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2011-12 Miami Hurricanes Basketball: A Roller Coaster Season and the Birth of Category 6.

Miami’s up and down season came to a thudding end last night with a disappointing loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NIT. But we would be remiss if we did not reflect on that was if nothing else an eventful year.

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.

 

‘Canes overcome injury, chop down Wake Forest 74-56

Coming off two tough close losses to some of the ACC’s best, Miami’s MASH unit looked to get back in the win column. Despite taking a nasty tumble at the end of the UNC game and injuring his knee, Miami’s hard-nosed junior guard Durand Scott (18pts, 7reb, 3ast, 3stl) demonstrated Wolverine-like recuperative powers as he was all over the court and had plenty of lift when finishing at the rim.

Reggie Johnson (6pts, 8reb, 2ast, 1stl, 1blk) and Garrius Adams (6pts, 2reb, 1ast) – the other walking wounded for the ‘Canes – both contributed. Johnson struggled to get into rhythm the 1st half but was effective on the boards and served as a facilitator as the ‘Canes racked-up open trifecta attempts against the quickly-collapsing Wake zone. The action was the first for Adams since he suffered a torn meniscus several weeks ago. Having Adams back does a world for the ‘Canes versatility as Adams has a wide-range of skills – including hitting the 3.

Kenny Kadji (18pts, 5reb, 1blk) was a difficult match-up for Wake. The highly-skilled face-up PF demonstrated his entire arsenal. Rion Brown (11pts, 6reb, 3ast, 1stl) continued his high-flying antics and seems to improve every time out. Brown again had the play of the game in taking a perfectly thrown lob by Kadji that he caught way above the rim and put down over a Wake Forest defender. Category 6 spoke with Brown just yesterday. If you haven’t seen the clip, watch below. Warning – the audio was less than stellar so be sure to bring patient ears.

Rion Brown (15) goes way up to grab the Kadji lob and finishes with authority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malcolm Grant (9pts, 3reb, 6ast) hit some early 3′s and found his teammates with crisp passes. The trio of Trey McKinney Jones, Shane Larkin and DeQuan Jones didn’t score much, but their defense and patience offensively allowed the ‘Canes to find vulnerable chunks of the Wake zone to exploit.

The path the game took was very congruent to the preview Category 6′s own Jerry put together. Wake was able to hold it close by halftime but it was all UM in the 2nd frame. Wake Forest was hot in the 1st half, but their magic pixie dust ran out against a much bigger team in the Hurricanes. Miami smelled blood and nailed shot after shot, ultimately building an insurmountable lead.

Player of the Game: Durand Scott. It was a difficult choice between Scott and Kadji, but Scott was listed as “questionable” and seemed to shrug off an ugly looking knee injury in the waning moments of the UNC game to come back and decimate Wake Forest. Another thing . . . the term “warrior” in sports tends to get thrown around carelessly at times. Make no bones about it: Durand Scott is a “warrior”.

Durand Scott (1) helped the 'Canes trounce Wake Forest.

Offensive Player of the Game: We’ll go with Kadji here. Both Scott and Kadji finished with 18pts and were incredibly efficient.

Defensive Player of the Game: Team effort, but the nod goes to the omnipresent Scott.

Next Game: Wednesday, Feb. 21st @ Maryland. 8PM tip-off. In order for Miami to further their push for an NCAA bid, the ‘Canes will have to go into Maryland and defeat the Terps. These two teams met in Coral Gables earlier in the season and the ‘Canes won a thrilling 2OT contest. In that game the ‘Canes were without Kadji’s services. In this game K2 will be on the floor and will be a factor in the outcome.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
STARTERS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
C.J. Harris, G 5-13 2-5 2-2 1 3 5 2 0 1 1 14
Chase Fischer, G 5-9 2-4 0-0 1 4 3 2 0 0 0 12
Travis McKie, F 3-8 1-3 3-5 0 6 1 1 0 3 2 10
Tony Chennault, G 1-3 1-3 2-2 0 0 3 1 0 3 5 5
Nikita Mescheriakov, F 2-4 0-2 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 2 2 4
BENCH FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Carson Desrosiers, C 3-9 1-4 0-0 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 7
Ty Walker, C 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 4 0 0 2 1 0 2
Daniel Green, F 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 2
Ryan Keenan, F 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
20-48 7-21 9-11 4 23 12 7 3 12 12 56
41.7% 33.3% 81.8%
Miami (FL) Hurricanes
STARTERS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Kenny Kadji, F-C 8-12 2-2 0-1 3 5 0 0 1 1 1 18
Durand Scott, G 7-11 2-3 2-2 3 7 3 3 0 0 0 18
Malcolm Grant, G 3-11 3-10 0-0 1 3 6 0 0 3 0 9
Reggie Johnson, C 3-7 0-0 0-0 1 8 2 1 1 1 3 6
Shane Larkin, G 1-5 1-5 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 2 2 3
BENCH FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Rion Brown, G 5-9 1-3 0-0 2 6 3 1 0 0 2 11
Garrius Adams, G 2-5 2-4 0-0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 6
Trey McKinney Jones, G 1-3 1-3 0-0 2 3 1 0 0 1 2 3
DeQuan Jones, G-F 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
Erik Swoope, F 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Justin Heller, G 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
30-65 12-30 2-3 13 37 19 5 3 10 11 74
46.2% 40.0% 66.7%

