CATEGORY 6

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Category 6 Recap: #21 Virginia 52 Miami 51

Miami fell behind early but fought back late, as Virginia just barely held on 52-51 last night in Charlottesville. Durand Scott had a chance to win it, but his last

Kenny Kadji had another double double last night.

second twisting lay-up attempt fell just short. Scott rebounded his own miss but could not get up another attempt before the clock expired. The ‘Canes rallied from a 26-17 first half deficit, to tie and even take the lead at several points in the second half. Kenny Kadji led UM with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Mike Scott was a force all night for UVA finishing with 23 points and 8 rebounds.

 

 Final Analysis:  The Category6 Crew is a bit hung over this morning from this loss (quite literally and figuratively) so we’ll keep this brief. With UNC up next, we hope the ‘Canes  recover quickly from this tough loss. Miami played valiantly but somehow we get the feeling the more talented team lost last night.  Give the Cavaliers credit for playing sticky defense all night. I know from talking to the www.streakingthelawn.com guys they are thankful UVA doesn’t face Miami again in the regular season. Miami has a few more chances to beat top teams this year, and they will need to capitalize at some point if they have NCAA ambitions.

 

What’s Next: Miami heads to Tobacco Road to challenge #3 North Carolina (Tuesday 9pm Raycom/ESPN3).

 

Miami (FL) Hurricanes Miami (FL)

Team Statistics: Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
M. Grant 35 3-12 2-8 0-0 1 5 1 2 0 0 3 8
R. Johnson 33 3-9 0-0 1-2 6 9 1 2 0 0 3 7
K. Kadji 36 5-10 1-2 3-4 4 10 0 3 0 1 3 14
D. Scott 34 4-12 0-2 4-4 1 3 3 0 1 0 1 12
T. McKinney Jones 28 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 3 0 2 3 0 2 0
R. Brown 12 1-3 1-2 1-2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
S. Larkin 12 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 4 0 2 0 0 1 0
D. Jones 10 2-2 1-1 1-1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 6
Totals   18-51 5-17 10-13 12 36 5 11 4 1 14 51
Percentages   .353 .294 .769   Team Rebounds: 1

Virginia Cavaliers Virginia

Team Statistics: Virginia Cavaliers
Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
M. Scott 33 9-20 0-1 5-7 3 8 1 0 1 0 2 23
S. Zeglinski 35 2-8 2-7 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 6
A. Sene 24 1-3 0-0 1-2 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 3
J. Evans 30 3-7 0-1 0-0 1 2 4 2 2 0 3 6
J. Harris 29 1-5 1-2 0-1 0 2 0 3 1 0 3 3
A. Mitchell 15 0-3 0-0 0-0 2 7 1 0 1 0 1 0
P. Jesperson 4 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
M. Brogdon 21 2-5 1-1 0-0 2 4 2 2 0 0 1 5
D. Atkins 9 2-2 0-0 0-0 1 3 0 0 0 1 1 4
Totals   21-55 4-13 6-10 10 30 10 7 5 1 15 52
Percentages   .382 .308 .600   Team Rebounds: 3

Game Info

Technical Fouls:
None
Arena:
John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Attendance:
11,283
Officials:
Karl Hess, Ray Natili, Sean Hull

Jimmy Graham: from Power Forward to Pro-Bowler!

Through 13 games this year, Graham has 80 catches 1101 yards and 8 touchdowns.

In 152 of 153 weeks a Miami Hurricane has scored a touchdown in the NFL, including the remarkable recently broken streak of 149 in a row. Superstars like Clinton Portis, Andre Johnson, Ed Reed, and Devin Hester highlight the list. UM is after all “NFL U”.  But in 2011 one ‘Cane has shined the brightest. Jimmy Graham is the best tight end in the NFL right now.

 

 

Back in 2007-08 UM’s hoops team was a scrappy bunch. Jack McClinton was the unquestioned star. Anthony King provided the inside punch, James Dews was

Sometimes a scream says 10,000 words.

