmy Graham just recorded his second foul of the game, but otherwise the Canes are not in foul trouble.  7 players have scored for Miami so far, and Jack McClinton is not one of them - a good sign that the Canes are spreading the ball around.  Miami's got the unofficial rebounding advantage 11-9 early on.

9:37/1st Half: UM: 21  USD: 15

James Dews adds another bucket of his own, but Jack's missed both of his three-point attempts, his only two field goal attempts of the night.  I'm really sorry I can't do more than this, thank the Rathskeller (or Fox Sports Pacific?) for this one.

11:52/1st Half:  UM: 18  USD: 8

San Diego has gone nearly three minutes here without a point, the Canes are doing a good job on defense. Jimmy Graham's got five rebounds already, Lance Hurdle added a three pointer, and Asbury, Rios and Dews have two each.  McClinton is scoreless so far, and Dwayne's still got five from the first few possessions.  Still no feed!

14:19/1st Half:  UM: 13  USD: 8

Jimmy Graham has come off the bench with four points and four rebounds.  This Rat thing really sucks.  Still no feed.

17:14/1st Half:  UM: 9  USD: 2

Sorry for the delays, but the Rathskeller is still having problems with the feed.  Dwayne Collins has five points early, and Eddie Rios and James Dews each added a bucket of their own.

6:06 PM:  You've got to be kidding me.  More technical difficulties here at the Rathskeller.  Still no feed or anything, not exactly sure what's going on here.  Stay tuned.  

5:53 PM:  Turn-out at the Rathskeller on campus is not nearly what it was yesterday in support of the game.  Perhaps thats because the Giants fans stuck around to watch the Canes after their game was over, but who knows.  I was able to chat before yesterday's game with recently graduated Landon Glover, who played for the Canes as a walk-on and watched the game at the Rat.  What a classy individual, he's one of the nicest guys I think I've met.

5:36 PM:  Why not pay tribute to Kanye on the day of his newest release with another blog entry title to call his own?  Well, tonight the Canes are going to need James Dews, Brian Asbury and the gang to act a little more ballerific than they have been in the first two rounds of this tournament.  Dews exploded in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tourney last season, and he's going to need a big finale here to boost his own self confidence heading into the rest of the OOC schedule. 

It'll be interesting to see what Coach Haith does in splitting the minutes tonight.  Eddie Rios started but played only four minutes before coming off the court for good yesterday, and DeQuan Jones earned more time with some strong play.  Asbury?  Hurdle?  Dews?  Let's see what Big Frank decides to do.

Two Is Not A Winner And Three Nobody Remembers

The Hurricanes take on the San Diego Toreros tonight in the consolation match of the Paradise Jam tournament at 6:00 PM EST on Fox Sports Pacific.  After a disappointing (but somewhat acceptable) 13-point loss to Connecticut, the Canes hope to end the tournament with a respectable third place finish.

The Toreros will certainly provide another test for the Canes.  As a #13-seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, USD knocked off none other than #4-seed Connecticut before a second-round loss to an upstart Western Kentucky team.  They kept the game close with #22 Wisconsin in their own second-round Paradise Jam game, before the Badgers broke away with a 15-point victory, losing 64-49.  

USD returned their two best players from last year's tournament team, seniors Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare.   Sophomore Rob Jones has also played a big role early on for the Toreros.  This USD team is very similar in size to Miami (read: no monsters), so you don't have to worry about nearly every Cane shot being blocked on offense (sound familiar?).

I'll be liveblogging for the game at 6:00 PM prompt if you find yourself in class or without Fox Sports Pacific (I'm sure the latter line applies to more than the former).  Follow along throughout the day for more coverage of the Canes' Paradise Jam finale.  

I'm The Biggest Boss That Ya Seen Thus Far

The Miami Hurricanes came into Sunday's game against the Connecticut Huskies with high hopes of taking down the #2-ranked team in the country.  The Canes had their deepest and most talented team in years, they had a superstar capable of taking over games with his silky stroke, and they had a versatile combination of guards and big men that seemed capable of neutralizing almost any opponent that came their way.  What could they possibly have been lacking? 

Well, what they certainly did not have Sunday night was a player like Hasheem Thabeet.

The 7-3 junior from Tanzania had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Huskies in 32 minutes on the floor, leading Connecticut to a 76-63 win over Miami in the second round of the Paradise Jam Tournament.

Thabeet dominated in the paint for the Huskies, swatting seven shots for blocks and grabbing six offensive boards to help control the post on both ends of the floor.  He shot 8 for 11 from the field and helped the Huskies to a 48-30 advantage in points in the paint.  

Though Huskies' forward Jeff Adrien was shut down successfully (6 points, 7 rebounds), the Canes simply had no answer for Thabeet.  Miami looked to Dwayne Collins in the post early and often, but the 6-8 Canes junior, giving up seven inches to his opponent, could not always conquer the giant in the middle.