ACC Basketball: State of the ‘Canes Hoops

Before we go forward it is sometimes necessary to take a quick glance back. You know, like when you’re struggling to get over to the left lane on the 836 to head north on 95 (or whatever dreadful highway is in the city you reside) and you’ve got to look or it could be smash-up city. Before Johnson’s injury healed, before the suspension was revoked, and before anyone knew anything tangible about Kenny Kadji, Shane Larkin and Trey McKinney Jones, Category 6 was sticking its neck out and made some bold predictions. Let’s see how some of them stack up as we are now halfway through the ACC basketball slate. Miami sits at 14-7 (5-3).

“I expect Miami to lose a few of the early season out of conference games, but finish strong. 20-9 overall and 10-6 & third place in the ACC seems very reasonable with this squad. From there I’d expect about a #5 seed in the NCAA tournament and a sweet 16 run, maybe more if this team clicks.” – Jerry, Nov. 2nd, 2011.

With Julian Gamble out for the season and until Big Reg gets back, Kadji is the man down low. Kadji sees himself as a Lamar Odom type with versatility to do it all. But early on the Canes need him to do the dirty work, set good screens, rebound, and block shots. Kadji may end up being one of the most talented guys on the roster, but with UM short handed up front, they need him to maximize all of his 6’11 frame. - Jerry, Nov. 2nd, 2012

Pretty spot on so far. It seems we’ve entered the domain of the “clicking point”. Miami has won 4 of its last 5 games and is on an absolute tear. After downing Duke at Cameron, Miami is poised to make some more noise as ACC play continues. Right now Miami is sitting pretty at 14-7 (5-3) with 8 games left. Kadji has been a revelation on both ends of the floor and as one of the emotional leaders on the ‘Canes.

Miami Hurricanes Rankings:

AP Poll

NR

RPI

#37

SOS

#33

SOS Projected

#34

The chart above references RPI and SOS. The closer to #1 the better for a ticket to the dance.

RPI: The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. Created in 1981, the RPI is a tool used in selecting and seeding the 68 teams for the NCAA Men’s basketball Division I tournament. RPI data includes games against Division I schools only.

SOS: The SOS (Strength of Schedule) is similar to the RPI. The numbers are consistent from each computer model.

ACC standings/Season Miami Hurricanes splits:

Team

W-L

Conf

Split

W-L

Pct
1 North Carolina

20-3

7-1

 Home

9-2

0.818
1 Florida State

16-6

7-1

 Away

4-5

0.444
3 Duke

19-4

6-2

 Neutral

1-0

1.0
4 NC State

17-7

6-3

 Conference

5-3

0.625
5 Virginia

18-4

5-3

 Conf Home

2-1

0.667
5 Miami (FL)

14-7

5-3

 Conf Away

3-2

0.6
7 Maryland

13-9

3-5

 Conf Neutral

0-0

-
7 Clemson

11-11

3-5

 Top 25

1-2

0.333
9 Virginia Tech

13-10

2-6

 RPI 1-50

1-4

0.2
10 Wake Forest

11-12

2-7

 RPI 51-100

2-3

0.4
10 Georgia Tech

9-14

2-7

 RPI 101-150

3-0

1.0
10 Boston College

7-16

2-7

 RPI 151-200

4-0

1.0
RPI 200+

4-0

1.0

 

Tennessee Tech 16-9 (8-4), 2nd place in the Ohio Valley Conference: Miami took the home opener with a 69-58 win over Tech. Trey McKinney Jones and Erik Swoope asserted themselves on both ends of the floor to give the undermanned ‘Canes their first victory of the season. 1-0