McClinton’s sweet-shooting side kick, and Dwayne Collins was king of the thunderous dunk. They ended up being the last Miami team to make the NCAA Tournament, bowing out to a tough Texas team in the second round. Perhaps the least skilled but most fiery member of that team was a 6’8 250 hulk of a power forward named Jimmy Graham. He only averaged 4 points a game and 6 rebounds and was ALWAYS in foul trouble. When the guards dumped the ball down to him in the low post, my usual reaction was “no. no. no!”  But the kid played with heart. He set bone crushing screens, played great D when he wasn’t fouling, and quite frankly his primal screams after big dunks seemed to scare the other team and fire up the ‘Canes.

 

Below are some of the team’s highlights. Graham stars with a big block at 2:24, an incredible in-bounds save at 4:21, 7:03-7:13 well that speaks for itself, and 8:51-8:55 are exclamation points!

 

I can remember when I first heard that Jimmy Graham was going out for UM’s football team. I thought it might be a cool way for the basketball team to get some much deserved publicity, but thought little else of it. He scored a few touchdowns and looked real good at times, but I mostly remember his heart breaking drops in the Virginia Tech game. As a diehard basketball junkie, I rooted harder for him then anyone. He finished his lone year on the college gridiron with 17 catches 213 yards and 5 touchdowns. Not bad considering it was his first football action since 8th grade.  

 

Did I think Graham was on his way to NFL stardom? I absolutely did not. Do I think it is the coolest thing ever? That’d be an understatement. So while the University of Miami is and always will be unequivocally a football school, I encourage fans to take a closer look at the basketball program. You just might see Drew Brees’ future favorite target,  or something else really cool.

 

Some of Graham’s best on the football field:

 

Category 6 Recap: Miami 93 FAU 90 (2OT)

Reggie Johnson returned in a big way and Miami held on in a barn burner 93-90 over FAU in double overtime in the Orange Bowl Classic. Miami appeared

UM fans are all smiles not that Reggie Johnson is back.

to have the game under control up by 4 with just over a minute to go but a mysterious Reggie Miller like non-call on an obvious foul of Malcolm Grant lead to a turnover and opened the door for FAU. The miraculous turnaround was complete when Omari Grier hit a long three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left. UM again was up by three in the first OT when Grier struck again, hitting another tying three with 31 seconds left. Miami had a chance to win in OT but Reggie Johnson’s tip in at the buzzer sailed off the back rim. In the second OT the teams continued to trade big shot after big shot, and the ‘Canes were up by three yet again. Malcolm Grant was fouled with under ten seconds left and inexplicably missed both free throws. FAU rebounded and Raymond Taylor raced up court. The 5’6 Taylor, who was a headache all day for Miami, missed a three that would have sent the game into triple OT.

 

Player of the Game: Reggie Johnson (15 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast 5 blk). Who else? His presence was big on both ends of the floor. FAU had no answer for Big Reg! Pretty good for a guy who was supposed to get 6 or 7 minutes. Kenny Kadji gets an honorable mention with his big game.

 

Offensive Player of the Game: Kenny Kadji (21 pts 3-3 on 3 PT FGs). Could have gone with Johnson again here or Greer (27 pts 7-12 on 3 PT FGs) and Raymond Taylor (20 pts, 9 ast, and a gazillion circus shots) who were both spectacular for FAU. But in the 2nd half with FAU threatening to put up a big run, Kadji’s 2 clutch threes kept UM close.

 

Defensive Player of the Game: REGGIE REGGIE REGGIE!!  Aside from blocking shots, the big man drew two big charges. Florida Atlantic played a fearless game but Johnson’s presence kept them from taking it to the hoop every time.

 

The Good: Both teams shot the ball incredibly well (UM 14-20 on 3 PT

Rion Brown played a strong game for UM Saturday.

FGS FAU 15-29). Reggie’s return was as good as any UM fan could hope as he logged 36 minutes. Rion Brown(15 points 4-5 3 PT FGs) looked his sharpest so far this year.