Collins finished with  14 rebounds (to go along with 16 points) on the night, helping to keep the battle on the boards to a respectable 40-33 Husky advantage.  Much more than the stat sheet might indicate, however, Connecticut truly was overpowering in the paint.

On a night when the Canes needed their shooting stars to shine, Jack McClinton was the lone star in the sky.  Other than Collins, McClinton was the only other Cane in double figures, finishing with a team-high 27 points.  He shot 5 of 8 from behind-the-arc and finished 10 for 23 from the field overall en route to his best output of the young season.

Junior James Dews shot 2 for 8 from the field and 0 for 5 from three point range (!), ending the night with lackluster totals of four points and three rebounds in 20 foul-plagued minutes.  Senior Brian Asbury was also too quiet (two points in 23 minutes), and Lance Hurdle added only two made free throws to the Canes' offensive output.

Another bright spot for the Canes was the performance of freshman DeQuan Jones, who finished with four points but was able to spark the offense with a gorgeous reverse lay-up and a two-handed dunk off a no-look pass from Collins.  Hopefully Jones can get more involved in the offense as the rest of the out-of-conference schedule unfolds, because his slashing talents and ability to get to the basket cannot be denied. 

Simply put, if the Canes were going to lose the game that badly in the paint, they needed to shoot the ball well.  35.3% from the field will never be a good enough percentage to win a game against a team like Connecticut, especially when the Huskies are close to 50% from the field themselves (47.5%).

Senior A.J. Price had 13 points and 11 rebounds in an effective 33 minutes for Connecticut.  Junior Jerome Dyson  added 12 of his own, and freshman Kemba Walker came off the bench to notch 11 points in 31 minutes.  

Luckily for the Canes, the Huskies may be the best team they'll face all season, including North Carolina. This 13-point loss will not look bad at the end of the season come tournament time, and the Hurricanes only benefit from playing powerhouse teams like the Huskies early in the season.  

Dickie V. says UConn is the best team in the land - who is man enough to refute his word?  The Gospel According to Vitale is about as close to the truth as anything.  Even if UConn isn't the best squad on the Hurricane schedule, Thabeet is undoubtedly the best pure center they will face all year.  And just like their team as a whole, guys like Dwayne Collins and Jimmy Graham only benefit from facing such stiff competition. 

While Connecticut did not play their absolute best (14 turnovers), their firepower was just too much for Miami on Sunday.  Combine the Husky arsenal with the fact that Eddie Rios, James Dews, Adrian Thomas, Brian Asbury, Jimmy Graham and Lance Hurdle combined for 8 points (!), and what do you have?  A game that probably was a lot closer than it should have been.

As I said before, Miami is now a better team for having competed against UConn.  They fought valiantly, and even when they went down 19 early in the first half and shot ice cold from the field, they never gave up.  Led by their captain and star Jack McClinton, the Canes showed heart in a fight that wasn't actually over until the last two minutes of the game.  Congratulations to the Canes on their hard-fought performance, and to the Huskies on their trip to the Paradise Jam final.

The Hurricanes play the loser of the Wisconsin/San Diego game tomorrow night at 6:00 PM EST, a game that should be televised on Fox Sports Pacific once again.  Let's hope the Canes pull out the bronze medal tomorrow night and head back to Coral Gables ready for another big few weeks after Thanksgiving.  

Dear Mother, Can You Hear Me Whining?

FINAL SCORE:  UM: 63  UCONN: 76

More post-game coverage to come.  Stay tuned.

1:01/2nd Half:  UM: 63  UCONN: 74

Canes waste too much time in fouling, but the Huskies hit both free throws anyways.  Tough ending for the Canes in a game that was just out of reach for most of the way.  Less than a minute left here.

1:32/2nd Half:  UM: 63  UCONN: 72

Very well may be the end for the Canes here.  Huskies hit both free throws and up their lead to 9 with a minute and a half to go.  

2:01/2nd Half:  UM: 63  UCONN: 70

Huge defensive stand for the Canes, offensive foul on Connecticut, Miami ball with less than two to play.  Walker fouls McClinton needlessly, but Jack misses a huge free throw to give the Huskies the ball.

2:44/2nd Half:  UM: 63  UCONN: 70

I have no idea how McClinton just lofted that ball over Thabeet's head on a lay-up runner, but he did, and it hit off the glass and through.  Time-out now - Jack's 5-7 from three ball range and has a game high 27 points.

2:50/2nd Half:  UM: 61  UCONN: 70

Miami really could have used a three-pointer that Dews missed on their last possession.  Austrie hits one of two from the free throw line on a shooting foul.   

3:49/2nd Half:  UM: 61  UCONN: 69

Wow, another strong defensive stand for the Canes that ends up in a shotclock violation for the Huskies.  Hurricane ball after the media timeout.  