Rutgers 12-12 (4-7), 10th place in the Big East Conference: At the time the 72-57 win looked more impressive statistically. Rutgers had been playing well while missing big-time freshman Kadeem Jack. Shane Larkin played in his first game and Kadji had his first solid game for the ‘Canes. K2 was 0-1 from 3-point range in that contest. I’m sure the sight of the ‘Canes only big man launching a three caused some worry for ‘Canes fans early . . . but we now know that Kadji has a great stroke from beyond the arc. Note: he was 4-5 from long-range against Duke. 2-0

North Florida 12-13 (6-6), 6th place in the Atlantic Sun Conference: Miami’s 75-62 drubbing of the Ospreys looked more lopsided on paper than it actually was. The ‘Canes struggled in this game and let a huge 18-point 2nd half lead dwindle to 6 before finally putting North Florida away. At this point the mantra was that the team would be different when Reggie Johnson returned from injury. At this point it was certain DeQuan Jones would miss the entire season. Now both points seem moot. 3-0

Florida Gulf Coast 12-11 (7-5), 4th place in the Atlantic Sun Conference: Miami struggled with another inferior team. Still, the 60-50 win was the team’s 4th in a row. Malcolm Grant was money from the line and his ability to get to the line late sealed the win for the ‘Canes. 4-0

@Mississippi 14-8 (4-4), 5th place in the SEC: Miami lost this one 61-64 in overtime. Malcolm Grant had another big game and tried to keep the ‘Canes in it, but eventually the Hurricanes fell. Trey McKinney Jones also came up big. This is one of those games you look at now and can’t help but think the full complement of ‘Canes would have pulled out the win. The Category 6 mantra was to wait until Reggie Johnson was back before passing judgment on the team. 4-1

@Purdue (15-8) 5-5, 5th place in the Big Ten: This is another game where Big Reggie could have made a big difference as Miami was brutalized inside by Purdue and fell 65-76. Kenny Kadji only played 2 ineffective minutes before Coach Larranaga pulled him from the game and he didn’t return. The reason I bring this up is that it seemed to be a turning point for Kadji who is playing like one of the best big men in the ACC – if not the country. One of the best things about this game for Category 6 was working with T-Mill over at www.hammerandrails.com. He’s a Boilermaker married to a ‘Cane, so he’s a ‘Cane fan as long as they’re not playing Purdue. 4-2

UMASS 17-6 (6-3), 2nd place in the Atlantic 10: As it stands, the thrilling 83-75 win over UMASS served two purposes: 1) it remains Miami’s strongest out of conference win of the season; 2) it was the game where we saw a nice glimpse of the player Kenny Kadji was going to become over the next several weeks. Kadji had a massive block on one end that buried any hopes of a UMASS comeback and then K2 dunked on the other end with authority. 5-2

Memphis 16-7 (6-2), 3rd place in Conference USA: This game was an unmitigated disaster as the ‘Canes were thumped 71-54. It reminded me of watching clips of the NBA jam video game. Will Barton put on a dunking clinic the way Oscar De La Hoya believed he put on a boxing clinic against Felix Trinidad all those years back. Again, we try to have fun with the losses, so check out the recap here 5-3

@West Virginia 16-8 (6-5), 8th place in the Big East: This game fell apart in a hurry as the ‘Canes were “trucked” by Darryl Bryant in a 66-77 loss. ‘Canes fans were concerned about Coach Larranaga’s inaugural season turning into a montage of terrible and crawly nightmares. The post-game recap was really funny; read it here  5-4

Florida Atlantic 9-14 (5-5), 2nd place in the Sun Belt Conference –East: This game marked the real “beginning” of the season as the ‘Canes took it 93-90 in OT. Miami had been beaten-up inside in all their losses but had reason to celebrate: Reggie Johnson was back from injury and played a strong 36 minutes. His return sparked the ‘Canes as the inside/outside game went into high gear. Kadji’s 21pts started a string of incredible games that is still rolling along. 6-4

Charlotte 11-11 (3-6), 10th place in the Atlantic 10: Miami downed Charlotte 76-61 and continued to shoot the ball well with Johnson back in the lineup and his return also seemed to open things up for Kadji who finished with 18pts, 10reb, and 2blks. 7-4

Appalachian State 9-13 (5-7), 4th place in the Southern Conference – North: Miami clobbered Appalachian State 84-54. It was the basketball equivalent of the worst, most horrifying scenes from the movie Deliverance. 8-4