 

The Bad: The rebounding was atrocious. Miami could not keep Florida Atlantic from dishing and kicking for open looks all game. Malcolm Grant (3-6 on FTs) seems to have lost his touch at the line.

 

The Ugly: The referees were awful. The push on Grant was one of many missed calls. At one point Shane Larkin was head butted on an awkward move by Taylor and called for a foul. The announcers on FSN did everything but high-five each other when FAU made a big play.

 

Offense: A+. For the first time all year there was a semblance of an inside-out game. Everyone knocked down open looks. The ball movement and passing was as crisp as it has been all year.

 

Defense: C-. The ‘Canes continue to give smaller teams second chance looks.

While they played hard, they did not do a good enough job keeping their man in front of them. Give FAU some credit here for making some amazing shots.

 

Next Game: Miami returns to action Thursday night at Charlotte (6-2) at 7:30 pm EST.

 

 

Florida Atlantic Owls Florida Atlantic

Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
D. Mavin 12 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 2 1 2 0 0 1 0
P. Bertone 42 2-12 1-4 1-2 1 6 2 2 0 2 4 6
R. Taylor 46 7-17 4-9 2-2 1 3 9 4 0 0 2 20
K. White 32 8-13 2-3 0-0 4 6 0 2 3 0 0 18
O. Grier 47 9-17 7-12 2-2 0 3 2 1 1 0 2 27
A. Mattison 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
A. Tucker 41 4-6 1-1 4-5 1 2 7 3 6 0 3 13
S. Richardson 4 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1
J. McCoy 21 2-4 0-0 1-2 3 6 0 1 0 0 5 5
Totals   32-71 15-29 11-14 11 28 21 16 10 3 18 90
Percentages   .451 .517 .786   Team Rebounds: 7

Miami (FL) Hurricanes Miami (FL)

Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
M. Grant 42 2-5 2-2 3-6 0 3 5 5 2 0 2 9
T. McKinney Jones 26 4-5 2-3 0-0 0 3 4 2 0 1 2 10
E. Swoope 10 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 2
D. Scott 45 7-11 2-5 2-2 0 1 2 4 0 0 3 18
K. Kadji 37 7-11 3-3 4-5 0 3 0 2 2 3 1 21
S. Larkin 27 1-3 1-2 0-0 0 2 4 2 1 0 3 3
R. Brown 27 5-7 4-5 1-2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 15
R. Johnson 36 4-6 0-0 7-10 2 9 5 2 1 5 3 15
Totals   31-50 14-20 17-25 2 22 20 18 7 10 17 93
Percentages   .620 .700 .680   Team Rebounds: 3

Miami Hurricanes Football: 5 to watch in 2012

Since the UM hoops team is out of action until Saturday against FAU, my attention has been diverted to football, at least temporarily. 2011 was an up and down year, but some real talent emerged. In 2012 I expect some players to make even further progress, and even a few who were lost in the shuffle to re-emerge. Here are my 5 to watch in 2012.

 

Allen Hurns. The 6’3 180 pound Hurns really reminds me a lot of Leonard

Allen Hurns has the ability to be a #1 reciever.

Hankerson. Early on Hurns was Jacory Harris’ go to target, but the emergence of soon to turn pro Tommy Streeter limited Hurns’ targets by the end of the year.  I expect Hurns to start opposite deep threat Phillip Dorsett, and be the Canes’ top receiver in 2012. It would not surprise me to see him to nearly double upon last year’s 31 catches 415 yards and 4 touchdowns.

 

Brandon Washington. The 6’4 330 pound Washington was a breakout star in 2010, earning all ACC honors as a guard. This year however Coach Al Golden and staff moved Washington to tackle, where he seemed to take a step back. With Seantrel Henderson healthy and the emergence of Jon Feliciano, I expect Washington to move back to guard. Washington has the ability to be a Brandon Moore (Jets) type at guard on the next level.