4:24/2nd Half:  UM: 61  UCONN: 69

Miami's doing a nice job here, but is also getting lucky, because Thabeet continues to dominate inside.  James Dews knifes through the defense on a fast break and converts his own easy lay-up to cut the lead to eight, the smallest this lead has been in awhile.

5:45/2nd Half:  UM: 59  UCONN: 69

UConn turns the ball over on a shot clock violation for the first time all game.  McClinton hits a huge three on the ensuing possession.  Incredible arc on that shot for Jack.

5:55/2nd Half:  UM: 56  UCONN:69

Canes needs points in a hurry.  Cyrus rims out a three point attempt, but Collins follows a Jack missed lay-up with a tip-in.  Jack's got 22 and Collins has 14 and 14.  

7:16/2nd Half:  UM:  54  UCONN: 69

This really is the Hasheem Thabeet show.  He adds another lay-up to up his own total to 19, and follows up his bucket with a block on an attempted Dwayne Collins dunk.  I have lost complete track of his block totals, this is getting out of control.  Jack luckily is in the right place at the right time, and grabs the ball off the block to hit an open two.  Frank Haith calls a much needed time-out to make sure this one doesn't get out of hand.  

8:37/2nd Half:  UM: 52  UCONN: 65

The Canes are on the verge of shooting themselves in the foot with missed free throws, shooting 8-13 from the line thus far.  Lance Hurdle, usually very reliable, clunks one off the iron but hits his second.

8:44/2nd Half:  UM: 51  UCONN: 64

Wow, tough non-call on Thabeet there for an over-the-back on Collins.  The Canes can't finish in the paint, and it leads to another foul on the rebound and another trip to the line for the Huskies.  

9:39/2nd Half:  UM: 51  UCONN: 64

Two bad defensive possession by the Canes.  A missed lay-up ends up in another Thabeet offensive rebound and converted and-one.  He does the same thing on the very next possession (converted and-one), sandwiched around a Dwayne Collins dunk.  

11:53/2nd Half:  UM: 47  UCONN: 58

Even though the Huskies are doing too good a job controlling the boards on both sides of the ball, the Canes continue to look to Dwayne in the post.  He hit his last two free throws, and adds a bucket after the media timeout.  

12:15/2nd Half:  UM: 45  UCONN:  56

On cue, Asbury hits a three to cut into the lead, but UConn dominates the paint for another two shots at the free throw line.  Collins hits both free throws on a foul call, Dews hits a floater, and the Canes cut the lead to 11.  

14:28/2nd Half:  UM: 38  UCONN: 50

Questionable take by Jimmy that ends up in the ball bouncing off his leg and out of bounds.  The Canes are going to have to start shooting if they hope to stand any chance in this game.  

15:07/2nd Half:  UM: 38  UCONN: 50

Other than another three-pointer for McClinton, the Canes have not looked good so far in the second half.  Thabeet continues to control the paint with his and easy lay-ins, and Connecticut is doing a good job on the defensive side of the ball as well - the Hurricanes have had at least three shots blocked in the first five minutes.  Media timeout after an uptempo first few minutes to the half.  

17:10/2nd Half: UM: 35  UCONN: 42

Dwayne just can't put enough oomph behind the ball to get it over Thabeet and into the basket at the same time in his latest sequence in the paint.  Adrian Thomas misses a wide open three pointer for the Canes on a turnover by Connecticut.  

18:09/2nd Half:  UM: 35 UCONN: 42

Huskies continue to look to Thabeet inside.  He has a huge offensive rebound and draws another foul on the Canes in the paint.  

19:16/2nd Half:  UM:  33  UCONN: 42

Cyrus follows up two close rim-outs by Collins with a lay-up of his own, and Thabeet hits a free-throw on an and one to increase the lead to 9.  

Halftime Score/Thoughts:  UM:  31  UCONN:  39

The Huskies score four more points, and Julian Gamble misses the front end of a one and one but the rebound goes to the Canes on a jump-ball possession arrow.  DeQuan Jones misses a desperation three with a second left in the half, and the Canes are down eight at half.  Incredible job in the last five-plus minutes by Miami.

Whoof.  The frenetic first half has come to a close, and it couldnt have ended on a much better note for the Canes - using a 17-2 run to cut what was once a 19-point lead (33-14) for the Huskies to only eight at half.  The Canes were missing wide open looks early on, which could be attributed to jitters - I suppose that's to be expected when you're going up against the #2-ranked team in the country.  

As McClinton settled in, however, so too did the Canes.  Jack hit a bunch of three pointers after his first two misses and finished the half with 14 points.  Dwayne missed a few free throws,  but scored six points in the first half against a much bigger and much more intimidating Hasheem Thabeet.  

DeQuan Jones is another bright spot for the Canes - his slashing abilities clearly add a dimension to this offense that was lacking last season. 

