Michigan State will be a huge challenge.

Tuesday, November 27
No. 13 North Carolina at No. 1 Indiana
No. 6 NC State at No. 5 Michigan
No. 25 Minnesota at Florida State
Maryland at Northwestern
Iowa at Virginia Tech
Nebraska at Wake Forest

Wednesday, November 28
No. 8 Ohio State at No. 15 Duke
Virginia at No. 22 Wisconsin
No. 9 Michigan State at Miami
Purdue at Clemson
Georgia Tech at Illinois
Boston College at Penn State

Where will Ray Ray Amstrong go in the Draft next year, you ask?

Ray Ray Armstrong, S. 6’4 215. 1st Round Dallas Cowboys. Amstrong becomes the first ‘Cane since Kenny Phillips in 08′ to get picked in the 1st Round. Following a huge senior year Ray Ray finds his way to the top of the Cowboys board and joins Morris Claiborne in a very young and talented secondary. Jerry Jones starts to fit the team for Super Bowl rings immediately after the selection.

Vaughn Telemaque, S. 6’2 211. 3rd Round Baltimore Ravens. With the  proud & legendary career of Ed Reed winding down, the Ravens take a stab at another UM safety who was once compared by Randy Shannon to Reed.

Mike James, RB. 5’11 222. 3rd Round Green Bay Packers. The rugged James draws raves for his goal line running and sure hands out of the backfield. Lack of breakaway speed and lost carries to Duke Johnson keeps him on the board this long. Aaron Rodgers has a new weapon.

Mike James has a nose for the end zone.

Brandon McGee, CB. 6’0 190. 3rd Round New York Jets. Coach Rex Ryan and staff barely hold on to their jobs after another disappointing year. They draft McGee to replace the overrated Antonio Cromartie,  who they subsequently trade for a seventh rounder.

Darius Smith, DT. 6’2 360. 4th Round New England Patriots. Brought in to back up and learn from  the ageless Vince Wilfork, another former UM star at DT,

Jake Wieclaw, K. 6’2 195. 7th Round Washington Redskins. After former Seminole Graham Gano costs the team a few games, Mike Shanahan demands they draft a new kicker.

Andrew Swasey, DB. 5’10 205. 7th Round New York Giants. The Giants love DBs from the U, and Swasey uses a surprisingly impressive senior season to get an NFL look.

Ramon Buchanan, LB. 6’1 222. 7th Round Miami Dolphins. The Phins also love UM products. Buchanan gets a shot despite losing playing time to younger players as the season progresses.

CJ Holton, FB. 6’1 240. UFA Cleveland Browns. The Browns bring in the powerful Holton to lead block for Trent Richardson and play special teams.

Kendal Thompkins, WR. 5’10 182. UFA Buffalo Bills. Thompkins impresses Buffalo enough with his quickness to get a look in training camp.

While more players could make this list should they leave early, we expect most of UM’s underclassmen to stay as Al Golden and company start to build something special in Coral Gables.

Stay tuned for more projections as the season gets closer.

Here’s a look at current UM Alumni in the NFL (special thanks to procanes.com)

# 11 Ryan Williams will battle Stephen Morris for the starting QB job.

Freshman QBs Gray Crow and Preston Dewey both appear to be redshirt candidates heading into the fall. While both have tremendous upside, neither looks to be in position to challenge as a starter at this stage in their careers……

The most improved unit on the team could be Defensive Back.

“I really like how the DBs moved around and swarmed to the ball”,

said Carnell Jenkins, who attended the spring game at Sun Life Stadium.

“Brandon McGee looked especially good.”

McGee joins freshman Larry Hope and transfer Ladarius Gunter having nice springs, as well as veteran Ray Ray Amstrong. The unit will get even better when incoming freshman Deon Bush and Tracy Howard arrive in the fall. Could the days when guys like Ed Reed, Phillip Buchanon, and Mike Rumph dominated, be returning?…….

Miami's current group of DBs may be the best since the days of Ed Reed.

Speaking of the DBs, Miami’s depth chart currently lists AJ Highsmith as the starter at Strong Safety over Senior Vaughn Telemaque. Telemaque came to UM with a lot of hype but has had an up and down career.  Look for VT to regain his starting role by the fall and provide veteran leadership to a young and talented secondary…..

While the DBs maybe the most improved, the O-Line should be the best unit on the team.  Here’s a look at how they could line up:

LT Malcolm Bunche: the massive and talented Bunche may eventually be supplanted by Seantrel Henderson, but for now the job appears his to lose.

LG Jermaine Johnson: Something tells me come fall, Jon Feliciano will be manning this spot. Feliciano line up last year at RT, but appears to have the power and mean streak of a top line guard.

C Shane McDermott: McDermott could be a future all conference player.

RG Brandon Linder: Linder is as talented as McDermott, and could play C should he falter.

RT Seantrel Henderson: Perhaps the most talented player regardless of position on the roster, Seantrel could end up at LT. This guy is a future NFL 1st rounder……….

If Seantreal Henderson stays healthy, he could be a beast.

With the group above leading the way Mike James, Eduardo Clements, and freshman Duke Johnson & Dallas Crawford might get chances to break some long runs this year.