 

Clive Walford.The tight end position has been one of many

Clive Wafford has big time potential.

traditional power positions at “The U”. Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, and Greg Olsen among others have created quite the tradition. If Walford can continue to improve, the 6’4 235-pounder will easily surpass the 18 catches and 172 yards he produced in 2011. With his size and athleticism he reminds me some of Packers star Jermichael Finley.

 

Olivier Vernon. Vernon missed the first six games of the season due to suspension for his role in the Nevin Shapiro scandal. When he returned the rust showed as Vernon tallied just 1.5 sacks on the season in 6 games. Everyone knows Anthony Chickillo is going to be a star at the other defensive end, so expect Vernon to get more one-on-one chances next year. The 6’4 260-pounder has Jason Taylor type abilities if he can stay out of trouble.

 

James Gaines. With fellow Linebacker Denzel Perryman named a freshman

#59 Jimmy Gaines has a nose for the ball.

All-American by the CBS Sports, Gaines flew under the radar with 58 tackles including 3 for loss. He needs to add a little more bulk to his 6’3 220 frame to shed blockers, but I like how he finishes tackles and finds the ball. Perryman has been compared to Jonathan Vilma, but I liken Gaines to former Giant great Carl Banks.

 

Sleepers:

Thomas Finnie. The 5’10 170 pound Finnie was mentioned early and often by Coach Golden as a potential starter as a true freshman in the spring. When the season began the coaches went with more experienced guys in Brandon McGee and Wake Forest transfer Mike Williams. With a year of experience under his belt, expect Finnie to find his way back in the good graces of the coaches and use his 4.4 speed to make an impact to the Canes’ secondary.

 

Randy “Duke” Johnson. We fully expect Johnson to stick by his verbal commitment and come to UM next year. With Lamar Miller off to the NFL he may even start. Coming off of 375 yards and 3 touchdown in the class 5A Florida state semifinals, I am hearing folks compare “Duke” to former UM great Frank Gore.  (check out his highlights below)

 

Category 6 Preview: Miami (5-3) at West Virginia (5-2)

 (Editor’s note: Special thanks to “Country Roads” of www.smokingmusket.com for assisting on this preview and an advanced scouting report on West Virginia)

 

The Miami Hurricanes return to action Saturday night with a trip to

Coach Jim Larranaga will need Erik Swoope's muscle Saturday.

Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (7pm EST ESPN2). While UM will have plenty of chances to build an NCAA Tournament resume when ACC play begins, this may be their last and best chance to beat a “name” program out of conference. Coming off a dissapointing loss at home to Memphis, the ‘Canes face a Mountaineer team under the tutilage of Bob Huggins, that features a good mix of talented youth and experienced veterans. WVU looks to hold serve at home, having lost last year to the ‘Canes 79-76 in a thriller at Bank United Center. In that game Malcolm Grant lit it up with 26 points and several key hoops. This year Miami will need the same kind of strong performance from Grant, and for their bigs to contain 6’8 Kevin Jones (19.8 PPG 11.7 RPG 55% FGs), to come out victorious.

 

Projected Starting Lineups:

 

Miami

 

C Raphael Akpejori           6’10 230 SO
G Trey McKinney-Jones   6’5  216   JR

G Durand Scott                 6’4  198   JR
G Malcolm Grant               6’1  188   SN

G Shane Larkin                 5’11 160   FR

 

West Virginia

 

F Keaton Miles                   6’6 205    FR

F Kevin Jones                    6’8 260    SN

F Derniz Kilicli                   6’9 260    JN

G Darryl Bryant                 6’2 195    SN

G Jabarie Hinds                5’11 175  FR

 

 

Keys to the Game: Force West Virginia to settle for long range jumpers. WVU shoots 47% from the field, yet just 22% in threes and 60% from the line. They are at their best when they push the pace and get good inside looks for Jones and 6’9 Derniz Kilicli, who can hit jump hooks with either hand. Freshmen Aaron Brown & Jabarie Hinds shoot a high percentage of their limited looks from downtown (9-20 combined on the season through six games). But the combination of Jones and Darryl “Truck” Bryant probably shoot and miss enough trifectas to earn the infamous scowl of Huggins more then they’d like.