Thabeet is actually a Tanzanian Devil right now - # 666.  That number stands for the six points, six rebounds and roughly six blocks that the junior has in only 20 minutes so far.  He'll likely be one of the best pure centers the Canes face all year, and the team's inexperience facing monsters in the middle showed early on.  

A.J. Price is the leading scorer for the Huskies at the half with 8, and Kemba Walker added 7 of his own (including a three pointer).  Adrien, Dyson and the aforementioned Thabeet all had six of their own for Connecticut.

The Canes are going to have to play more like the latter half of the first frame than the former if they have any hopes of taming the Huskies.  Connecticut's inside game is too overwhelming to look to the post as the first option on offense for Miami, and with Thabeet (1 foul) and Adrien (0 fouls) likely to play the majority of the minutes here in the second period, the Canes shooters (other than Jack) are going to have to shoot better.  Dews has zero points, Hurdle has zero, and Asbury has only two.

Here comes the second half tip!  Stay tuned for more updates.   

1:16/1st Half:  UM:  31  UCONN: 35

Wow.  What a turn of events for the Canes.  McClinton hits a jump-back three-pointer to cut the lead to four, 17-2 run for Miami.  The tide is turning.  McClinton lets out an emphatic roar after the bucket.

1:44/1st Half:  UM: 28  UCONN: 35

Incredible no-look pass from Collins to a slashing DeQuan who slams it down for another two points.  Good game so far from the freshman.  Cyrus gets an offensive foul call on a moving screen and is taken out of the game.  

2:33/1st Half:  UM: 26  UCONN: 35

A.J. Price misses both free throws and Dwayne rips the board away from a Conn forward to keep the lead at nine after a Dwayne 1-2 performance from the line on the possession before.  

2:59/1st Half:  UM: 25  UCONN: 35

Offensive foul call on the Canes but a Brian Asbury jump shot counts to make it eight.  McClinton hit another big three before that, and Austrie hits both free throws on the Asbury foul to keep the lead at ten.  

3:49/1st Half:  UM: 20  UCONN: 33

UConn guard steps out of bounds on a drive to the basket, and the Canes have now stopped the Huskies for three defensive possessions in a row.  Hopefully the Canes can keep the momentum going here.  On a side note,  just to re-iterate, it is simply scary how big Thabeet looks when back down the Canes biggest guys, including Cyrus and Dwayne.  Media timeout on the floor.    

4:09/1st Half:  UM: 20  UCONN: 33

Offense looking a little lost after another defensive stand, but luckily McClinton gets a good foul call on a drive to the basket and hits both free throws to cut the lead to 13.  

4:51/1st Half:  UM: 18  UCONN: 33

Offensive foul on McClinton trying to create separation off a screen.  Let's see if the Canes can get another stop here on back to back defensive possessions.  

5:34/1st Half: UM: 18  UCONN: 33

Wow, Jimmy Graham monster swat on Kemba Walker.

6:10/1st Half:  UM: 18  UCONN:  33

Just when it looked like the Canes were getting something going, Kemba Walker and A.J. Pryce hit back-to-back threes to temper the storm.  Jack McClinton adds a three-pointer and strong lay-up of his own to bring the Canes back to within 15.  

7:56/1st Half:  UM: 13  UCONN:  27

Huskies hit a three pointer, but the Canes finally get a foul call on the Tanzanian monster down low.  Dwayne Collins at the free throw line when the media timeout finishes.  

8:04/1st Half:  UM: 13   UCONN: 24

When Lance Hurdle misses a free throw, you know it might not be your night.  The Canes are getting walloped on both ends here.  Here's something: DeQuan nets a beautiful looking reverse lay-up and McClinton adds a wide-open three pointer off a fast break to cut the lead to 11.  

10:24/1st Half:  UM: 7   UCONN: 24

Wow.  Thabeet just blocked a DeQuan Jones dunk.  This is getting ugly, as Rios turns the ball over and it leads to another easy lay-up for the Huskies.  Much needed timeout called by Coach Haith.  

11:25/1st Half:  UM:  7  UCONN: 22

Another foul call against the Canes, a questionable one against Jimmy Graham.  DeQuan Jones in the game now as Thabeet swats another Asbury attempt

.  

12:00/1st Half:  UM: 7  UCONN: 20

After a good defensive series by the Canes (which still resulted in a Jeff Adrien lay-up), Asbury misses an open three.  Nothing is falling for the Canes right now.  When I say nothing, I mean nothing.  They're down 13 early and need to get something going on offense.  Approaching six straight minutes here with zero points for the Canes.  

13:33/1st Half:  UM: 7  UCONN:  18

This is turning into the Hasheem Thabeet show.  Three blocks already (two Asbury lay-ups, one from Hurdle) and now the junior draws a foul of his own (but misses both free throws).  

15:13/1st Half:  UM: 7   UCONN: 16

Thabeet swats the nonsense out of Asbury's lay-up, and Dyson adds two free throws .

