The House That Jack Built

On The Road For Some Change, Cause The Game Was Too Hard

2008-12-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

Final Score: UM: 73 UK: 67

STAY TUNED FOR MORE THOUGHTS AND COVERAGE!

0:23/2nd Half: UM: 72 UK: 66

Jack adds two free throws, thank God.

0:24/2nd Half: UM: 70 UK: 66

Can someone hit free throws, please? Hurdle goes 1 of 2 from the line, Patterson answers with a quick baseline jumper, and the Wildcats are only down four. The Canes have missed 11 free throws today.

0:34/2nd Half: UM: 69 UK: 64

Wow, Liggins hits an acrobatic three-pointer to say the least, and all of a sudden it's a four point game. Check that, referees review it, and it's a two-pointer.

0:51/2nd Half: UM: 67 UK: 60

This is turning into one of those brutal games where the whistle sounds 250 times in the last two minutes. Luckily, Asbury hits both of his free throws to make it a seven point game.

0:57/2nd Half: UM: 65 UK: 60

Dews misses both of his free throw attempts. This is not a joke.

1:17/2nd Half: UM: 65 UK: 60

Lance Hurdle misses both of his free throw attempts. This is just dandy.

1:21/2nd Half: UM: 65 UK: 60

Great inbounds play under pressure after two free throws by Patterson, and Dews is at the line. Obviously he misses. Darius Miller hits both free throws right after to cut the lead to five.

1:35/2nd Half: UM: 65 UK: 56

Meeks misses his ninth three-point attempt of the game, but Asbury misses the front end of a one and one.

1:47/2nd Half: UM: 65 UK: 56

Huge turnover for Kentucky, Asbury grabs the loose ball and eventually hits a baseline three-pointer. Hurricane Nation, breathe a collective sigh of relief.

3:00/2nd Half: UM: 62 UK: 56

This has the possibility of ending in disaster. McClinton turns the ball over again and Kentucky's got possession with less than three to go, only down by six.

3:25/2nd Half: UM: 60 UK: 52

Patterson will be shooting free throws after the television timeout on a foul by Dwayne Collins. It's scary how the Canes have fallen apart this half, scoring only 14 points so far with three minutes and change to go. Hopefully they hold on.

3:54/2nd Half: UM: 60 UK: 52

Huge bucket for Asbury, who hits a long two after a Jack McClinton lay-up to increase the lead back to eight with less than four minutes to go. UK turnover on the previous possession really looks to have hurt them, we'll see what happens the rest of the way.

5:34/2nd Half: UM: 56 UK: 52

Lackadaisical play by the Canes. Two turnovers in a row for the Canes, and UK is only down four. The Canes have only scored ten points this half.

5:57/2nd Half: UM: 56 UK: 50

Wow. This just got out of control fast. The Canes cannot rebound right now and are on the verge of giving up what was once a 21-point lead because of it.

7:27/2nd Half: UM: 56 UK: 46

Dews hits a floater, Darius Miller hits 1 of 2 from the line for Kentucky, and the Canes are holding on to a ten-point lead. That's eighteen for Dews, but who's counting? On a side note: Shit! Looks like UF could be headed to another National Championship trophy.

8:12/2nd Half: UM: 54 UK: 45

James Dews gets bailed out on a foul call on Kentucky, but the Canes are reeling as Kentucky cuts the lead to under ten for the first time in awhile. Looks like the Wildcats will be faceguarding McClinton for the rest of the half - this could get ugly, this timeout should help things somewhat.

9:01/2nd Half: UM: 54 UK: 41

Great step back jumper for McClinton, who records his first points of the second half. Cyrus commits a seemingly needless foul, but Kentucky only hits 1 of 2 from the line.

9:42/2nd Half: UM: 52 UK: 40

Too easy for Kentucky on offense who get a quick bucket in the first five seconds on the baseline. This is a rare sight: James Dews at the free throw line, who hits 'em both and has sixteen on the night.

10:11/2nd Half: UM: 50 UK: 38

Dwayne Collins gives the Canes their first point in about seven minutes, going 1 for 2 from the line on another foul for Patterson.

10:53/2nd Half: UM: 49 UK: 38

Jimmy Graham records his 200th foul of the frame and gets taken out in favor of Cyrus here, who proceeds to get swatted with a monster block by Patterson.

11:51/2nd Half: UM: 49 UK: 38

Television timeout comes at a crucial time for Miami. DeQuan Jones has a couple brutal turnovers in a row, but I appreciate the fact that he's trying to create - because no one else is. When McClinton isn't letting it rain, this Canes team really has no one to step up, and its becoming blatantly evident for the second game in a row. Five or six minutes here with no points for Miami.

13:16/2nd Half: UM: 49 UK: 38

The Canes are falling apart here, still up by 11 but turning the ball over and struggling on offense. The coverage on Patterson out of the zone is ending up in easy buckets for the rest of the team, let's hope the shots start falling here for Miami. 10-0 run for UK.

15:27/2nd Half: UM: 49 UK: 34

McClinton misses a few wide open three looks before the timeout, including one baseline that clanked off the side of the backboard. Ugly. Canes are still in solid control but shots need to start dropping, because Patterson's starting to heat up.

16:23/2nd Half: UM: 49 UK: 32

Michael Porter just fouled out with 16 minutes left in the second half for Kentucky. Wow. Talk about flying under the radar with the foul count, sorry about that. Patterson is coming alive with four points and some rebounds already in the half.

17:33/2nd Half: UM: 49 UK: 30

Jimmy Graham does an atrocious job of rebounding in the post on two consecutive possessions.

18:57/2nd Half: UM: 47 UK: 26

Sloppy start to the second half for the Canes, who manage to screw up a 3 on 1 fast break and almost turn the ball over on a Lance pass to Dwayne. Collins ends up at the line and hits 1 for 2.

Halftime Score/Thoughts: UM: 46 UK: 26

Wow. James Dews adds two MORE three-pointers in the last two minutes to up the Canes lead to 20 at halftime. More than anything else, Dews needed to have a game to get the heck out of his season long funk, and boy is he on so far tonight. He's 3 for 4 from downtown and has 14 points in the first half.

McClinton's shooting the ball with a vengeance, and playing with some serious emotion. His last three-pointer had the Wildcats call a timeout, and McClinton gave an emphatic chest thump after the basket. It's good to see the team playing with something to prove. Losing their ranking might end up benefiting this team in the long run if they can start playing with a chip on their shoulder.

On a different note, Julian Gamble has seen a lot minutes for Miami thus far - not sure whether thats a good or bad thing. He doesn't have any points so far, but the frontcourt has been pretty quiet in general. Jimmy Graham's got two, Dwayne's got two and Cyrus has a lone three-pointer. Kentucky seems to be overly concerned with the post, leaving the shooters open.

McClinton and Dews have combined for 31 points, and the Wildcats only have 26 as a team. The best half of basketball for the Canes (other than maybe the second half against San Diego) all season.

1:43/1st Half: UM: 40 UK: 26

Bad turnover for DeQuan who looked for Dwayne before the big fella tripped on a fast break. Canes are up 14 and look to be in solid position before half.

3:22/1st Half: UM: 40 UK: 24

Wow. What a sequence for the Canes. Cyrus saves a rebound going out of bounds after a nice defensive play, Hurdle grabs the rebound and jets up court, dishes to Jack who hits a three on the fly. That's 17 points for Jack already.

3:44/1st Half: UM: 35 UK: 24

Canes are doing well defensively, and McClinton's back at the line after the television timeout. The game is going well overall, but the postgame has been exceptionally quiet - Dwayne, Cyrus and Jimmy have a combined 7 points.

5:50/1st Half: UM: 33 UK: 22

James Dews must be reading the blog - he hits another jumper which puts him at eight points so far. Hurdle adds a pull-up jumper near the free throw line and the Canes are maintaining a double digit lead. The 2-3 zone is working phenomenally well for the Canes thus far.

7:43/1st Half: UM: 29 UK: 20

Meeks is shooting 2 for 7 from behind the three-point line and is leading the Wildcats with eight at the timeout. McClinton has 12 for the Canes, Dews has six, and five other players have recorded at least two points for the Canes.