 

Get more shots in rhythm. Miami’s shooters are far better then they have

Malcolm Grant and Miami need to get the running game going.

shown so far this year. 39% from the floor as a team just isn’t going to cut it over the long haul. The biggest reason the ‘Canes have struggled shooting is their lack of consistent inside presence. Too often they have forced up shots with the shot clock about to expire. Kenny Kadji has shown some flashes in the low post of late. Miami needs to force the ball inside and get better looks using an inside-out game. Additionally they need to control the defensive glass and try to get opportunities in transition. This will be no easy task against a physical West Virginia front line.

 

Best Match-up: Daryl “Truck” Bryant vs Malcolm Grant/Durand Scott. NYC will be well represented in this one. The Brooklyn native Bryant has struggled shooting so far this season but so have fellow New York City natives Grant and Scott. Which of these NY guards can channel the playground ghosts of Kenny Anderson, Kemba Walker, and Mark Jackson?

 

Prediction: West Virginia will feed off the crowd and build an early lead. But UM will regain its poise behind the strong play of Grant, Scott, and Shane Larkin. WVU looked a bit vulnerable facing on the ball pressure against Kansas State, plus they had to endure 2 grueling overtimes in its win, so they may be fatigued. Larkin and Scott will give freshman guard Jabarie Hinds fits, The game turns on a late 3 pointer by Malcolm Grant. Miami 70 WVU 68.

 

Here is our full Q&A with ”Country Roads” of Smoking Musket. See our answers here.

 

C6:  What is the early vibe about West Virginia hoops? Who are thier key performers?
 
SM:WVU is definitely a young team this year, returning 2 seniors in Truck

WVU Seniors Kevin Jones & Daryl "Truck" Bryant lead the team

Bryant and Kevin Jones, junior center Deniz Kilicli, and Kevin Noreen, who played limited minutes early last year as a freshman before getting hurt.  As the veterans, Bryant, Jones, and Kilicli are definitely the keys.  For WVU to win, at least two of them have to play well, with Jones being the most consistent.  Bryant has not shot the ball well so far this year, and that has definitely hurt the Mountaineers.  As far as freshmen go, point guards Jabarie Hinds and Gary Browne have both shown flashes of ability, with Hinds exploding for something like 17 points against Akron last week.
 
C6:  Last game Miami struggled to contain Memphis’ Will Barton.  Do the Mountaineers have any one player who can take over a game?
 
SM: The short answer is no.  Kilicli has the ability to be dominant inside, but only for short stretches.  Jones is great, but relies too much on his teammates to say he can “take over a game.”  The closest would honestly be Hinds.  Against Akron, he scored 9 points and had a couple steals to fuel a first half surge for WVU.  He’s quick, plays quality defense, distribtues well, and can create his own shot better than any Mountaineer in recent memory.  But he’s still a freshman, so the likelihood of him doing that on a game-by-game basis is slim.
 
C6: What is the atmosphere like for a home game in Morgantown? Does the basketball team recieve the same support as football?
 
SM: It depends on the game.  WVU is definitely a football school and doesn’t really get into basketball until the bowl game is over and conference play starts.  Mountaineer fans can definitely be rowdy for big games, but can also be finicky and not get up (or even show up) for lesser matchups.  If you came for a matchup of a ranked WVU playing a ranked Syracuse, Pitt, or even Marquette, you would likely come away impressed.  If you come for the Miami game Saturday, you wouldn’t.  And that’s more a slight to the WVU fans than it is to Miami.  
 
C6:  If you pitted Jerry West from his days at WVU against Rick Barry from his days at UM, one on one,  who wins?
 
SM: I’m not betting against The Logo.  Ever.  Under any circumstances.  Especially one-on-one.  
 

C6: What are the expectations for West Virginia this yeat?  Are they an NCAA team?  What is your prediction for this game?
 