Sophmore DE Anthony Chickillo is coming off a tremendous freshman year, and should produce double-digit second numbers this season.

The sky is the limit for Anthony Chickillo

WRs Rayshawn Scott and Phillip Dorsett had solid springs. Scott was awarded the most improved offensive player by the coaches, and could team up with Dorsett and Sophomore Allen Hurns to form a nice trifecta of targets for the ‘Canes.

Summary: Miami has some nice pieces but remains a very very young team. The QB position remains a huge question mark. Either Williams or Morris will have to exceed expectations for UM to challenge for their first ACC crown. The offense will also sorely miss the huge play ability of Lamar Miller.

The linebackers are young and undersized. Head Coach Al Golden and Defensive Coordinator Mark D’Onofrio will have to find the right combination of players on the front 7 to improve on last year’s mediocre run defense.

That being said the O Line is filled with studs. The DBs have just the right mix of veterans and superstar newcomers to be one of the best groups in the country this year. Anthony Chickillo, Denzel Perryman, and Mike James are poised to have break out years.

Coach Golden and staff have their work cut out for them. If the spring is any indication, there are some definate speed bumps to overcome,  but this is a team with a very bright future ahead of them.

Shelton Douthett comes to all UM games looking ready to rumble!!

In October 2009 Shelton and his family faced the unthinkable. Shelton’s brother Wayne, just 23, passed away tragically from complications of pneumonia. Wayne had always been an inspiration to Shelton, overcoming mild autism to not only be Shelton’s inspiration but also his best friend. It was Wayne’s courage that lead the way for Shelton to volunteer at the Marian Center, with special needs children. The very same place where his brother had grown, learned so much at, and later graduated from.

So when Wayne asked Shelton from his hospital bed to do something different, to attend a game in full uniform, the answer was obvious. How could he not?

Shelton attended his first ever bowl game, the Champs Sports Bowl, in full uniform!! When his brother and best friend passed away 2 weeks after making the request, it was only natural that Shelton honor Wayne by starting a tradition.

Not only does Shelton look incredibly cool, he honors the memory of Wayne each and every game.

So when you see Shelton at a game looking as if he’s ready to light an opposing team’s slot receiver, remember he’s there for a special cause. Of course the man bleeds orange and green. But sometimes in this life there are more important things then the game on the field. Fortunately for us all, the game can sometimes bring attention to the larger issues we all face.

The Memory of Wayne Douthett lives on via the Foundation his parents started in his memory:

Its called the Wayne Douthett Jr. Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

Please donate by sending a check of any amount to:

17727 NW 18th AVE  
Miami Gardens, FL 33056
or log on to www.mariancenter.org.

We can not thank Shelton enough for sharing his story. ‘Cane family, we need to stick together.  Please if possible, give to the memory of Wayne Douthett, and help other children in need.

The 11-12 ‘Canes Hoops Timeline:

April 5, 2011: Frank Haith resigns after 7 mediocre seasons in Miami, One NCAA Tournament appearance, and 129-101 record. Little did we know at the time the Haith era was unfortunately, far from over.

April 23, 2011: In a surprise move Miami announces the hiring of former George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga. Many speculated UM would make a run at Kansas State’s Frank Martin. But the ‘Canes instead go with the 61-year-old Larranaga who brings an energetic approach and Final Four experience to Coral Gables.

May 5, 2011: Josh invents “Category 6″ a grassroots movement/blog site designed on building support for Miami’s traditionally under supported hoops team, as well as all things UM. ‘Canes hoops, the Blog world as we know it, and our lives (or lack there of) will never be the same.

July 1, 2011: C Reggie Johnson suffers a torn meniscus in a pickup game with teammates. Johnson who is perhaps Miami’s most important player, is expected to miss 5-6 months.

August 23, 2011: C/F Julian Gamble tears his ACL and is out for the year. With Johnson already down, Miami’s front court is suddenly extremely thin before a single game is played.

November 10, 2011: On the eve of the hoops season UM announces that F DeQuan Jones, their most athletic player, will sit out the entire season amidst allegations his family received $10,000 from Nevin Shapiro to commit to Miami.

The loss of DQJ hurt UM early.

December 17, 2011: Reggie Johnson returns to the line-up and UM beats FAU 93-90 in OT. Johnson goes for 15 points 9 rebounds 5 assists and 5 blocks in one of his two best performances of the year.

December 21st 2011: With the help of his attorney, DeQuan Jones is reinstated after missing 10 games. The Shapiro allegations as they pertain to DQJ seem to be completely debunked. Miami suddenly seems like a deep and dangerous squad.

December 22nd, 2011: In tragic news, Malcolm Grant’s 36-year-old brother Yatti, dies of a heart attack. Grant would miss the next 2 games and struggle though out the year. The tragedy reminds us all that there are more important things in life than basketball.

Malcolm Grant suffered through a very difficult year personally.

January 21, 2012: G/F Garrius Adams, who began the year as a starter has knee surgery and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Coach L also announced that freshman G Bishop Daniels is injured and will redshirt this season.