8:45/1st Half: UM: 27 UK: 18

Some bad shot selection here by the Canes, with a bad three-point attempt for Jack and a bad pull-up by Lance on back-to-back possessions.

11:21/1st Half: UM: 25 UK: 13

Cyrus hits a big three, Kentucky commits its sixth turnover and the Canes are in control here in the first half. Patterson hasn't recorded a point yet for UK.

12:04/1st Half: UM: 22 UK: 11

Freshman DeAndre Liggins drives wild to the basket and gets a generous foul call, but the Canes are doing well on both ends of the court. DeQuan's gotta get that jumper down.

13:16/1st Half: UM: 20 UK: 9

Two huge blocks in a row for Gamble and Jimmy, Lance adds a pull-up jumper and the Canes are up 11 early.

14:44/1st Half: UM: 16 UK: 7

Nice defensive possession for the Canes resulting in a shotclock violation for UK, before which DeQuan added a lay-up of his own.

16:26/1st Half: UM: 14 UK: 7

That turnover stuff wasn't a joke, Kentucky's really bad at handling the ball. They've got three turnovers already, and McClinton's got eight of the team's first 14.

16:48/1st Half: UM: 10 UK: 5

There's the first stupid 'football school' comment from the amazing commentators at ESPN. Maybe McClinton heard it and cringed, he hits 1 of 2 from the line.

17:28/1st Half: UM: 9 UK: 5

Is this for real? Dews hits another three-pointer and hopefully shuts me the hell up for the rest of the season.

18:40/1st Half: UM: 6 UK: 3

Wow, Dews and McClinton hit back to back three pointers but Meeks answers with one of his own to cut the lead from six to three.

5:35 PM: James Dews is still in the starting five, along with Jack, Lance, Dwayne and Cyrus. Nothing too surprising, but apparently Coach Haith has not lost faith in his junior guard.

5:28 PM: Duck Fuke, Michigan wins 81-73. Duke shoots 7 for 33 from three-point range but makes about three of those in the last two minutes. That's wins over UCLA and Duke already for Michigan. Miami's up next, more pre-game updates as they come.

5:22 PM: It's almost gametime in Kentucky, and the ESPN game before is a good one to watch. Forty seconds left and Michigan's up four at home against #4 Dook, 75-71. I guess that's what happens when you shoot 5 for 1,000 from three-point range. The cameras have had a couple clips of McClinton warming up, he looks about ready for revenge. Then again, he always does.

Told Me Only Few Can Make It And The Faithless Ain't Allowed

2008-12-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Tuesday did not get the week started on the right foot for the men's basketball team at the University of Miami. After a thrilling start, the ESPN primetime game against Ohio State went down the shitter right after halftime. Thanks to the senior star's antics, the Canes lost their offensive playmaker and eventually the game. Today's match-up against Kentucky looms large for many reasons.

The Hurricanes need to rebound from this loss quicker than usual with another ESPN game today at Rupp Arena at 5:30 PM. While Kentucky has not kept up their reputation as a Top-25 team in recent memory, they have reeled off five straight wins after a disappointing start to the season with two losses to Virginia Military Academy (!) and #1 North Carolina. After beating a few lowly teams (like Delaware State, who probably has the hardest out of conference schedule I have ever seen for a team with a name like the 'Hornets'), the Wildcats won at home against Kansas State and West Virginia.

So while Kentucky is not back in the top echelon just yet, they still pose a challenge for the Hurricanes beyond just the on court match-ups. The Hurricanes need to show their fans that Tuesday was an aberration, and that players on the team not named "Jack McClinton" actually do have the talent to compete in the A.C.C. The Hurricanes need to make it clear today that they are capable of playing in places like Rupp Arena while holding their composure under pressure. The Hurricanes need to prove their pre-season ranking was not a fraud.

The Wildcats are lead by 6-4 junior guard Jodie Meeks, who is averaging 24.6 points, a big step-up from last year's output of 8.8 ppg. 6-8 sophomore forward Patrick Patterson is also building on his fantastic freshman campaign for UK, posting totals of 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. Rounding out the starting line-up are junior forwards Ramon Harris (8.7 points) and Perry Stevenson (6.0 points) junior guard Michael Porter (3.0 points).

UK's squad has a very similar size make-up to their roster as that of Frank Haith, so all facets of the game will need to be on tonight. Their guards are a little taller than the Canes starting 1, 2 and 3, but other than Jodie Meeks, the starters are not must-mark guys like Diebler and Turner were for the Buckeyes.

Eddie Rios has been re-instated after his shenanigans, and Jack McClinton is going to play. Let's see where that leaves the Canes come 7:30 PM or so tonight - hopefully a little better off than last time after that ESPN match-up.

Where Is The Moment We Needed The Most?

2008-12-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

Deflating. Disgusting. Depressing. Devastating. Disappointing. Should I keep going?

Frank Haith's boys started the game like they had something to prove. After Jack McClinton's third three-pointer in the first ten minutes, the Canes were up 16-4 with 11:46 to go in the first frame. Team defense was on point, and so wasn't team's shooting.

The arena was erupting. Fans were jumping up and down. A pregnant woman in the crowd agreed with her husband: their son would be named McClinton. The Canes had turned the corner. The Canes were for real.

Well, that was about the game's zenith for Hurricane fans. Even after Miami headed into the locker room up 14 at half, a strange sense of uneasiness pervaded the BankUnited Center on Tuesday night.

McClinton had been ejected after his fourth consecutive three-pointer for ripping some Buckeye player's eyeball out of his socket on a retaliation swipe. I figure that's what must have happened to earn his early ejection last night. Word gets out that sophomore Eddie Rios is suspended indefinitely; not an ideal scenario for a team who was left with one option at point guard (Lance Hurdle) for the rest of the game.

No one was stepping up to take over in Jack's absence. Yeah, the Canes were up 14, but they were going to lose this game if they kept letting Ohio State get open three-point looks and uncontested shots from the perimeter. As fans headed back to their seats with napkins in their hands (to prepare for the sweat in the game's closing moments, not to wipe mustard off their pants), everyone was uncomfortable. Were the Hurricanes really going to lose this game?

Lose it they did. In spectacular fashion.

Ohio State started the second half on a 15-2 run and closed the Canes halftime lead from 14 (36-22) to 1 (38-37) in less than five minutes. If anyone was taking an especially long time in the bathroom because they pre-gamed too hard, they should consider themselves lucky. The first five minutes of the second half (along with the rest of it, for that matter) was vomit-inducing, to say the least.

18 turnovers. 51 points allowed in the second half. 26.1% from three-point range for the game (6 for 23), 11% (2 for 19) without Jack's four. So even after out-rebounding the Buckeyes by 14 (44 to 30), the Hurricanes decided to keep shooting.

I'm not sure whose fault that is. Why the Canes weren't looking for Dwayne Collins, Jimmy Graham and Cyrus McGowan everytime down the court is beyond me. The Buckeyes big men did not look up to the challenge of stopping the Canes trio on every possession. Is it Frank Haith's fault for the lack of looks to the post? Potentially.

Either way, Lance Hurdle forced up too many shots, and finished 5 for 14 but only 2 for 10 from three-point range (with one the luckiest three-pointer made in recent memory). James Dews missed all five of his three-point attempts and finished with four points on 2 for 12 shooting. McGowan shot 2 for 8 from the field and didn't hit either of his three-point attempts. Brian Asbury shot 3 for 9 and missed both of his three-pointers as well.

It's time to shake things up. Dews needs to ride the pine for awhile until he can re-locate his game, which has been missing all year. DeQuan Jones was hustling out there but was in foul trouble all night. A line-up shuffle is in need after last night's lackluster performance. When no player steps up in one of the biggest games before A.C.C. play, it's time to switch things around. The Hurricanes' performance last night was simply not acceptable.

The Canes have a deep team. The bench is talented. More great players are committing to Miami. Frank Haith is an improving coach.