SM: I’m usually pretty optimsitc.  I feel like this is a team that will be on the NCAA bubble but will win a few key games late to sneak in.  WVU is young, but there is talent there, and I think come March, the talent will have developed to the point where we could be dangerous, especially at home.  At this point, I’ve barely watched WVU play (catching 2 full games and part of 1 other) let alone Miami.  Looking at the Hurricanes’ record, I see the OT loss to Ole Miss and I feel like WVU is probably comparable to the Rebels.  If this was on the road, I’d feel less confident but I think being at the Coliseum will give the Mountaineers the edge in a close one, 65-61.

 

Thanks again to ”Country Roads” of www.smokingmusket.com for assisting in this preview.

 

GO CANES!!

Category6 Preview: #22 Memphis (4-2) at Miami (5-2)

The Miami Hurricanes look to build off perhaps thier best performance of the

UM will need good team work to upset #22 Memphis

year with thier stiffest challenge to date, as the 22nd ranked Memphis Tigers visit the Bank United Center Tuesday night (9pm EST ESPN2). The ‘Canes, who showed poise and tenacity in defeating UMass 83-75 on Saturday, will need the same level of execution and effort when they face the long, quick, and athletic Tigers. Miami will have its’ hands full in particular with 6’6 shooting guard Will Barton and his 18.2 points and 6 rebounds per game. The ‘Canes will look to counter with freshman guard and emerging star Shane Larkin, who made his first career start on Saturday and looked smooth scoring 14 points. Last season UM opened up at Memphis and lost a tight battle 72-68.

 

Projected Starting Lineups:

 

Miami

C Raphael Akpejori           6’10 230 SO
G Trey McKinney-Jones  6’5  216   JR

G Durand Scott                 6’4  198   JR
G Malcolm Grant              6’1  188   SN

G Shane Larkin                 5’11 160   FR

 

Memphis

F Stan Simpson                6’10 235 JN

F Wesley Witherspoon    6’9 210  SN

G Will Barton                    6’6 175   SO

G Chris Crawford             6’4 205  SO

G Joe Jackson                  6’0 175  SO

 

 

Keys to the Game: Continue taking care of the ball. Miami has been superb so far this season in this category, averaging just over 10 turnovers a game. But in Memphis they will face a longer and more athletic version of UMass. Like the Minutemen, the Tigers like to press. But the difference is, Memphis features a 6’9 wing in Wesley Witherspoon with guard-link skills. It will be interesting to see if Jim Larranaga starts Larkin and Trey McKinney-Jones again. Larkin, McKinney Jones, Durand Scott, and Malcolm Grant give the ‘Canes four players on the floor at once that can handle the ball, but Larranaga may be forced to shuffle the deck some to counter the size of Memphis. The Tigers are particularly long when 6’6 freshman Adonis Thomas comes into the game. Memphis relies on steals and turnover to put points on the board in a hurry. They average 84.3 points per game, 10th nationally.

 

Kenny Kadji needs to hold his own.Whether coming off the bench or starting

Kenny Kadji came up huge against UMass

Miami needs the big presence of Mr. Kadji tonight. Kadji looked fantastic with 9 points 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win over UMass. More importantly he provided just enough intimidation to prevent opposing guards from driving comfortably to the hoop (see the Purdue game). Memphis is another slashing team and thier bigs, in particular 6’8 250 Tarik Black, are physically imposing. Kadji will need to play aggressive yet smart for the ‘Canes to pull the upset.

 

Best Match-up: The Benches. Both teams have gotten big boosts off the bench in thier wins. Against UMass Rion Brown played his best game of the season with 7 big points and some air tight defense. Erik Swoope has been a spark plug all season. Whichever line-up Larranaga chooses to start, the players who relieve them need to contibute to match the 9 deep rotation of Memphis. Thomas and Antonio Barton in particular can score in bunches.

 

 

News/Notes: Memphis assistant Luke Walton left the team, reportedly to seek a job in the NBA. Memphis is shooting 44.2% on three pointers this season, but have been out rebounded in all but one game. They should get help when 6’8 Ferrakohn Hall, a transfer from Seton Hall, becomes eligible on Dec. 15. Miami has made a three pointer in 318 consecutive games. Malcolm Grant has a trifecta in 30 consecutive.