15:45/1st Half:  UM:  7  UCONN: 14

Canes do not look good defensively thus far.  They're getting beat off the dribble, leading to some easy, easy lay-ups for UConn.  Jack missed two three-point looks (one wide open) and Dews missed another one in the clear as well.  Canes are going to need to adjust defensively if they want to neutralize this Husky team.  

18:00/1st Half:  UM: 7  UCONN: 8

Cyrus hits a big three to counter another bucket by Thabeet.  Huskies are looking to him early here, but the Canes are looking for Collins just the same.

19:10/1st Half: UM: 2  UCONN: 2

Huskies go to Thabeet early for a lay-up on Collins.  Wow he's really really big.  Collins goes right back with a layup of his own.  

6:10 PM: Looks like it'll be Rios/McClinton/Dews/Collins/Cyrus starting for the Canes, and Pryce/Austrie/Dyson/Adrien/Thabeet for Connecticut.  

6:06 PM - Gym looks a heck of a lot more full than it did for the Canes' first-round game against Southern Miss.  Tip-off momentarily.

6:00 PM - Wow.  Crisis averted.  Canes are on television here (thank god), let's see if the Rathskeller stays open for the entirety of the game.  I'm hoping it will.  In other good news, expect an interview with Canes commit Garrius Adams soon, as well as a write-up on Florida point guard and #1-ranked junior Brandon Knight and his season opener for Pine Crest.  

I wish I could scream out, "Welcome to Paradise" like Billie Joe from Green Day.  I really wish I could.  Unfortunately, it looks like the Rathskeller might not be televising the full game today (if any).   Stay tuned for updates when we find out exactly what's going on - tip-off is in less than five.  Pretty unacceptable in the eyes of many here on campus. 

Now We Got That Out The Way... Let's Double Up!

The commitment from shooting guard Durand Scott earlier this week signaled to the Connecticut Huskies and the rest of the college basketball world that Miami was no longer an 'afterthought' of a basketball program.  Well, as R. Kelly might tell Head Coach Frank Haith, the Canes have a chance to double up on Sunday with a primetime showdown against Jim Calhoun's #2-ranked Huskies at 6:00 PM EST on...Fox Sports College Pacific?  

Alright, alright, other than the television channel, this match-up has all the makings of a potential storybook finish to another fantastic week for Miami Hurricanes basketball.

The week started with Durand Scott's official decision to choose Miami over Connecticut (and Pitt!) on Wednesday, got better with a first-round Paradise Jam win on Friday over a solid Southern Mississippi team, and further improved when rumors started swirling Saturday over Jai Lucas' potential transfer from Gainesville to Coral Gables.

If Coach Haith's team does take down the #2 Huskies tomorrow, the Hurricanes are a definite candidate for VH1's Best Week Ever. 

Connecticut, who barely squeaked by LaSalle with an eight-point victory on Friday night, did not look impressive as a whole in their 89-81 victory.  One of the keys to stopping the Huskies is shutting down 7-3 junior center Hasheem Thabeet, who managed only nine points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes on the floor against the Explorers in their Paradise opener.  

Unfortunately for LaSalle, forward Jeff Adrien picked up the Huskies frontcourt with 22 points and 14 rebounds in 39 (!) dominant minutes for Connecticut.  The 6-7, 235-pound senior shot 8-16 from the floor and recorded 6 offensive boards to help lead his team to victory. 

Another bright spot on the court for UConn was freshman Kemba Walker, a former teammate of Durand Scott's at Rice High (N.Y.), who recorded 23 points off the bench.  It's the second straight 20-point game for Walker, who notched 21 in the Huskies 40-point blowout over Hartford earlier in the week.    

Junior guard Jerome Dyson recorded 17 points for the Huskies and senior A.J. Price returned from an ankle injury to add 12 of his own in the victory.  

Another key will be the role of bench depth for both teams; only one Connecticut non-starter saw major minutes on Friday, as compared to three who played over 20 minutes off Miami's bench.  Coach Haith noted the Canes' ability to wear down Southern Miss with fresh bodies played a major part in their 10-point win.

Dwayne Collins, seven inches shorter than Thabeet, will have his hands full in guarding the Tanzanian center.  Jimmy Graham, who recorded a few strong blocks against Souther Miss, will need to contribute his typical strong defense off the bench if the Canes hope to neutralize the Thabeet/Adrien frontcourt combo.  

The importance of defense stretches to the guard position as well, where Jack McClinton and James Dews (with the help of Adrian Thomas) will have to slow down the Connecticut guards, especially Price and Walker.  Neither are especially tall (Walker at 6-1, Price at 6-2), but both are great shooters.  