But something became painfully obvious last night after all of this progress: The Hurricanes still cannot win against good competition without Jack McClinton. It's sad, and it doesn't bode particularly well for the future, but after last night's game, it's the way things are in Coral Gables.

Nothing's Ever Promised Tomorrow Today

2008-12-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here we go! Almost three hours til tip-off and I'm finally headed over to the BankUnited. Was thinking about potential signs for the game playing to the ESPN theme, any ideas?. A little unrelated (Canes athletics are all important in the end though, right?), but what about something like this:

Earth to

Shannon: Fire

Patrick

Nix!

Wonder if that would have had anyone's section on primetime television screens across the country. I expect the Canes to take this one in the end, but this looks like it could, on paper, play out to be one hell of a game.

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

2008-11-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-11-23T14:54:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-11-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-21T12:19:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

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.

And the Weather's So Breezy...Man, Why Can't Life Always Be This Easy?

2008-11-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Virgin Islands have a total population of about 110, 000 - roughly 50% of whom call Saint Thomas home. The island, sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493, has an area of an estimated 30 square miles, including the territorial capital Charlotte Amalie. The United States purchased St. Thomas in 1917 for $25 million in a package deal that included additional islands Saint John and Saint Croix.

Did you ever learn any of this in school? No, probably not, unless you took a History of the Caribbean class at UM (or some other less accomplished university, for that matter). This weekend, however, the eyes of all Hurricane fans should be square on that small island as the Canes try to win their second Paradise Jam title in program history.

The Canes won the very first Paradise Jam tournament in 2001 with a 67-65 win over Clemson. Last season, the Canes made a trip to Puerto Rico for the first ever Tip-Off Tournament, and returned as champions with a six-point victory over Providence. The Canes now return to the Virgin Islands for the first time since the inaugural Paradise Jam with dreams of another championship trophy.

Friday's tournament opener has the Canes squaring off against Southern Mississippi at 1:00 PM EST. If Miami is able to pull off the victory, they'll likely take on #2 Connecticut, who is facing off against La Salle in Game Three of the tournament (6:00 PM EST). The other side of the bracket has San Diego battling Valparaiso at 3:30 EST (Game Two) and Wisconsin matched-up against Iona in Game Four, the last opening day contest at 8:30 EST.

None of Friday's opening round games will be televised, but the semi-final round and championship games will be broadcast on Fox Sports. If the Canes beat Southern Miss, they'll be playing again at 6:00 EST on Sunday, November 23rd. If the Canes lose (hypothetically speaking, of course), they'll play Saturday night at the same time (6:00 EST).

The Golden Eagles of Southern Miss finished 19-14 last season and return six of their seven top scorers from '07-'08, none more impressive than junior guard Jeremy Wise (18.7 ppg last season). Wise, who is averaging 24.5 points in the Golden Eagles first two wins over Loyola (N.O.) and Alabama State, was described by Frank Haith as likely "one of the best guards we'll face this year."

Does that mean you should be scared of a potential upset at the talons of these Eagles? Eh...no, but don't start looking ahead to UConn just yet either. The Golden Eagles' near 20-win season was no fluke, and they bring back a more experienced team with returning scorers, including Wise, senior Courtney Beasley (12.0 ppg) and sophomore R.L. Horton (12.0 ppg).

Southern Miss is a very undersized team in general, with only four players on the roster listed over 6-7 and only one of whom making any real contributions (6-8 junior Andre Stephens). The Canes will need to look to their big men to establish a post game early on in the contest, so expect a big game out of Dwayne and Cyrus down low. Wise (55%) and Beasley (44%) are both tremendous shooters from the field, so the Canes will need to maintain their lockdown defense that has impressed early on.

Remember, the Canes' pre-season tournament championship in Puerto Rico helped set the tone for a tremendous start out of the gates last year (13-1 before their first ACC regular season game). Miami will hopefully find themselves in a match-up against former Big East rival and #2-ranked UConn on Sunday, a team the Canes beat out for a pledge of allegiance from high school shooting guard Durand Scott this past week.

Beating UConn twice in the same week would be nice, wouldn't it? Alright, alright, enough being hypocritical on my part. No more looking ahead. Let's see the Canes shoot down the Golden Eagles tomorrow before any wild predictions for the rest of the tournament.

You can register to watch streaming video of the opening round games here:

http://www.watchbtihoops.com/

The site has been a little wonky with registration, but hopefully it will be up and running before tomorrow's 1:00 tip. Oh, and don't forget to watch the Canes football team take on Georgia Tech tonight on an ESPN prime-time matchup at 7:30 PM.

Water So Clear You Can See to the Bottom

2008-11-19T12:50:00.001-08:00

...welcome to Miami, Durand Scott.

One of the best shooting guards in the country ended his decision-making process Wednesday by choosing none other than, you guessed it, the University of Miami.

"I made my decision because of comfortability, just the type of person I am and where I believe i best fit, " Scott said in his press conference in a television studio Wednesday. "When I took my visit to Miami, I knew it was the place I wanted to be."

Scott was deciding between Miami, UConn and Pittsburgh and ended up choosing that little private institution in Coral Gables with an ever fading reputation as a football school.

"Playing for Miami, that will be a great experience and I believe I can do special things there," said Scott.

Many who were dreading the day when McClinton graduated can sleep easier tonight: the talents of Durand Scott earned him the #9 shooting guard ranking in the Class of 2009 (along with the #41 overall ranking).

The 6-4, 180 pound guard is expected to be the final addition to another impressive haul by Coach Haith. Scott joins fellow Rivals Top-150 recruits Donnavan Kirk and Garrius Adams (as well as three-star Connecticut PG Lisandro Ruiz-Moreno) as the four new additions to the Miami basketball roster for 2009-2010.

The four newcomers will presumably replace the scholarships belonging to seniors McClinton, Jimmy Graham, Lance Hurdle and Brian Asbury.

"For the next four years of my life, I will be attending the University of Miami," Scott said in a tear-jerking line for any Canes hoops fan.

Congratulations to Scott and to Coach Haith for further improving his reputation as one of the best recruiters in college basketball. This incredible roller-coaster ride just got a lot longer. It is indeed another glorious day in Coral Gables.

Watch the video of Scott's announcement here:

http://www.zagsblog.com

On a separate note, I wanted to mention the blog received a little notoriety in the past week when Deadspin (pretty famous blog, I think?) used the Hurricane Season Preview from THTJB in a user participation/college preview event:

http://deadspin.com/5087243/deadspin-presents-the-very-poor-mans-college-basketball-season-preview-hoedown

Scared of the Future While I Hop in the DeLorean

2008-11-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Even though the Canes are only one toe deep in the shallow end of the figurative 2008-2009 swimming pool, I thought it appropriate (on the eve of Durand Scott's official press conference, no less) to look into the crystal ball and focus on the future once more. Frank Haith deserved all the praise he received for his recruiting as an assistant coach under Rick Barnes at Texas, and he has not missed a beat in continuing his own legacy as head coach in Coral Gables. While his talents as a recruiter may or may not wind up in the arrival of Scott on campus next fall (fingers crossed!), let's take a second to recognize the 2008 recruiting coups of coaches across the ACC to better prepare ourselves for what to expect from the conference this season. I'll be using Rivals rankings for the duration of the discussion, so bear with me here, because I know the rankings are far from perfect.

The ACC netted more than a few impressive new recruits across the board, with the most T.H.T.J.B.-relevant being Coach Haith's own five-star swingman DeQuan Jones - ranked the #4 small forward in the '08 class. The 6-6 Georgia native might already be one of the most athletic players in the conference; known for his highlight reel dunks and tremendous slashing abilities, Jones will be a key weapon in Coach Haith's growing arsenal. But you already knew that.

While grabbing a commitment from the #4 player at any position is never a bad thing for any recruiting class, please don't go into the season thinking Jones will win an uncontested ACC Rookie of the Year trophy. When I said the ACC freshman class was loaded, I wasn't kidding. To give you an idea, Jones (the #23 overall player in the country) happens to be the third-best freshman small forward in the ACC. You read that right: the third-best freshman small forward in the conference.