UNCG 9-15 (7-5), 2nd place in the Southern Conference – North: In a tough, high-scoring game Miami prevailed 99-89. Kadji went ballistic with 30pts, 12reb, and 2blks and it was enough to help counter the ridiculous effort by UNCG’s Trevis Simpson. 9-4

@Virginia 18-4 (5-3), 5th place in the ACC: Miami lost a close one 51-52 and had a chance to win the game on the last possession of the contest. This was a devastating loss at the time because Miami was a more talented team. Still, Mike Scott was quite a beast and will be playing in the NBA next season. 9-5

@North Carolina 20-3 (7-1), 1st place in the ACC: Miami was pummeled 56-73 by the Tar Heels. The ‘Canes were demolished on the boards. Category 6 snuck into the ACC Headquarters on a covert operation and burned the master copies of the game film. 9-6

Clemson 11-11 (3-5), 7th place in the ACC: Miami downed Clemson 76-73 to secure their first ACC win of the season. The ‘Canes won a close one in one of the worst officiated games of all time. The recap is good for a laugh if you haven’t read it. Check it out here. 10-6

N.C. State 17-7 (6-3), 4th place in the ACC: Miami shot 2-20 from beyond the arc in a 73-78 loss to N.C. State. This game may have been a turning point in the season. Coach Larranaga took off the kid’s gloves in the press conference and the team has rallied since. 10-7

@Georgia Tech 9-14 (2-7), 10th place in the ACC: Miami steamrolled Georgia Tech 64-49. Kadji and Grant went nuts pacing the ‘Canes to . . . gasp . . . an easy road win in the ACC! 11-7

@ Boston College 7-16 (2-7), 10th place in the ACC: Miami relied on a 2nd half run to obliterate Boston College 74-54. 2nd ACC road win in a row. 12-7

Maryland 13-9 (3-5), 7th place in the ACC: Miami needed double OT to de-shell the Terps 90-86. In what one of the announcers called “one of the most exciting games in ACC history” Miami was without Kadji, who had sustained a concussion during practice earlier in the week. The game was filled with ups-and-downs and a ridiculous amount of foul disqualifications, technical fouls, and the ejection of Maryland’s coach. DeQuan Jones played center for the end of the 2nd half and both overtimes. 13-7

@Duke 19-4 (6-2), 3rd place in the ACC: Miami had its first signature win of the season – and one of the greatest wins in program history – by extinguishing the Blue Devils 78-74 in OT. It was a game that aged ‘Canes fans several years due to pure emotional force unraveling the telomeres that act as governors of the aging process. Sorry to wax scientific here; the game was metaphysical for the ‘Canes fam. 14-7

Game Statistics
Player GP MIN PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TPG FG% FT% 3P%
Durand Scott 21 34.9 13.1 5.0 3.5 1.0 0.2 1.8 .433 .809 .310
Malcolm Grant 19 31.9 12.7 2.5 1.8 0.8 0.0 1.6 .350 .763 .326
Kenny Kadji 20 27.0 12.6 5.8 0.7 0.6 1.8 1.8 .553 .635 .486
Reggie Johnson 12 27.3 11.8 7.0 1.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 .520 .708 .500
Shane Larkin 20 25.2 7.3 2.6 2.6 1.9 0.1 2.2 .374 .923 .371
Trey McKinney Jones 21 25.3 7.0 4.0 1.7 0.7 0.1 1.4 .438 .850 .343
DeQuan Jones 11 16.7 6.6 4.0 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.9 .509 .577 .400
Garrius Adams 10 21.3 5.7 3.3 1.1 0.8 0.1 1.2 .400 .563 .387
Rion Brown 19 17.3 5.5 2.0 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.8 .388 .786 .400
Erik Swoope 17 15.1 3.1 2.2 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.4 .512 .500 .000
Raphael Akpejiori 14 8.8 2.4 1.8 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.4 .545 .588 .000
Ryan Quigtar 4 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 .000
Justin Heller 3 0.7 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 .000 .000 .000
Totals 21 – 72 35 12 7 4 12 .441 .730 .359

So Here We Are:

Garrius Adams suffers torn meniscus; set for ‘scope Thursday

Just as the ‘Canes were getting closer to full strength for the rest of the ACC basketball slate they were hit by another injury. This time it’s JR G/F Garrius Adams who tweeted that he tore his meniscus – the same type of injury suffered by Reggie Johnson prior to the start of the season. C/F Julian Gamble also went down before the season with a year-ending torn ACL.