Again, the Canes ability to stay fresh (and not just in orange kicks) on the court may play the most important role in Haith's gameplan.  Cyrus cannot get into foul trouble early as he did against the Golden Eagles (eventually fouling out), and everyone is going to have to shoulder the load if the Canes hope to win.  Even though nine players registered point for the Canes on Friday, the team will need more help from guys like James Dews (7 points) and Brian Asbury (6 points) if they hope to pull the upset.

Tomorrow is another exciting day in this magical journey we call 'Hurricane Basketball 2008-2009.'  Hopefully when the final buzzer sounds against #2 UConn, the Canes will have the #1 spot secured on VH1's Best Week ever.  If not...well hey, runner-up isn't too bad either, right?   

  

Together Baby, There's Nothing We Won't Do

You know those stories that you just have to take with a grain of salt? Those stories that end up in disappointment when their supposed words of truth never come to fruition?  This might be one of those stories, but it's an exciting and noteworthy one nonetheless.

Is former Florida point guard Jai Lucas transferring to the University of Miami?     Go ahead and check out an exclusive story on Rivals if you find yourself intrigued by the possibility.  This is huge news for a program gaining more notoriety by the day.    

Lucas made his decision before the season to transfer from Florida, and has not played a minute for the Gators this year.  Lucas had hoped to lock down the starting point guard position for the Gators, but Nick Calathes and UF commit/phenom Kenny Boynton seem to have put a serious dent in those plans.

"On any team, there's a little bit of give and take by everybody," said Coach Billy Donovan about his guard's transfer.  "I don't blame Jai.  He's got to be happy.  There's no reason to go through your career and say, 'Hey I'm unhappy everyday coming to practice.'"  

Lucas average 8.5 points and 2.3 assists as a freshman for the Gators last season, starting every game of the season.   

"It's something you don't really plan," Lucas said in an interview. "Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, but it will be best for me in the long run."  

So where does that leave Miami?  According to the article, Lucas wants to remain in Florida.  Indeed this only adds to the idea that the Hurricanes actually have a recruiting class of three (Donnavan Kirk, Garrius Adams and Durand Scott) rather than four (add Lisandro Ruiz-Moreno to that list).  More on that later.  Replacing a graduating Lance Hurdle with Jai Lucas would be a tremendous coup for Coach Haith and the Hurricanes.  

The situation would see the Canes end up with a 2009-2010 lineup consisting of:

PG:  Jai Lucas/Malcolm Grant/Eddie Rios

SG:  James Dews/Durand Scott

SF:  DeQuan Jones/Adrian Thomas/Garrius Adams

PF:  Dwayne Collins/Donnavan Kirk

C:  Cyrus McGowan/Julian Gamble/Reggie Johnson

If that roster doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will.  In his interview after the win against Southern Miss, Coach Haith raved about Durand Scott and said he was extremely content with his recruiting class as a whole.  Could this mean the class consists of Scott, Adams and Kirk, and not Ruiz-Moreno?

Lucas would add stability to a position that is in question for the next three years.  Sure, Eddie Rios has played very well early on and Malcolm Grant has a good reputation of a playmaker, but there is no certainty when it comes to the idea of the Miami Hurricane point guard of the future.  Lucas solves that problem and then some.

Ranked the # 7-ranked point guard in the Class of 2007 and the #43-ranked player overall, Lucas also led the Gators in three-point field goal percentage, shooting over 40% from behind the arc (another quality that Coach Haith values).   

If the Hurricanes do indeed land Jai Lucas (which the article predicts might very well happen), the program's future will become that much brighter.  Keep in mind, with Sweet Sixteen aspirations and beyond, we're already shading our eyes at the potential brightness this team could possibly radiate.  

Well, throw on the Ray-Bans and some Coppertone, because this sunny day just got a heck of a lot sunnier.  

Oooh You Know We Need Ya... Right Here Is Where We Need Ya

Welcome back, Lance Hurdle.

After missing the season opener, the Hurricanes' projected starter at point guard made his presence felt in a big way on Friday afternoon as the Hurricanes took down the Golden Eagles , 70 to 60.  Hurdle finished with 13 points in 24 minutes and helped lead the Canes to the semi-final round of the Paradise Jam tournament.  The Canes play the winner of tonight's Connecticut/LaSalle match-up on Sunday night at 6:00 PM EST.  

The senior added explosiveness to a Hurricane squad in need of a spark.  Hurdle had numerous highlight reel plays, including a fast break that saw him blaze through the Golden Eagles' defense by himself and finish with an easy bucket.

"We're a different team with Lance," said Head Coach Frank Haith in a post-game interview.  "We play at a different speed when he's out there."

Hurdle had his typical solid day from the free throw line, missing only one attempt (5 for 6) from the charity stripe and finishing 3-5 from the field, including two three-pointers.  As the buzzer sounded, Hurdle sent the Canes to the locker room up by 12 at half with a crazy-looking three point shot that bounced high off the rim and sailed right back through.

"Lance was outstanding," Haith added. "To be honest, I'm pretty surprised he was able to play this well today without playing in our first few games."