"How can that be right? The #4 overall is the #3 in conference? Does that mean...holy crap!" Holy crap indeed. This year's class is frighteningly good.

DeQuan, meet #1-ranked small forward Al-Farouq Aminu of Wake Forest. Aminu, who averaged over 22 points and 11 boards a game during his senior year at Georgia's Norcross High (alma mater of future Hurricane defensive back Prince Kent), has an older brother Alade who is in his last season on the court up at Georgia Tech. Al-Farouq had 21 points and 10 boards in the Deacons opener against NC Central as a starter, logging a team-high in minutes in the process. He'll be the main threat on the floor for the Deacons this season, and is widely regarded as the best new arrival to the ACC.

In addition to Jones and Aminu, Coach Leonard Hamilton received a commitment from yet another prize Georgia recruit - 6-8 swingman Chris Singleton, ranked the #3 small forward in the class. Singleton started and logged 29 minutes in the Seminoles unexpectedly tight win over Jacksonville (59-57), scoring 12 points and grabbing an impressive 17 boards. Expect the future Singleton - Jones showdowns to add even more intensity to the UM - FSU rivalry.

With many expecting this to be the swan-song of most (if not all) of North Carolina's terrible trio (Hansborough, Ellington, Lawson), North Carolina is rebounding in a big way for this season and beyond. Coach Roy Williams scored a commitment from Virginian 6-8 power forward Ed Davis, ranked the #4 player at his position and the #15 player overall. Davis came off the bench in the Tar Heels' 15-point victory over Pennsylvania, recording totals of 10 points and 14 rebounds in only 22 minutes. Davis figures to be teamed up in the future with #7-ranked center (and #33 overall player) and Indiana native Tyler Zeller, who started against Penn in Hansborough's absence and scored 18 points of his own. More so than his own '08 class, however, Williams is on the verge of an outrageous '09 class that includes two five-stars and three four-stars, including a set of twins from Santa Ana, CA.

What about our good friend Mike Sha-Shevsky up in Durham? Although Coach K has endured some early-round tournament exits (much to the chagrin of the rest of the college basketball world, to be sure), recent disappointment did not stop him from the successful recruitment of #3 ranked shooting guard Elliot Williams. A 6-4 Memphis native, Williams is a top-20 recruit (#16) who should immediately help make up for the loss of DeMarcus Nelson on the wing. No word yet on how Coach K plans to use Elliot (nicknamed 'e-mail') in the paint to help solve his frontcourt woes. Do stay tuned on that one.

Impressively enough, Wake Forest managed to haul in the #2 and #3 ranked centers from the '08 class in addition to the superstar Aminu. Ty Walker (NC) and Tony Woods (GA), both listed at 6-11, saw time in Wake's opener. Woods finished with 12 points on 6 for 7 shooting from the field. The Deacons will have an astounding amount of young talent on the floor this year; there's definitely something special brewing in Winston Salem.

The Best of the Rest:

- Leonard Hamilton re-stacked his roster by signing four players with a four-star ranking (in addition to the #12 overall, five-star Singleton)

- Gary Williams didn't make too big a splash with the graduation of Gist and Osby, but he was able to sign Baltimore native Sean Mosley, a 6-3 shooting guard ranked #11 in the country at his position

- It was the "Tale of Two Bergs" in Charlottesville this off-season - John Brandenburg and Sylven Landesberg are two new four-star recruits hoping to provide some hope to a barren Cavaliers roster

While Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson and NC State were especially quiet on the recruiting front this past year, the ACC certainly does not have a shortage of new conference talent. Freshmen will be playing a big role this season across the board, as some (Wake Forest) need new leaders, some (North Carolina) need replacement talent, and others (Miami, Florida State) are looking to add talent to an already solid core.

While everyone always looks forward to the conference tournament and post-season all-conference selections, this year's ACC Rookie of the Year race might be the most intriguing of them all.

You Don't Need A Curriculum To Know That You're Part Of The Math

2008-11-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

This blog is available for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're a UM student, season ticket holder, Coral Gables resident, or just a college basketball fan in general, I'd hope that anyone who has any interest (and even those who don't!) would stop by and at least read an entry or two. We're all equal, I would imagine, in our appreciation for ballers who do their thing with dedication and heart, two characteristics that Hurricanes hoopsters have embodied under Coach Haith. As such, I try and make sure that the entries have a little bit of something for everyone, because it's all about love here on T.H.T.J.B., not discrimination - no one sits in the back of this blog bus.

With that said, I'd like to make a special entry dedicated to the students at the University of Miami, if that's okay with everyone. If it isn't, then don't feel obligated to keep reading.

Take a deep breath and please listen, just for a second...ready? Canes fans, I have to tell you something that I think you should know (something many of you probably already do know): there's a feeling that pervades the Atlantic Coast Conference (and beyond) that Coral Gables is home to some of the worst fans in college athletics. There, I said it. Now don't get angry and close your Firefox window just yet! Take another breath, and let's take a minute to analyze this thought to the fullest, shall we?

When you decided to enroll at the University of Miami, your father was probably pretty excited; he finally could watch football on Saturdays with some sort of pride in his own vicarious affiliation, instead of relying solely on his local NFL team for his football fix on Sundays. Your mother? Well, she couldn't wait to visit you on Family Weekend (and every other weekend when she had the chance) to lay on a chair by the pool or on South Beach to get away from the man who now spends his Sundays AND Saturdays watching football all day. Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly like that, but sort of, right?

When you finally got to school, you were mesmerized (and your parents were likely a little bit scared). The palm trees, the lake, the sunshine, the people, everything was just so much more attractive than at home, wasn't it? Alright, international students, I'm not talking to you so much as those from the freezing cold Northeast and the teenage wasteland fields of northern Florida.

And then came your first "UMiami" weekend...Coconut Grove on Thursday, followed by a day of hungover class and then your first trip to South Beach on Friday night! After you woke up on Saturday morning (naked and wearing someone else's pants), you came to the realization that kickoff at Dolphin Stadium was in less than an hour. All of the tailgates would probably be over by the time I get there, you said to yourself, so you went back to sleep and woke up five hours later when the first cars started rolling into the parking lot honking their horns after a huge Canes win.

Put that scenario on repeat for the rest of the semester (including every weekend with a home football game), and then ask yourself...why were the Canes outcheered in a home tilt against Central Florida? Why were there almost as many Florida State fans as Canes fans at the Dolphin Stadium showdown this year? Why was the recorded attendance (almost always believed to be padded, for the record) less than 36,000 against North Carolina ?

You read that right. 35,830 showed up to a stadium whose capacity is more than double that (76,500 for football games). If you remember correctly, this came at a point where the Canes had just thrashed Texas A&M (and impressed with a competitive game against the Gators before that), and had a 2-1 record at the time.

Some of you do head to Dolphin Stadium to actually root for your Canes, not to tailgate. You cheer louder on third downs and you keep your four fingers up all the way until the fourth quarter starts. You don't go to football games because everyone else does. You know Jacory throws to Aldarius, but you also know who Tommy Streeter and Kendall Thompkins are. You know about Sean Spence, sure, but you also know that Arthur Brown and Jordan Futch will be wreaking havoc alongside him soon enough. Maybe you even know about Bryce Brown and Lamar Miller. To those who do, I salute you. The school could use more fans like you.

Perhaps now you have a better idea of why people think so poorly of the loyalty and allegiance Canes have to their school.

Attendance at Hurricane games is not a question of whether or not you enjoy football. Attendance is about coming together in support of your fellow students and the school itself. Attendance serves as the only number in a school catalogue that can even remotely depict student loyalty - more so than any alumni donation figures or Homecoming concert turnout numbers. Do you care? If you do, you go to Hurricane games, it's that simple.

Way back when, did you really drive up to Gainesville to watch the Hurricanes play the Gators, or did you voyage to Gator Country to black out with DPhiE's and SigEp's from a different chapter, thereby adding a little spice to your social life in the process?