January 22, 2012: Miami loses to NC State 78-73 at home. UM shoots just 2-20 from downtown. After the game Coach L questions the teams intensity.

February 5, 2012: Miami extends its winning streak to 5 in a row with a shocker, defeating Duke 78-74 in OT on the road. Reggie Johnson is a man amongst boys with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and suddenly the ‘Canes are mentioned as an NCAA Tournament caliber team.

Reggie Johnson destroys Duke.

A Star is Born???  Over a 5 game stretch streak Kenny Kadji is unstoppable, averaging 17.5 ppg 8.1 rpg 2.0 blcks and knocks down 8-16 from long-range.

February 15, 2012: In one of the most outrageously one-sided officiated games you will ever see, Miami loses AT HOME to UNC 73-64. The ‘Canes build an early lead and play extremely well at times, but can not overcome a 23-8 FT advantage for the Heels. Miami now sits squarely on the NCAA bubble coming down the stretch.

February 21, 2012: Miami loses a heart breaker 75-70 at Maryland. UM controls the game through out but fails to execute down the stretch. Miami goes nearly 9 minutes with out a FG and gives up several huge offensive rebounds in the collapse. The ‘Canes NCAA hopes seem to be faded.

February 26, 2012: Just hours before a critical game against FSU, Miami announces that Reggie Johnson is ineligible due to travel benefits his family received from the previous coaching staff (Haith).

Reggie was forced to sit out against FSU.

Despite not having Johnson in the line-up Miami plays perhaps their best game of the season, annihilating FSU 78-62 behind a strong performance from Durand Scott. Miami’s NCAA hopes suddenly are revitalized.

Perhaps the highlight of UM's season.

February 29, 2012: Miami shoots itself in the foot by losing 77-73 to fellow bubble opponent NC State. Miami loses despite the reinstatement of Johnson earlier in the day.

March 9 2012: After defeating GT in the first round of the ACC Tournament, Miami is set to face FSU in the quarterfinals in their most important game of the season. Just hours before tip-off it is announced that Durand Scott is ineligible for receiving improper benefits from the previous coaching staff (Haith). In an atrociously officiated game, UM is defeated 82-71. Their bubble appears to have burst.

March 14, 2012: UM announces Scott will be reinstated after serving a 6 game suspension. Miami defeats Valpo 66-50 in the first round of the NIT.

March 19, 2012: The ‘Canes play perhaps their worst game of the season and lose at home to Minnesota in a near empty Bank United Center. The season, ends sadly.

Overall the season can not be judged as either a failure or a success. While the team did not accomplish its goals, it would be hard to argue that any team in America faced more distractions, adversity, or flat-out bad luck than Miami.

2011-12 Noteworthy:

Newcomers Shane Larkin, Trey McKinney-Jones, and Kenny Kadji all showed incredible promise.

Larkin, just a true freshman, saved his best for last. The son of hall-of-fame baseball player Barry Larkin, averaged 7.4 ppg 2.5 rpg 2.5 apg and 1.6 stls. Larkin may already be one of the quickest players in the country and played exceptionally well at the end of the season. If his floor game improves he could become a superstar.

Shame Larkin could be the key to UM's fate next season.

McKinney Jones averaged 7 ppg 3.5 rpg and shot 37.5 % from downtown. TMJ hit several clutch shots throughout the year and at times was Miami’s most consistent player.

TMJ had a solid first year at UM.

Kadji finished the year averaging 12.0 ppg 5.4 rpg 1.6 blcks, and shot 42.4% from downtown. At times K2 was the ‘Canes best player. At 6’11 he needs to improve on his rebounding. If he does not only will he be an ALL ACC player, he will find himself in the NBA.

While Rion Brown averaged only 6.9 ppg on the season, expect more from him next year. Brown averaged 14.7 ppg over the last 4 games of the season. Along with the prettiest stroke on the team, Brown showed off explosive athleticism in 11-12. Expect his star to rise with the graduation of Malcolm Grant opening up minutes next season.

What needs to happen next year for Miami to dance??

1) Reggie Johnson needs to return to the form that made him a star as a sophomore. Johnson really only played to his potential 2 or 3 times all season. The injury and conditioning clearly hurt Big Reg.

2) Kenny Kadji needs to get stronger. Kadji is an incredibly skilled big man. But the ‘Canes gave up far too many offensive rebounds this year. Kadji can really elevate his game to the next level by getting stronger and becoming a force on the glass next year.

Kenny Kadji is a force.

3) Shane Larkin takes over the team. Larkin’s talent, hustle, and skills are undeniable. If he takes the reigns and becomes the all world point guard he is capable of becoming, Miami is a very dangerous squad.

4) Durand Scott has a big senior season. Scott plays all out all the time. Scott was solid this year averaging 12.9 ppg 5.4 rpg and 3.1 apg. But I can’t help but feel Scott left some plays on the floor during crunch time.

5) Rion Brown becomes a consistent force.  Nuff said.  His ability is obvious.

Rion Brown could be huge next year.

With that being said an entertaining season is concluded with the hopes that next year promises to be just as exciting, more successful, and less eventful off the court.