 

Prediction: Make no mistake about it, UM has its hands full. Memphis wasn’t

Will Barton can really bring it for Memphis

ranked #8 preseason by accident. This is a team with supreme athleticism and talent. Thier lone losses were to a ranked Michigan squad, and a very good Georgetown team that is 7-1 and probably will be ranked soon. Nonetheless I like what I have seen of the ‘Canes of late, especially at home. This is a win that would look trememdous come Selection Sunday. The one weakness I see in Memphis is they are willing to jack quick shots, and can be made slightly uncomfortable in the half court. Look for Miami to play a very sound game defensively and pull it out down the stretch in a very tight contest, 79-77.

 

 

Category6 Preview UMass (6-2) at Miami (4-2)

(Editor’s note: Special thanks to Joseph Roche and sonsofmass.blogspot.com for assisting in this preview and advanced scouting on UMass)  

 

The Miami Hurricanes return to action on Saturday at the Bank United Center with a visit from the Massachusetts Minutemen (1pm EST on ESPNU). The Canes look to rebound from back to back losses against Mississippi and Purdue, while trying not to look ahead to huge upcoming battles against Memphis & West Virginia. In UMass Head Coach Derek Kellogg, Jim Larranaga will be facing a young coach he mentored on his staff at George Mason. Kellogg’s Minutemen like to push the pace, so the game should be fast and exciting. They also feature a deep bench and when on, typically score in the 80′s. UM’s defense, which has been a strength of the team so far, should face a pretty stiff challenge. In two games against the ACC this year UMass has had mixed results, destroying Boston College 82-46 before getting totally handcuffed against Florida State 73-53.

 

Projected Starting Lineups:

 

Miami

C Kenny Kadji               6’11 250  SO
F Erik Swoope              6’6  230  SO
G Garrius Adams          6’6  192  JR
G Durand Scott            6’4  198  JR
G Malcolm Grant          6’1  188  SN

 

UMass

C Sean Carter              6’9 225 SN

F Terrell Vinson          6’7 205 JR

F Javorn Farrell          6’5 180  JR

G Freddie Riley           6’5 175   JR

G Chaz Williams         5’9 175  SO

 

 

Key to the Game:  Pace. Minutemen point guard Chaz Williams has been the key to their attack this season averaging 13.9 points and 6.6 assists this season. While UMass has received steady contributions from several players, no one else on the roster averages double figures. Among steadily improving freshman Shane Larkin and veterans Malcolm Grant and Durant Scott, the Cane guards will need to keep the 5’9 Brooklyn native under control. Larkin has been particularly pesky as a defender and is coming off a monster second half against Purdue. Look for him to come off the bench early and draw the assignment on Williams. If UMass turns the game into a track meet, Miami could be in for a long day. The ‘Canes will also need to take care of the ball, as the Minutemen rely on heavy pressing and trapping on defense. Miami has turned the ball over just 10.5 times per game this season.

 

Best Match-ups:Durand Scott/Malcolm Grant/Shane Larkin  VS Chaz Williams/Freddie Riley. Once again the ‘Canes will face a team that leans on its’ backcourt heavily. For UMass Riley is a hot and cold scorer while Williams in the do it all little man. Scott has struggled at times this year, but his track record is better then the 12.5 points and 32.8% shooting he has averaged this year. Grant remains Miami’s best scorer, while Larkin is getting better every game and has been sensational of late. With UM now featuring a three-headed monster at guard and still short upfront, this is a match-up they’ll need to control to be successful on Saturday.

 

News/Notes: UM leads the all time series 2-0 with UM winning the last contest 77-76 in a thriller at the Mullins Center. Against Purdue, Jim Larranaga started 4 guards with forward Erik Swoope was the tallest starter on the floor at 6’6. It will be interesting to see if 6’11 Kenny Kadji gets back in the coaching staff’s good graces. UMass features great balance with 6 players averaging between 7 and 9 points per game.