Ask yourself: do the Canes make a difference to you? Did you sleep just as well after the heartbreaker against North Carolina as you did after the comeback against Virginia? Do you really care?

If you find yourself answering "Yes", or "You're right, maybe I should care about my school," the Canes basketball team plays in a huge opening tournament starting on Friday in the Virgin Islands called the Paradise Jam. You came out to the basketball season opener in force, so do it again. Go to the Rathskeller to watch the Canes play in the tournament if you don't have class. Go support this team. Start caring.

I Guess I'll Clean Up My Act Like Prince Would Do

2008-11-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

The excitement surrounding the Hurricane Basketball Team's return to action seemed to trump any sort of conclusions to be drawn from the Canes' opening contest against Florida Southern. Last night's 36-point thrashing definitively had its own positives and negatives, so without further ado:

The Good:

1) Let's begin with something non-team related. The student section showing was pretty solid for an opener against a Division II school, remarkably better than last year's. Way to show up and support the team - I guess those pre-season rankings do help to establish some sort of wake-up call to fans. Although the student turnout was stronger than the general admission, the rest of the building certainly wasn't empty.

2) Eddie Rios' performance at point guard. Good might be an understatement here; Rios was probably the most impressive player on the court last night. He shot 6 for 10 from the field and a perfect 3 for 3 from three-ball range on his way to 17 points. He also tied for team-high in assists with four, and had only two turnovers in 27 minutes. Rios was shooting the ball with pure confidence, and did not shy away from any open looks as he tended to last season after the occasional miss. His passing was spot on, and he had a few drives to the basket that opened the eyes of many, with one unlucky teardrop in particular that still had fans cheering for his newfound ability after the rimout. While it's too early to say he's turned a page in the figurative book, it's nice to know that, at least for the time being, Canes fans don't anticipate shielding their eyes from the television when Rios is in the game at Cameron Indoor or College Park. Very encouraging indeed.

3) When Coach Haith told me Cyrus McGowan was one of the most opportunistic rebounders he'd ever coached, he wasn't kidding. Cyrus seemed to get a hold of every loose board up for grabs in his time on the court, finishing with 10 rebounds and 7 points in only 15 minutes. Many expected big Jimmy Graham to continue with his role in the starting line-up, but the 6-9 Arkansas transfer was given the nod instead. He hit a three-pointer to extend the team's lead to 13 points (23-10) early on in the contest, and provided finishing ability in the paint. Despite a 50% performance from the free throw line (2-4), Cyrus is another under-the-radar guy to get excited about.

4) Dwayne Collins did not notch any real teabag victims in the team's opener, but he had a few reverse dunks that should have left 7-foot UGa transfer Rashaad Singleton questioning his own desire to live, let alone play basketball. Dwayne finished with a monster double-double (18, 16) and had only two turnovers, one of which was a patented Dwayne travel early in the first half. He showed a much improved post-game arsenal, including a turnaround lefty one-hand jumper late in the game that must have had fans in disbelief. The most impressive of Dwanye's stats: a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line. D.C. is going to have to shoot better than the 50% he did from the stripe last season, and he got started on the right foot last night.

5) Jack McClinton played like we've come to expect. He finished with 18 points on the night in a team-high 29 minutes, shooting 2-4 from behind the arc and a "to-be-expected" 4-4 from the free throw line. While his points may not have been as thunderous as Dwayne's or as eye-opening as Eddie's, Jack's output was done in typical Jack fashion. Other than a few lay-ups, most of Jack's points were notched on his pure shooting ability. A good showing from the Captain for the most part, but the three turnovers in an already sloppy game didn't help the cause.

The Bad:

1) Although James Dews started and played over 25 minutes, he registered only five points on 2 for 7 shooting on the night. It was a little too quiet of a performance from the junior shooting guard, especially considering his overmatched opponents. Let's see if Dews has to re-earn his starting job over Brian Asbury, who played tremendously in his 21 minutes off the bench (6 for 9, 13 points, 7 rebounds). Dews didn't drive to the basket particularly hard (as he was forced to last season with no slashers on the team), and the 90% free throw shooter didn't find himself at the line once all night. Let's hope for a big Paradise Jam from Dews, who used the Puerto Rico tournament as his coming-out party last season.

2) Adrian Thomas' reputation as a defensive stud and three point shooter were not on display last night. He finished with five points on 2-7 shooting in 12 minutes off the bench, but was foul-plagued (3) in limited action. Although the team defense was more than impressive, Thomas' individual job was not.

3) Although the Canes outrebounded the Moccasins 52-33 on the night, the Canes managed to give up 13 offensive boards down low that ended up in multiple second chance points for the Mocs. The Canes don't have a man over 6'9'' on the roster, and it showed at times last night. Opportunistic rebounding will have to happen en masse this year, as it did for most of the time when Big Dwayne and Cyrus were in the paint.

4) Jimmy Graham's five boards were helpful, but he finished with only two points (and one GIGANTIC swat of the 7-footer Singleton). He played 17 minutes on the night off the bench, and was not able to create his own offense: he didn't make an appearance at the line all game, and managed only three field goal attempts. Has he lost his starting job to Cyrus "The Virus" McGowan (as one devoted student section member described him awkwardly)? We shall see.

5) Even when Frank Haith announces that he'll be out and all of the hoopheads on campus know it's going to happen, it still sucks seeing Lance Hurdle in street clothes, doesn't it? Easily one of the most likable guys on the team, Lance was greeted with cheers from the crowd that he seemed to appreciate. If he is healthy enough to participate in the Virgin Islands starting on 11/21 - and that's a big if - the team will be better off as a result, even with the strong showing by Rios last night.

The Ugly:

DeQuan Jones first half performance was nothing short of brutal, but it's fair to chalk that one up to opening jitters. Jones airballed his first two field goal attempts, and, when he finally found his way to the free throw line in the second half, he clanked his first attempt there as well. He had two turnovers on the night, but when he hit his second free throw and notched his first point as a Hurricane, things went a lot more smoothly. He had an outrageous alley-oop dunk and nearly shoved Adrian Thomas out of the way to make sure he was the one to slam it down. He finished with seven points on the night.

To The Students:

Thanks for coming out to the BankUnited Center last night, but if you're not wearing a basketball jersey, just wear orange to the next game for god's sake. The school's "Wear Orange" campaign is hitting the big time and, at least according to the school, the new lanes on either end of the court are now orange in support of the campaign. The least you can do is just wear orange like the rest of the students and not look like an assclown in your blue or red t-shirt. Enough bitterness, though.

Wrap-Up:

The team offense looked significantly more polished than it ever has, as did team defense; you can thank Coach Haith for that one. The team did, however, commit 14 turnovers and played sloppy early on. The Canes seemed to get more comfortable with each other as the game progressed, but they're going to have to play a lot better to expect any tangible success (read: championship) in next week's Paradise Jam.

And The Bass Keep Runnin', Runnin', and Runnin', Runnin'...

2008-11-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

Mom (smiling): "Tomorrow's the big day honey! You've come so far, and it's finally here! I'm so excited for you!"

You (looking nervous): "I know...I just...I just can't believe it. I don't know if I'm ready!"

Mom: "Well, are you scared? Are you nervous?"

You: "A little. Shouldn't I be?"

The answer is yes, Miami Basketball Fan, you should be. We're not talking about your bar mitzvah here. This isn't your high school graduation or your first of many weddings (you scumbag). This is bigger than all of that.

Tomorrow is a different kind of Saturday in Coral Gables. You're not headed to Dolphin Stadium to get smashed, only to ask yourself an hour later why you decided to shotgun just one more Natty Light as you boil in the Florida heat. Saturday marks the official beginning of a story whose introduction actually began a long time ago but concluded with a three-point loss in Arkansas last March. The first chapter of this story begins Saturday night at 7:30 PM, and it starts with a BankUnited Battle with Florida Southern.

Alright, what do I need to know about this team?