Senior Jack McClinton added 13 points of his own, finishing 3 for 6 from downtown.  He missed a free throw in the second half that saw his streak of 44 consecutive free throws made come to an end.

"What's great is we do it without Jack having to have a monster game, and I think that's the development of this team, getting the other guys involved," Haith said.  "We want to create our own identity, throw different guys at you, and I think we did that today."

The Canes had nine players register points today, including 22 from frontcourt mates Dwayne Collins (14) and Jimmy Graham (8).

Southern Miss was lead by junior Jeremy Wise (21 points) and senior Courtney Beasley (14 points).  R.L. Horton and Andre Stephens both fouled out of the game for the Golden Eagles.

The Canes were slow from downtown early on (starting only 1 for 9), but finished a much more respectable 6-20 (30%) by the game's conclusion.  The Canes struggled with bad shot selection early in the first half, but settled in to finish the game shooting 44% from the field.

Redshirt junior Cyrus McGowan fouled out of the game late in the second half, finishing with four points in 24 minutes.  Graham came in to stabilize the front court after Cyrus' foul-plagued outing.

"I thought Graham had a very good game off the bench," said Haith about his the senior, who added six rebounds and a few strong blocks to his eight point totals.

The Canes will have to play consistently better on both ends of the court to enjoy any type of success if they end up (as expected) playing UConn on Sunday.  The Canes let up too many breaks after bad shot selection early, and played very streaky throughout the game, ending the first half up 12 on a 10-0 run, just after allowing an equally dominant run by the Golden Eagles.  Miami will also have to rebound better (only won the battle on the boards by four - 32-28) if they hope to contain the Huskies' monstrous front court, including 7-3 junior Hasheem Thabeet.      

In the end, however, the Canes got the job done and played well for a good chunk of the game today against a far-from-horrible Southern Miss team.   If they can play with more consistency and get contributions from their bench as they did today, the Canes should stand a good shot of running with the #2 Huskies on Sunday night.  

Let's see what happens as the rest of Day One from the Virgin Islands unfolds.     

To the Top of the Globe, Globe

FINAL SCORE:  UM:  70  SM:  60

Wise hits a three on the Eagles' last possession as the Canes dribble out the clock and end with a ten-point win over Southern Miss.  Stay tuned for post-game coverage!

  

0:52/2nd Half:  UM: 70 SM: 58

Jeremy Wise hits a runner for the Eagles and draws the foul call on Graham for a block in the last minute of the game.  He hits the free throw.

1:35/2nd Half:  UM: 69  SM: 55

Jimmy Graham scores with the foul, misses the shot, and Dwayne gets the rebound and gets fouled on his way up.

1:49/2nd Half:  UM: 67  SM: 55

Stephens also fouls out for the Eagles after a decent game - 7 points, 7 rebounds.  Southern Miss will be fouling the rest of the way, as Jimmy misses both free throws but the Canes grab the rebound and get the nod on a jump ball.

1:59/2nd Half:  UM: 67  SM: 55

R.L. Horton fouls out for the Golden Eagles as Lance hits 1 of 2 at the line.  

2:21/2nd Half:  UM: 66  SM: 55

Jack gets called for another travel call, which is at least his third of the game.  On the next possession, Cyrus fouls out and the Eagles hit both free throws. 

3:43/2nd Half:  UM: 66  SM: 51

Jimmy hits both his free throws after Jack nearly had his pocket picked as Jimmy was fouled down low.  An unlucky long rebound on the Eagles' previous possession ended up in an easy slam dunk for the Eagles.  

4:30/2nd Half:  UM: 64  SM: 49

The Canes are starting to heat up from three-point range, as Lance hits one from downtown off the dish from McClinton.  Three players in double figures for the Canes so far - Jack, Dwayne and Lance.

5:12/2nd Half:  UM: 61  SM: 47

Jack hits a long three-pointer from the baseline after a Golden Eagles bucket.  He misses one of his free-throws (ending his 44 in a row streak) but hits the other after getting fouled coming off a screen.  The Canes then force a turnover and get Jimmy Graham an easy dunk on a fast break.  Time-out.

7:48/2nd Half:  UM: 54  SM: 42

Some ugly offensive possessions for both teams, as Dews and McClinton both miss long three-pointers on back-to-back possessions.  Dews gets fouled while rebounding Jack's attempt, however, and there's a time-out on the floor with Dews about to step to the line.

9:07/2nd Half:  UM: 54  SM: 42

Dwayne's at the line now and hits both his free throws after an over-the-top foul by the Eagles after a missed free throw of their own.  Canes in the bonus.  

9:47/2nd Half:  UM: 52  SM: 41

Jack's at the line after a bad offensive possession for the Canes, and hits both free throws to put the Canes back up 11 after SM hit both of their own free throws on the previous posession.   