 

Category 6 and 'Canes fans everywhere wish Garrius a full and speedy recovery

 

Going by what the experts say about a torn meniscus (read below), Adams will probably return to action a bit more quickly than did Johnson. In the video below Dr. Kanell states that Dan Marino returned to action for the Dolphins 2 weeks after a similar procedure. Recovery time can also depend on how severe the meniscus injury was. Still, Adams has a lot of factors that aid a speedy recovery: he’s a good athlete, he’s young, and he’ll have a dedicated staff of professionals helping him rehabilitate the injury.

Garrius Adams
G_Adams25Garrius Adams
@JaeArchie I tore my meniscus
Garrius Adams

G_Adams25Garrius Adams

Surgery date set for thursday

From about.com

“The knee joint is very important in allowing people to go about performing almost any activity. The joint is made up of three bones: the femur (thigh bone), the tibia (shin bone), and the patella (knee cap). The surfaces of these bones within the joint are covered with a layer of cartilage. This important surface allows the bones to smoothly glide against each other without causing damage to the bone. The meniscus sits between the cartilage surfaces of the bone to distribute weight and to improve the stability of the joint.

The two most common causes of a meniscus tear are due to traumatic injury (often seen in athletes) and degenerative processes (seen in older patients who have more brittle cartilage). The most common mechanism of a traumatic meniscus tear occurs when the knee joint is bent and the knee is then twisted.”

 

From Dr. Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM:

“If knee arthroscopy is performed, the rehabilitation process balances swelling and healing. The goal is to return range of motion to the knee as soon as possible. Physical therapy is a common part of rehabilitation, and most therapists work with the orthopedic surgeon to return the patient to full function as soon as possible. Since the procedure is planned in advance, some health-care professionals advocate pre-hab. With rehabilitation prior to the procedure, the patient begins strengthening exercises before surgery to prevent the routine muscle weakness that can occur after an operation.

Elite athletes return to practice within one to two weeks after surgery, but they are a motivated group of people who spend hours each day in rehabilitation. For most other patients, return to mild routine activity occurs in less than six weeks.”

The knee in all it's intricate glory . . .

Category 6 Preview: Miami (9-4) at #21 Virginia (13-1)

(Editor’s note: Special thanks to Brian Leung with www.streakingthelawn.com for working on this preview and providing advanced scouting on Virginia.)

Miami returns to action Saturday in  their ACC opener with a huge test against 21st ranked Virginia in Charlottesville (6pm EST ESPNU). The Hoos come into the game riding an 11 game winning streak fueled by the outstanding play of seniors Mike Scott (17 ppg 9 rpg) and Sammy Zeglinski (10.2 ppg 43% 3 pts) as well as sophomore Joe Harris (13 ppg). While UVA will count on its big three, the ‘Canes have no shortage of weapons to choose from. Since the return of Reggie Johnson, UM is averaging nearly 90 points per game. Kenny Kadji (30 pts 12 rebs last game against UNCG), Shane Larkin (43% 3pts), Rion Brown (11-16 3pts last 4 games), and Durand Scott (16.5 ppg 61% fgs last 4 games) have been particularly torrid of late. Miami will face its stiffest test since returning to full strength. Virginia only surrenders 50.4 points a game under defensive minded Head Coach Tony Bennett, best in the ACC.

Reggie Johnson hopes to slam dunk UVA Saturday.

 

Projected Starting Lineups:

Miami

C Reggie Johnson                   6’10 300 JR

F Kenny Kadji                         6’11 260 SO

G Trey McKinney-Jones        6’5   216 JR

G Malcolm Grant                    6’1 188  SR

G Durand Scott                       6’4 198  JR

 

Virginia

C Assane Sene                      7’0 239  SR

F Mike Scott                          6’8 237  SR

G Joe Harris                          6’6 211 SO

G Sammy Zeglinski              6’1 184 SR

G Jontel Evans                     5’11 188 JR

 

 

Keys to the Game: Push the pace. While UVA is ranked and on a roll,

Mike Scott is one of the best players in the ACC.

UM appears to be the deeper squad. Freshman Malcolm Brogdon is UVA’s top reserve now that Sophomore KT Harrell has transferred. UVA only carries 9 scholarship players. The ‘Canes on the other hand has received major contributions off the bench from Rion Brown, Shane Larkin, and Dequan Jones since his return. Garrius Adams, if healthy, can also come off the bench and contribute in a number of ways.