Two-time Captain and all-ACC first teamer Jack McClinton is back for his senior season and is looking to improve on his 17.7 points per game totals. He led the ACC in free throw percentage, hitting 91.9% (!) of his FT attempts. The charity stripe means just that when Jack's on the line - free points. His scandalous 42.7% three-point field goal percentage was good for second in the conference. #33 will play both shooting guard and point guard over the course of the season. He's the best player on the team and one of the best in the history of the program, and if the Canes are to make it deep into the tournament this year, Jack will have to have another spectacular season.

Great, I'll remember to look for #33. What about the other guys?

Luckily for you, my friend, Head Coach Frank Haith has his deepest roster to date. There aren't a shortage of players to keep your eyes on. Lance Hurdle (#1) will be manning the point guard position when he's on the floor. He's fast, he's athletic (read: crazy leaping abilities), and he's a decent shooter (34.1% from three-ball range). Lance has to cut down on the unforced turnovers and run the offense at a speed where sixth gear isn't his one and only option. If the senior does his job adequately at point (instead of trying to do too much), the team will only stand to benefit. Sophomore Eddie Rios (#5) backs Lance up and, as of pre-season, looked like he had turned a page in his game. He showed improved handles and passing against powerhouses Florida Memorial and Barry in pre-season match-ups. Take note of the sarcasm, please (with regards to hiscompetition, not his own improvement).

Alright so if Lance and Eddie are running the offense for the most part, who will they be dishing the rock to?

Well, Jack for one. Junior James Dews (#23) is another one of the best shooters in the ACC. He was the second-leading scorer for the Canes last year at 10.4 ppg, shooting 42.8% from the field and 37.2% from behind the arc in the process. Combine those two statistics with a 90%+ free throw percentage, and expect to see James get the ball a lot more, especially as the primary option when Jack's off the floor. His best game was a 20-point showing against Georgia Tech in early January, and his 17-point contribution against Providence helped the Canes win the title in Puerto Rico.

Ok, so Dews can shoot it a little bit. Anyone else?

Ah, I almost forgot Brian Asbury, of course. #32 is an unquestioned talent everytime he steps on the floor - with size (6-7) and an incredible stroke, the only question will be (just as it always has been) if the senior shows up. He averaged 8.8 points for the Canes last season, but was incredibly up-and-down. He scored 15 points in the big win against Duke and then 12 in another victory over Maryland. He followed up those games, however, with outputs of 5, 3, and 5 against Clemson, Virginia and BC respectively. Will the real Brian Asbury please stand up?

All you're doing is talking about the shooters...what about the big men? There has to be a guy or two who can bang down low, right?

You better believe it. Meet Dwayne Collins. The 6'9'' monster energized the Canes with key dunks and rebounding throughout the season. He averaged 8.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg as a sophomore, but will be improving on those totals with increased playing time thanks to the departure of Anthony King from the frontline. Compare his totals in the two contests against Duke for a clear sign of his importance to the team's success: after getting into early foul trouble against the Dookies, Collins netted only two points and four rebounds in nine minutes in a 88-73 thrashing at Cameron Indoor. The next game? 26 points and seven boards in a Hurricane victory. Watch out for #21.

Senior Jimmy Graham will be another important player for the Canes this year. Double-Zero enjoyed his best season as a Hurricane starter last year, providing tremendous heart and enthusiasm from start to finish. The 6'8'' forward plays like he's ten feet tall, grabbing boards and intimidating any slashers with thunderous swatting abilities. He averages about five and five, but his numbers are nowhere equivalent to his importance to the team.

I thought you said this was the deepest team in years? That's only six or seven guys!

Relax, young Padawan. We haven't even started discussing the newcomers yet. Freshman DeQuan Jones might be the most gifted player on the team - Frank Haith has repeatedly described him as the best player he has ever recruited. Ranked in the Rivals Top-25 graduating seniors of 2008, the 6-6 swingman gives the team a slasher they desperately needed last season. His athleticism is unmatched, and his dunking abilities were YouTube-worthy...back in high-school. DeQuan is the biggest key to the future success of Miami basketball. He is the franchise. Many expect him to start by the time ACC season rolls around.

Cyrus McGowan may also start a few games for the Canes this year. A transfer from Arkansas, McGowan provides outside shooting abilities and tremendous rebounding talent. Another friendly addition to an already likable cast of characters, McGowan should be fun to watch. Coach Haith seems to expect very big things from his junior big man.

Is that it?

Don't say that so pessimistically. That's a lot of talent! Julian Gamble will see some minutes down low as a redshirt freshman, but many expect freshman Reggie Johnson to redshirt. Malcolm Grant, an incredible point guard transfer from Villanova, will have to sit out a year for eligibility purposes.

So I've got a good idea about the team's make-up. What about the schedule? Is it tougher than last year's?

Absolutely. Out-of-conference additions like Ohio State (12/2) and Kentucky (12/6) make the schedule a lot more difficult. Add those two contests to match-ups with potentially UConn and Wisconsin (if all goes according to plan) starting on November 21st at the Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands, and the Canes will hopefully have quite a few impressive wins by season's end. Hopefully.

Otherwise, the ACC schedule is the usual scary looking assortment of contests against some of the best teams in the country. Highlights include a match-up with North Carolina at the Dean Dome (1/17) and an afternoon tilt with Duke (2/7) at Cameron Indoor. As for home games, the Canes have a match-up with the Tar Heels (2/15) and a key match-up against Wake Forest (2/4) in a battle between two of the most talented ACC teams.

Any last notes before I head to the BankUnited tomorrow night?

With Frank Haith at the helm of the most talented Canes hoops team in years, it's time for a change in Coral Gables. Tomorrow will be fun.

Let's get it started.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2008-11-13T22:23:00.001-08:00

I hope I never made any promises about sticking to a strict diet of basketball-based entries. If I did, I apologize, because I'm about to deviate from that path. I'm not sure how many times this will happen over the lifetime of this blog, but after tonight's performance by the Hurricane Football Team, I believe it necessary to shift focus...at least for a few paragraphs.

Finally arriving at Dolphin Stadium for a Canes football game is always a great feeling. There are the outrageous traffic jams on US-1 that turn a half-hour drive into a two-hour one. There are the complaints from people who have to take a piss for the entirety of the painful journey. And of course, there are the mandatory turn-arounds to head back home because some knucklehead forgot something they deem absolutely necessary for the tailgate. By the time you finally step out of the car, you could care less what happens in the game - you already feel on top of the world.

It was a different feeling today as I began to walk around the parking lot. I've always found watching countless underage freshman girls getting arrested at fraternity tailgates to be pretty comical, and I'm not quite sure why. More so than the rent-a-cops busting keggers, however, the excitement on the faces of the oldtimers tailgating was something of a revelation. These men had been here through thick and thin, through Schnellenberger and Johnson, through Davis and Coker, and they looked as young as college students speaking enthusiastically about their predictions in between bites of kielbasa and sips of Coors Light. If they believed, why shouldn't I?

Once into the stadium, a group of Miami football '09 recruits sat scattered in the section. The presence of Bryce Brown, Olivier Vernon, Luther Robinson and Jared Wheeler only amplified my intense excitement. I hoped for their sakes (and mine) the Canes would put on quite a show on ESPN.

I think the same basic feeling dawned on most of the fans by the time kickoff rolled around: this was it. This was the last home game of the soon-to-be famous season when Randy the Great turned the program around. This was the last time, at least in person, that most would be able to see Marve or Jacory throw a missile, Sean Spence make a bone-crunching tackle, or Travis Benjamin return a kick-off and rhetorically ask the person sitting next to them, "Can you believe he's only a freshman?" This really was it.

The Canes beat Virginia Tech 16-14 thanks in large part to the performance of those freshmen studs. Highlights? Marcus Robinson registered three sacks in the game, Spence made countless key tackles, and Marve led his team to victory. While it certainly wasn't a beautiful game to watch, the end concept was simple. The Canes won another football game.

Although the stadium certainly was not as full as many had hoped, those who were present for the Canes seventh victory of the season witnessed a team full of resiliency and pride. The post-game celebration and singing of the Alma Mater brought one idea to the forefront: the patented USwagger is back.

Congratulations to the Canes on their hard-fought and well-deserved win.