 

Prediction: This game will really test Miami’s conditioning as UMass will push the pace early and often. But the ‘Canes calling card so far this season has been good solid defense, toughness, and effort so expect them to hang in. UM wing players Rion Brown and Garrius Adams have struggled shooting this year, but expect one if not both to break out and meet the challenge of UMass’s athletic and long roster. The Minutemen will come to play, but the Hurricanes will be too much at home. Miami 77 UMass 72.

 

Here is a full transcipt of our Q&A with Joseph Roche of sonsofmass.blogspot.com. Check out our Q&A with him here.

 

C6: What are the Minutemen’s strengths and weaknesses?  Which players should Cane fans take note of?

 

JR: The biggest strength that this team has is that of the 10 guys who see regular playing time, 9 of them are all between 6’5 and 6’9 which makes them essentially interchangeable which allows Derek Kellogg to throw a ton of guys at you, while running an up-tempo offense and pressing the daylights out of you full court for the entire game. If you don’t have a solid ball handling point guard the UMass defense can be very difficult to deal with. Also they can be a great three point shooting team (just ask Utah) — but they’re streaky and when the 3′s aren’t falling this team can’t beat anyone. The biggest weakness they have, and something I think they share with Miami is they simply don’t have any dominant size, which kills them if the 3′s aren’t falling and they’re forced to slow down the pace and run a half court offense, they really struggle to get the ball into the paint.

 

The player to watch is Chaz Williams, the 5’9 (though he’s more like 5’6) point guard is the engine of the UMass offense. If he’s able to distribute the ball and score 12 – 16 points then UMass will be able to hang with Miami. The other guy to watch is Freddie Riley who is the best scorer on the team, and is capable of scoring a lot of points in a short amount of time, unfortunately he’s also capable of going ice cold so he drives UMass fans crazy.

 

C6: What is the overall shape of the UMass basketball program? How much interest do fans show in the team?

 

 

JR: The University essentially allowed the basketball program to die after the Calipari golden years, and the fall-out from Marcus Camby-gate with a string of terribly over-matched coaches who simply weren’t capable of recruiting top tier talent. That all changed when Travis Ford took over from Steve Lappas and the fans started to come back when the Minutemen made their run to the NIT finals. Since Ford has gone and Derek Kellogg has taken over the team has made a real effort to ingrain themselves in the local market, the last two years they simply weren’t that good and they ran a boring motion offense. This year they have turned some heads with their style of play but they have a LONG way to go before the people in this area are paying attention to the UMass basketball team the way they pay attention to the professional sports teams in the winter in these parts.

 

C6: Does UMass look like an NCAA team?

 
JR: Yes, FINALLY. Other than Chaz Williams, the UMass squad actually looks to be made up of athletes who actually look — athletic. I know that sounds strange but trust me this team used to be a mixed bag of 6’7 centers, 5’5 point guards and more 6’3 shooting guards than any team in the country. It has taken Derek Kellogg three years to finally bring in the type of player that he wants, the type of player that he had in Memphis, and while they’re not as talented as those teams, when you see UMass take the court you actually think you’re looking at a basketball squad, which is a nice change.

 

C6: Where do the Minutemen fall in the pecking order of Boston Sports fans?

 

 

JR: I’d say they’re somewhere above the Boston Cannons. In Boston the professional teams are the kings, there is no doubt. As far as college athletics go there isn’t much of a fan base. The BC football and basketball teams have small fanbases, and everyone knows the Harvard football team when they play Yale. UMass has a top of the line facility and is desperately trying to tap into the New England media market by joining the MAC in football, playing their games at Gillette Stadium and working to get the basketball team on more televised events (like the Battle 4 Atlantis). The team still has a long way to go and until they win some of these games against recognized conferences they’ll never gain a foothold in this area.

 

Thanks again to Joseph Roche and sonsofmass.blogspot.com.

 

GO CANES!