 

Keep Reggie on the floor. Kenny Kadji’s star is rising, no doubt, but Miami looks like a much better defensive team when big # 42 is on the floor. Additionally, while K2 is improving as a post player, when the ball goes through Big Reg the inside-out game runs smoother. Virginia would like this game to be played in the 50′s or low 60′s. If Johnson stays out of foul trouble he should dominate  Assane Sene one-on-one. If the Hoos double him, the shooters will get open looks. Either way, Reggie’s presence presents major issues for UVA’s vaunted D.

 

 

Best Match-ups: Kenny Kadji VS Mike Scott. Kadji has been spectacular lately, but Scott is a candidate for ACC player of the year. The key will be if K2 can use his long frame to bother the powerful yet speedy Scott. It’s a tall task no doubt. Kadji will also need to keep Scott busy on the defensive end if he hopes to slow him down.

 

Malcolm Grant VS Sammy Zeglinski. Both guards can light it up from downtown. Grant missed two games due to personal reasons,  and has looked out of rhythm this season shooting just 36.7% on threes. But with everyone else on the ‘Canes seemingly on fire, expect Grant to join the party very soon. Virginia depends on Zeglinski game in and game out to provide outside production.

 

Prediction: These are two teams that are expected to finish in the top 4 in ACC play so this will definitely be a hard-fought battle. Scott, Harris, and Zeglinski will get their points for Virginia but Reggie Johnson is a nightmare match-up for the lanky Sene. If Miami takes care of the ball and Johnson stays out of foul trouble they are nearly indefensible. UVA is a tough squad though and won’t go down easily, especially at home. I expect Miami’s offensive firepower and depth to make the difference.  In an exciting, hotly contested game, the ‘Canes just barely prevail 70-66.

Malcolm Grant is due to break out.

 

 

Here is our full Q&A with Brian Leung of www.streakingthelawn.com

 

C6: Other than Mike Scott, what players should ‘Canes fans be worried about when the two teams meet?

 

BL: Mike Scott puts up the numbers and is a player than any team should prepare hard for. But the guy I’d keep an eye out on is Sammy Zeglinski, our other fifth-year senior. Generally, as Sammy goes, so too goes the team. He’s one of the leaders of the team, so when he’s having a bad night, sometimes this can infect some of our younger players. Regardless, if you ask me to pick one word to describe Zeglinski, it’ll have to be “clutch.” Even if he’s struggling with his shot that night, we’ve seen many a game where, heading down the stretch, Zeglinski finds a way to create shots. If it’s a close game near the end, expect Zeglinski to take over.

 
C6: What are the expectations for Virginia this year? Where do you expect them to finish in the ACC? Will they make a tournament run?
 
 
 BL: Expectations are high for the Hoos this season. The ACC preseason poll landed them at No. 4, and I expect them to finish right around there, or possibly 3rd, depending on (a) whether Florida State can get its act together (most of FSU’s losses have been to pretty respectable squads) and (b) what Virginia Tech plans on doing with its season. I think generally speaking, Virginia fans will be fairly disappointed if there’s no postseason appearance – and I mean the NCAA Tournament, not a Dot-Com Invitational.

 

C6: How do you see Virginia big men Assane Sene and Mike Scott matching up with Miami’s two-headed monster of Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson?

 

BL: All I know is that Kadji had a monster game earlier this week against UNC-Greensboro, when it seemed like not too much else was going right for the ‘Canes. I think Kadji and Johnson are going to give Scott and Sene, respectively a hard time all night long, considering the size advantages there. Kadji has proven that he can be a threat both inside and from behind the arc and has scored double digits in five of the past six games. Still, I think where Mike Scott excels is that he’s a pretty active player and will shake and bake his way through to find points. Thanks in large part to Scott’s experience, and in another part to his smaller size as a forward, he also moves the ball a lot and is willing to pass up on tougher shots. He averages 1.7 assists per game, which I like. Sene is a bit on the lanky side, but he plays some pretty smart basketball. However the coaches tell him to adjust for the ‘Canes, you can expect that he’ll make the moves. His greatest flaw? That sometimes he is wearing oven mitts when balls are flying his way.

 

C6: What type of atmosphere can the ‘Canes expect when they play at James Paul Jones arena to open ACC play?

 

BL: Though Virginia is ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 23 in the coaches poll, the students don’t have a particularly strong reputation for making it back early for winter break games. John Paul Jones Arena is stunning, and when it’s packed, it can also be deafening. But luckily for the ‘Canes, I expect a relatively quiet, though impassioned, turnout on Saturday.