Now guess what? It's basketball season in Coral Gables.

So Bring Your Good Times, And Your Laughter Too

2008-11-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

A typical Thursday in paradise, isn't it? Less than a day after the early signing period began, Garrius Adams and Donnavan Kirk have officially joined our growing UBasketball family. Let me be one of the first hoopheads to officially congratulate both of them on their commitments, and re-iterate how excited everyone is for their arrival on campus next fall.

As the Durand Scott decision rolls on (he says he'll have made up his mind in no later than a week), the Scout.com John Wall tracker says he's interested in visiting Miami before he makes his official decision. While theoretically a spot on the team for Wall may be impossible if Scott does indeed commit to UM (more on that later), take a second to re-read that. The #1-ranked basketball player in the country wants to visit Miami before deciding on his school of choice - and I don't mean to reflect on his options with his family at the Fontainebleau. He wants to visit Coral Gables and decide whether he'd like to call the BankUnited Center home for his college year(s). If you're a Miami basketball fan and that doesn't make you giddy, then stop reading this blog. Seriously.

The addition of one Durand Scott would bring the '09 class to four players - Scott, Kirk, Adams and PG Lisandro Ruiz-Moreno of South Kent Prep in CT (Jack McClinton's alma mater). With McClinton, Brian Asbury, Jimmy Graham and Lance Hurdle graduating next year (ouch!), it looks like four scholarships would be the limit. The mere thought, however, that John Wall wants to visit UM before deciding says boatloads about how far this program has come. It also speaks volumes about Frank Haith's ability as a recruiter. This program is turning into something very special. If you can't see something that obvious, you might as well think about becoming ACC referees - I hear the conference is accepting job applications.

While the addition of Scott to the class would certainly be nice, keep in mind that even with his potential addition, it's time to push the envelope rather than mail it in. Players across the country want to play ACC basketball, and even as the Canes improve on the recruiting front, Miami is still not ahead in the race.

According to Rivals.com rankings , North Carolina has hauled in the #1 ranked class for 2009 (so far), and Duke's not far behind at #11. Georgia Tech is sitting pretty at #7, and NC State ranks #13. The Canes? Didn't make the list (although Scott could change that).

Wake Forest hauled in the #1 recruiting class of 2008, many of whose freshman studs the Canes will face on court this year. Florida State enjoyed the #9 spot in the '08 rankings and North Carolina missed out on a Top-10 class by just a single spot. The Canes? Didn't crack Rivals Top-30 classes for '08, even with DeQuan.

But this is not a time for despair. This is a time for celebration, as Kool and the Gang would tell us. Garrius Adams and Donnovan Kirk are two more fine additions to the squad - some of the best in the country at their respective positions to be sure. If Frank can get the job done on the Durand Scott front, things will be looking up even more. The Canes have a tough task ahead of them if they hope to achieve respect from ACC opponents and the basketball world. Adding Kirk and Adams (and hopefully Scott) is another small step towards that goal.

Edgerrin James will be honored at halftime tonight when the Hurricane Football Team faces off against Virginia Tech at 7:30 PM, live on ESPN. I'm on my way to the game now - I hope I will see many of you there. With a very likable crew of freshmen, this team is one worthy of your support.

I've Got Something New For You

2008-11-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Let me take a second to further explain what I hope to accomplish with this blog. Cane football has always had a significant following of fans who are not only interested in the Canes' on-field performance, but who are deep into the recruiting game as well. They can tell you about the best eighth graders going to Miami Northwestern or Booker T. in the fall, and they'll tell you which kids from up in northern Florida are thinking of transferring to Gulliver Prep. We're talking 14-year-old kids here, remember.

Regardless of how weird that might seem, these guys know their stuff, and we look to them at times like Signing Day for any kind of inside information as to who might be heading where. In an age where knowledge is power, and at a time when knowledge is accessible at the click of a single button, these guys prove to be demi-gods of sorts. All recruiting knowledge is secondary in their loyalty to the Orange and Green on Saturdays. Internet degenerates? Eh. Maybe. What does that say about me that I like to read their thoughts at least once a day? Knowledge is power, right?

Don't get me wrong - there are forums where Cane basketball is discussed thoroughly, and those who know their stuff...well, they certainly know their stuff. They were here when Cane basketball sucked, when the school dropped the basketball program completely, then when it rose back to prominence but had a few bad seasons, and are still here, with the team now back in contention.

As a program improves, so too (typically) does fan turnout. Many of those posters were impressed with student attendance at games last season, and not just contests where the opponent was either Duke or UNC (which still remain the biggest headline acts). More and more Miami students found themselves heading to the BankUnited to watch their Canes play amidst a disappointing football season.

On second thought, maybe "disappointing" is a little light, given the circumstances. "The Last Slaughter" at the Orange Bowl had seniors crying and freshmen wondering what they were going to do for the next three years. This is Miami football? Why the hell am I getting on a train and then a bus just to get written up in the parking lot for underage drinking if my team is going to lose? It made no sense.

Fans took notice when the Canes advanced to the second round of the tournament last year. Fans now know who James Dews is, that Jimmy Graham is the animal walking around campus, and that Dwayne Collins isn't some oversized linebacker or tight end for the football team. The guys are recognizable now, and so is the team's talent. As such, fan turnout will be a very interesting trend to follow for '08-'09.

Now's the time when something is needed to satisfy the knowledge hunger of the growing hoophead fanbase around campus and beyond.

Will the "Miami Bandwagon" title prove true if the Canes lose a few games early? Will people jump ship? Let's see.

Do the fans deserve the benefit of the doubt? No, probably not. These are the same New York prep girls, dressed up like they're going to South Beach and whining about the weather at Dolphin Stadium. These are the frat dudes who head to football games just to pre-game and blackout before they ever get to see a Sean Spence tackle (or Marve interception).

So where does that leave the state of Cane Hoops Nation? In a good place. Trust me. A real good place. This is going to be a fun ride.

I hope, to the best of my abilities, I can help preserve this positive state and further contribute to it. T.H.T.J.B. will be a place to turn to for any type of news on the Hurricanes - whether it be interviews with coaching staff or players, game summaries, pictures, anything at all. As John Legend once put so beautifully, "Once you take a hit of this, you won't ever wanna quit/You'll be so addicted."

Oh yeah, and according to Andy Katz of ESPN.com, Lance Hurdle's out for Saturday. Just doing my job, right?

Hope The Stars and the Gods Align Me And You

2008-11-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

On the eve of the early signing period (with only a few hours to go!), it appears heavy Cane target and monster '09 shooting guard Durand Scott has cut his list to two teams: Connecticut and Miami. The 9th-best shooting guard in the current senior class (according to Rivals.com) has eliminated Pitt from the picture and now a two-horse race is on, between a contender in the Big East and one in the ACC. All of this according to Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. The 6-4 guard, listed as a generous 180 lbs, cracked the Top-50 Ballers List on both Rivals and Scout.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/

What does this all mean, though? Is this a big deal?

Slicing Durand's list from three to two (with Miami a survivor!) is, in all reality, a much bigger cut than either Lance or Dwayne shaving their braids. This is big. Real big. Reggie Johnson big.

Scott seems like a typical Frank Haith player - friendly and very good-natured. Make no mistake about it, however, his talent sets him apart from most every high school basketball player in the country - this is a recruit on the same level as DeQuan, folks. This is a big effing deal. Losing Scott would be a tough one to swallow; Garrius Adams and Donnavon Kirk were both tremendous '09 gets, but Scott's the kind of guy that puts a recruiting class over the top. He would battle James Dews for the #2 job as a freshman, and there's a good chance he could win it.

How does this look for a potential '09 lineup:

1. Malcolm Grant/Eddie Rios

2. James Dews/Durand Scott

3. DeQuan Jones/Garrius Adams

4. Dwayne Collins/Donnavan Kirk/Julian Gamble

5. Cyrus McGowan/Reggie Johnson

Wow.