11:38/2nd Half:  UM: 50  SM: 39

Time-out on the floor after the ball got knocked out of bounds off Miami.  On the court before the break: Collins (11 points), Hurdle (9), Asbury (6), Dews (5) and Graham (2).  Hurricane team looking snazzy in orange kicks, by the way.  

12:09/2nd Half:  UM: 50  SM: 39

Lance Hurdle rips through the Eagles' defense en route to a lay-up, but the Canes get lazy on defense and give up an easy bucket in the paint.  Asbury drives to the bucket and misses, gets his own rebound, and hits both free throws to up the Canes lead to 11.  

13:40/2nd Half:  UM: 46  SM: 37

Dwayne Collins hits one of two after getting fouled, followed up by a quick and one (made) for the Eagles.  Dews hits a big three-pointer for the Canes, the Eagles follow it up with a miss, and Asbury lays it in with his left hand on a fast break.  Eagles want a time-out after a quick five-point run for the Canes.   

15:37/2nd Half:  UM: 40  SM: 32

Cyrus has a nice post move and lay-up and gets fouled, it's a time-out and we're waiting on the free throw.  The Canes were reeling before the sequence - a lot of bad shots for the Canes leading to fast breaks for the Golden Eagles.   

17:25/2nd Half:  UM: 38  SM:  30

Another bad shot for the Canes, another quick Golden Eagles bucket.  Time to wake up, Miami.

18:00/2nd Half: UM: 38  SM: 28

Dwayne's up to double digits with 10, but the Canes are not playing well on defense early on in the second half.

Halftime Thoughts:

The Canes are up twelve after a beautiful run to end the frame.  Dwayne Collins is the leading scorer for the Canes with 8 points at half, followed by Hurdle with seven, McClinton with six, Thomas with five, and five other players with two points each.  Clearly depth is going to play a key role this season - that's nine players who have registered points for the Canes in this first-round matchup.  

The Canes are shooting 3-11 from three-ball land (27%), and are only outrebounding the Golden Eagles by two - 15 to 13.  Senior Craig Craft has been the man for the Eagles with eight points so far.  The only player on either team in serious foul trouble is Cyrus McGowan, who had three in the first half.

On a separate note, this video feed is immensely disappointing thus far.  There's no commentary on the feed, the video didn't connect until about six or seven minutes into the game, and the picture looks like video from my dad's 1999 Sony Handycam.  Other than that, it's great.  

Let's hope for a more consistent performance from the Canes in the second half - the first period was clearly a rollercoaster series of runs by both teams.  About four minutes to go before the start of the second half, so stay tuned for more updates.   

HALFTIME:  UM: 36  SM:  24

Jack hits a big three and the Canes force a turnover on the ensuing drive...with five seconds left, Hurdle takes another last second three-point attempt that bounced about three feet in the air of the rim and fell right back in.  Canes up 12 at the half, and end the half on a 10-0 run.

0:38/1st Half:  UM: 30  SM: 24

The Canes force a turnover with good defense, and call a 30-second timeout for the last possession.  

0:57/1st Half:  UM: 30  SM: 24

Dwayne hits a shot in the lane thats discounted as he was fouled before shooting.  He hits both free throws, to up the Canes lead to six.  

2:39/1st Half: UM: 26  SM: 22

Collins adds two free throws but gives up a rebound downlow leading to an easy bucket in the paint for the Eagles.  

3:12/1st Half:  UM: 24  SM:  20

Dwayne Collins nets an easy lay-up downlow to end a 9-0 run by the Golden Eagles.  Jump ball favors the Canes.  Time-out on the floor.  

5:17/1st Half:  UM: 22  SM:  19

Wise hits a wide-open three pointer, Craft hits a three pointer, and just like that, Miami's 11 point lead is down to 3.  Shot selection has not been good for the Canes tonight - way too many quick shots.

7:09/1st Half: UM: 22 SM: 13

McClinton hits a deep two-pointer but Craft follows up a Wise miss with an easy layup.  Ends a big Miami run.  

7:48/1st Half:  UM: 20  SM:  11

Hurdle hits two more free throws, Adrian Thomas adds a three pointer.  Miami is 2-8 from three point range.  On the floor:  Collins, Thomas, Dews, Hurdle, McClinton.

10:11/1st Half:  UM: 15  SM: 11

Asbury misses a quick three but scores on a DeQuan Jones led fast break with a layup.  Cyrus wth two fouls early on.

11:26/1st Half:  UM: 13  SM: 9

Sorry for the early delays.  Jack McClinton has three points, Dews with two, Collins with two, Graham with two, Cyrus with two, Hurdle has two.

Now let's start the show, show.

Thanks for joining us here at T.H.T.J.B. for a running commentary on the Paradise Jam opener today against Southern Mississippi.  Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM, so check back here for up-to-the-minute updates on the Canes progress against the Golden Eagles.