 
C6: What is your prediction (score) for the game? Anyone in particular you think will have a big-time game?

 

BL: It’s a home game and I would guess that Virginia knows how deflating it’d be to follow-up a 11-game win streak with losing their ACC opener. Virginia will bring it all on Saturday. Hoos take this 68-57.

 

Thanks again to Brian Leung of streakingthelawn.com for working on this collaboration with us.

 

State of the ‘Canes, Miami set for ACC Basketball

Miami has finished its out of conference schedule at 9-4 and the season so far has been nothing short of intriguing. Today we take a moment to analyze the first half of the year as well as look into what appears to be a very bright future.

The big question is, How far can Coach Larranaga take the 'Canes?

 

Steadiest Performer: Trey McKinney-Jones. TMJ may not lead the ‘Canes in scoring every night, but he has been their most consistent performer. He makes open shots, handles the ball, rebounds and defends well above average. And no one looks smoother executing a jumper off one dribble. Here’s a little of what TMJ can do:

(special thanks to Ed Schmitt, TMJ’s step dad for the video)

 

 

MVP:Reggie Johnson. The entire feel of the team changed when Big Reg

Reggie Johnson could be Miami's most important player.

returned to the lineup. His inside presence has changed everything. Is it any coincidence that UM’s perimeter players (Durand Scott and Rion Brown especially) have improved dramatically since Johnson returned? A close second would have to go to fellow big man Kenny Kadji who is rapidly improving. K2′s last outing against UNC-Greensboro (30 points, 12 rebounds) was dominant.

 

 

 

WINGSPAN: John Salmons would be very proud of UM’s current group of wing players. McKinney-Jones is both explosive and versatile. Rion Brown maybe their best shooter outside of Malcolm Grant. DeQuan Jones is an NBA slam dunk contestant in waiting, and is big enough to play some at the four spot. Garrius Adams has missed some time with injury but could be the best passer of the bunch. Miami’s group of small forwards started the season slow, but right now it looks like the ‘Canes have an embarrassment of riches at the three. TMJ, DQJ, Brown, and Adams are all outstanding options for Coach Larranaga going forward. Getting them all enough PT and touches may be the biggest challenge of all.

 

A Tale of two teams: In UM’s first 9 games (minus Reggie Johnson/DeQuan Jones) they averaged 67 points a game. In their last 4 they

Kenny Kadji just keeps getting better.

averaging a touch over 88 points a game, including 2 in which Malcolm Grant did not play. Their shooting has been blistering (117-210 55% as a team) since Johnson returned. Clearly the inside presence of Big Reggie along with the dramatic improvement of Kadji has made Miami into a completely different team. The bad news? In the same stretch they gave up 89 to UNC-Greensboro and 90 to FAU. The defense needs to pick up for the ‘Canes to thrive in the ACC.

 

 

Slam Dunk Opportunities: Saturday January 7, at Virginia. Tuesday January 10 at UNC. Sunday February 5 at Duke. Wednesday February 15 UNC. The NCAA Tournament Committee has not historically been kind to slow starts due to injuries or suspensions. So Miami needs a “signature” win. When the Tar Heels visit the Bank United Center 2/15, UM will have its best chance to duplicate what they did in 2007 when a win over Duke at home likely vaulted them to their last NCAA Tournament appearance. Hopefully the BUC will be rocking giving the ‘Canes a true home court edge. Miami played Carolina tough twice last year, so a win at home against UNC isn’t too unlikely.

Beating Coach K and Duke on the road is a major challenge.

 

 

Key Statistical leaders:

Malcolm Grant 14.5 pts, 36.7% 3pts.

Durand Scott can really fill up a stats sheet

Durand Scott  13.3 pts, 4.5 rebs, 3.5 assts.

Reggie Johnson 10.8 pts 6.5 rebs 2.2 blks 2.2 assts

Kenny Kadji   10.6 pts 5.6 rebs 1.8 blks

Shane Larkin 8.8 pts 2.7 rebs 2.4 assts 1.8 stls

Trey McKinney-Jones 8.5 pts 4.5 rebs 2.0 assts

Dequan Jones 7.0 pts 5.3 rebs

Rion Brown 6.4 pts 40.4% 3 pts

Garrius Adams 5.7 pts 3.3 rebs

Erik Swoope 3.9 pts 2.7 rebs

 

 

 

Prediction: Miami has everything it needs to kick some serious butt in conference play. Any coach in the Conference would love to have the guard play of Malcolm Grant, Shane Larkin, and Durand Scott. Reggie Johnson is a force. His return has made all the difference this year. And Kenny Kadji gives Johnson the protection inside he’s never had. 10-6 (3rd place) in the ACC and an at large bid in the NCAAs is my conservative estimate, knowing the some teams that are struggling now may improve by season’s end. Additionally, this would give UM a first round bye in the ACC Basketball tournament and allow Josh and I an extra day of drinking in Atlanta (like we need it).  Then on to the NCAA Tourney, where with Coach Larranaga at the helm, a deep run is very possible.