Jim Calhoun's thinking must be along the same lines. I had the opportunity to watch Alex Oriakhi and Jamaal Coombs play in high school, and both have looked like bona fide studs since 9th grade. Oriakhi especially (now ranked the #2 '09 center) impressed as a young baller. Scott, however, would help put the Huskies class over the top in his own right.

Do your thing Coach Haith. I'll have Common on repeat all night, with hopeful verses running through my head as only one of Chi-Town's gods can inspire. Good luck and godspeed, Frank. Get another kid like this here, and your legend is sealed...at least until Saturday's first unforced turnover.

Captain Jack Will Get You High

2008-11-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

So what's T.H.T.J.B. all about? Who the hell do I think I am covering a team on the verge of something big? Is there any kind of person out there who this blog will even remotely appeal to?

The blog's title is debatable, I agree. Coach Leonard Hamilton helped build up Miami hoops way before Captain Jack even thought of enrolling at Siena. A #2 seed in the 1999 tournament and Sweet-16 appearance in 2000 to his coaching credit as a Cane, Hamilton peaced to the NBA and struggled at the professional level with the Wizards. Struggled hard, to the tune of 19-63. Now he's back and building another program right up the street in the classiest city in the United States, a program the Canes enjoy the pleasure of facing twice this year.

What about Coach Haith? A guy who has recruited his ass off in his first few years here (as he did at Texas) led the Canes to the second round of the tournament in only his fourth year, earning a new contract in the process. DeQuan "The Franchise" Jones now calls the BankUnited his home thanks to Haith. Malcolm Grant, perhaps the best college basketball transfer this off-season, left Villanova thanks to him. A new training facility is almost completed thanks in large part to what he has been able to accomplish as the Head Coach of the Hurricanes in only FOUR seasons. He's done more for this program than anyone could have ever asked for in such a short time span.

Aren't those the kind of guys we should be thanking? Undoubtedly.

Even more so than either of those men (and anyone else for that matter), however, the new age of Miami Hurricane basketball is embodied by one man: Jack McClinton.

#33 gave the Canes fans hope when there was none to be found near Lake Osceola. He was the program's first ever first-team All-ACC selection in 2008, and a clear threat from anywhere on the court. You watched him take over the BankUnited Center when his team was down against Clemson with three-pointer after three-pointer. You watched him on your shitty ESPN 360 feed lead his team to victory over a Mississippi State program early in the season. You watched him in awe.

"He's not going to sho...OH MY GOD!" Your hands go flailing up in the air and you start to jump like a crazy man, just like Sha-Shevski whenever his fragile big men get touched in the paint. Just like Greg Paulus when he turns the ball over and whines for a foul. Just like...forget it, you get the idea.

He was brash, he was bold, and he was kicking ass and taking names on the worst team in the ACC during his sophomore year. J-Mac helped mold the team's playing style in a way that has helped inspire the enthusiasm of those fans in Coral Gables. He plays with confidence bordering on cockiness, and never shies away from the big shot. Now Canes fans confidently rock black #33 jerseys at Dolphin Stadium, where a team is enjoying a mini-Renaissance of its own. Can you imagine this happening three years ago?

No, the Canes would not be where they now stand without the talents of many men (Coaches Haith and Hamilton included). And yes indeed, the Canes will not go far this season if the players around McClinton do not step up to face the challenge as they did for most of last season.

With that said, the Canes needed a savior after a disappointing NIT exit to conclude the 2005-2006 season. With Guillermo gone to the greener pastures of Los Angeles, the Hurricanes had to have one player to shoulder the load as go-to guy. Who would it be? Turns out an unlikely transfer from Siena, who wound up leading the ACC in three-point percentage as a red-shirt sophomore.

The same Jack that was fourth in the ACC in scoring last year (18.8 ppg) and lead the conference in free-throw percentage (91.9%). The same Jack that averaged that 28.0 ppg in the NCAA tournament, shooting over 50% from the field. 28 points per game.

In the ever appropriate words of Billy Joel himself, Captain Jack will get you high on Saturday when the Canes open up the season against Florida Southern (I'm sorry, Billy). He'll take you to your own special island with each three-pointer he sinks. And if you don't get laid on Saturday night after the game, guess what? Captain Jack will get you by. He always does.

Hi Haters, We're Back Off Hiatus

2008-11-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

What a run it was. After a ridiculously entertaining 14-point first round win over the Gaels of Saint Mary's, the Canes' oh-so-encouraging season came to an end with a three-point loss to #2 seed Texas in the 2008 version of March Madness. I'm not talking about "Season Mode" for your EA Sports game either - this didn't happen on your PS3, but live on CBS, with the whole college basketball world watching.

Ray Hicks REALLY did hit those three-pointers (as hard as that remains to believe), and the Canes REALLY did almost advance to the Sweet Sixteen...almost. The '08-'09 version of Miami's hoops squadron shoulders the hopes and dreams of Miami basketball fans - remarkably more so than last year's team ever did.

Despite last year's undeniable success, the team was coming off a less-than-impressive 2006-2007 season, finishing in the cellar of the ACC at 12-20. Sure, Jack McClinton was coming off a great debut season for the Canes (16.7 ppg) as a sophomore and Dwayne Collins (8.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg) had enjoyed a solid freshman campaign, but what did you expect from the 07-08 team?

Did you expect to win six of the last eight ACC regular season games (after starting 2-6 in conference play)? Did you predict, on that fine February night, the Canes would take down a highly-ranked Duke squad? Did your pre-season predictions include a #7 seed for the tournament...NCAA, not NIT? If so, kudos to you. Please, go ahead and call me next week to help me with my NFL picks.

Times have changed. Long gone are Anthony King's lackluster inbounding days, the cries of Haith's Faithful for Stratton and Glover, and a three-point stroke Ray Hicks had been waiting for since 2004. McClinton: NBA draftee? DeQuan Jones: ACC Freshman of the Year? Frank Haith: Immortalized by season's end? As the program builds, the hype surrounding the season predictions and storylines build as well.

Can Dwayne "Teabag 'Em" Collins improve on a sophomore season which was usually positive, occasionally negative, but always made you get up out of your seat and scream? Can Lance Hurdle or Eddie Rios stabilize the offense to the next level and become a viable option so fans won't be crying for Malcolm Grant by season's end? What's the deal with Cyrus and Gamble, are they legitimate options in the post? Will fans have to deal with another embarrassing, godforsaken hotdog in the student section again?

I don't know whether Brian Asbury will finally step up his game, whether McClinton can continue to shoot the lights out of the BankUnited (and beyond), or whether DeQuan Jones will be the slasher the Canes needed all of last year. I don't know whether the Canes will land Durand Scott or John Wall, whether Tyler Hansborough will again be hailed with deservedly disgusting chants from the Beach, or whether or not James Dews will hit another shit-your-pants long-range three-pointer by season's end.

What I do know is this: the Canes aren't surprising anyone anymore, ladies and gentlemen. With a pre-season AP ranking of #17 and a huge target on the backs of those sleek-looking jerseys, the Canes will roll into play as typical favorites, no longer underdogs. Most had Saint Mary's in the second round of their brackets, most gamblers expected a beatdown at the hands of Varnado and Mississippi State, and most fans expected nothing after a disaster of a start in ACC play. To describe the 2008-2009 season for the Hurricanes (quoting Kanye himself): "Hi haters, we're back off hiatus, I feel just like you, I mean even I hate us."

With an official start date on the books as 11/15/08 at 7:30 PM, the 2009 season promises to be an interesting one. A tough Paradise Jam field including a potential match-up with UConn (and maybe even Wisconsin) awaits the team sooner rather than later , as do O.O.C. match-ups with touted programs like Ohio State and Kentucky. Florida Southern's up first, as two uninspiring pre-season match-ups with Barry and Florida Memorial have provided nothing of overly serious note other than a chance to enjoy the gorgeous new floor at the BUC.

I'll be here to watch it unfold with all of you starting this Saturday, and hopefully offer some useful commentary along the way. Doubtful, I know, but we'll see. You didn't think we'd have come this far in only a year either, did you? Then give me a chance too. I can't be worse than Dwayne Collins at the free-throw stripe, right?