Miami needs fans to fill the BUC more often.

Category 6 Recap: West Virginia 77 Miami 66

The ‘Canes played a solid 1st half and built upon that by going Modern Warfare 3 and attaching a load of C4 to the support structure of their 1st half excellence. They proceeded to detonate said C4 with a click on the R2 button of a virtual PS3 controller as soon as the clock started to tick in the 2nd half. The collapse was so sudden and inexplicable that I realized the game had to be reviewed under a lens of humor.


2nd Half Emotion/Physical Sensation Log
20:00 – Josh feels good
19:50 – Stinging pain develops behind right eye
17:00 – Stinging pain spreads to left eye and back of skull
15:00 – Numbness sets in
14:59 – Josh screams a four-letter word that begins with F and ends with K really really loud. Then he types it in the chat room.
12:00 – Josh wonders when the circus is coming to town.
10:00 – Josh briefly considers watching the Republican debate to hopefully erase all memory of this 2nd half which is a grueling 10:00 from being over.
7:00 – Josh wonders why the guy who looks like Abraham Lincoln genetically spliced with the Brawny Man hasn’t been fouled hard even once the entire game.
5:00 – Stinging eye pain is back with a vengeance.
2:00 – Left eye twitches sharply.
0:00 – Josh switches on Republican debate and finds that it is ineffective in erasing the 2nd half against WVU.

 

It’s true that the ‘Canes are short-handed and expectations should be lowered based on the lack of depth. Injuries have made it difficult for the ‘Canes to compete on the glass with bigger teams. Brawny Abraham Lincoln was able to use a painful assortment of slow post moves to abuse Miami’s depleted, but improving front court. Things are going to get better as the team continues to gel under a new system implemented by Coach Larranaga. On the bright side, things can’t get that much worse so the only way forward is up.

 

Player of the Game: Truck Bryant 27pts, 4ast, 4reb, 1stl. Truck may look more like a KIA physically, but he played like a locomotive. Brawny Abraham Lincoln 18pts, 5ast, 8reb, 1blk gets an honorable mention.

Truck Bryant (25) could have flung the ball over his shoulder and it would have found the hoop.

Abe +

Brawny =

Deniz Kilici a.k.a. "Brawny Abraham Lincoln" - Had his way inside against the 'Canes.

 

 

The Good: The ‘Canes played excellent in the 1st half. Without a few circus shots by the Mountaineers the ‘Canes may be up 7 or 8 points at the break. Garrius Adams 15pts, 2ast, 3reb, 1blk seemed to be locked on the hoop (like a Stinger on a Pave Low in MW3). Kenny Kadji 15pts played well on the offensive side of the ball, but the ‘Canes need more than 3reb out of the big man in 30 minutes. Malcolm Grant 17pts, 2ast, 2reb, 1stl shot well from the field.

Kenny Kadji (35) sets a pick to help free Malcolm Grant (3) for a drive to the hoop.

Garrius Adams (25) played an efficient game against West Virginia. After the game he tweeted that it was going to be his last game for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bad: The ‘Canes played a brutal second half. True, the Mountaineers were on fire throughout the entire 2nd frame but that fact doesn’t temper much what was an all around poor showing. Oh, and sometime after the game Adams tweeted:

 

G_Adams25Garrius Adams

Probably gonna be my last game for a while

 

The Ugly: Miami’s 1st FG in the 2nd half came with 10:55 left on the clock. Brawny Abraham Lincoln had his career-high in points with over 12 minutes left on the clock. Truck Bryant had his career-high as well. They shot a combined 16-23 from the field. Miami was 24-55.

 

Offense: First half: B+ Second half: D-

 

Defense: First Half: B+ Second half: D-

 
 

Next Game: The ‘Canes head up the road to take on FAU next Saturday at the oddly-named “Orange Bowl Classic”. Since the Orange Bowl is now a pile of rubble in assorted landfills in the region . . .