The 2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge schedule was announced yesterday, and Miami will be hosting a potential top 10 team in Michigan State. The defending Big Ten regular season champs will be heading to Coral Gables Wednesday November 28 (TBA) and should provide UM with a rugged early season test. Tom Izzo coached teams are notorious for their intense style and dominant inside play. Miami’s front court. returning Seniors Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson in particular, will need to be at their best to pull out a victory over the Spartans. Fortunately for the Hurricanes all world forward Draymond Green will be playing in the NBA when this game tips off.
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
After the disappointment of Selection Sunday and the terrible Tuesday of watching Iona blow a 25pt 2nd-half lead, we called on our Category 6 computer programmers to run a simulation. At first they resisted, despondent over What if Miami had been put in the play-in game instead of Iona? We also reverse simulated Durand Scott’s ridiculous suspension.
In the simulated play-in game, Miami took on BYU and came away with a virtually hard-fought 64-60 victory over the Cougars. The ‘Canes balanced attack was spearheaded by Trey McKinney Jones (12pts, 5reb, 1ast, 1stl).
After being cleared by the BSNCAA, Durand Scott (10pts, 7reb, 5ast, 1stl) struggled from the field but came up big on the glass and finding teammates for open looks. Scott drilled some big FT’s down the stretch to maintain Miami’s slim lead.
Kenny Kadji (11pts, 6reb, 1stl, 1blk) drilled his lone attempt from 3 and pinned Noah Hartsock against the glass on a big defensive possession. Malcolm Grant (9pts, 2reb, 2ast, 1stl) hit both his 3′s and DeQuan Jones (9pts, 5reb, 1) had a steal that led to a breakaway dunk.
Shane Larkin (5pts, 5reb, 4ast, 6stl) created chaos for BYU’s ball-handlers. Larkin picked Matt Carlino 3 times and finished one of those steals off with a spectacular lob to Rion Brown (6pts, 2reb, 1ast). Reggie Johnson (2pts, 6reb, 3ast) was double and triple-teamed when the ‘Canes tried to get it to him in the post. The attention paid to Reggie seemed to open up the deep ball for the ‘Canes. As a team Miami shot a sterling 9-17 (52.9%) from beyond the arc.
After arriving in Atlanta Wednesday morning we spent some quality time trying to navigate the streets of the city with a flawed map. You see, for some reason several streets are Peachtree this and Peachtree that. With our geographical difficulties finally solved, we met up with other ‘Canes fans – Phillip and Amy – and we hit up Miami’s open practice in the afternoon.
It looked like the four of us were the only ‘Canes fans to attend the practice. Coach Larranaga was in the middle of things running a bunch of drills. The ‘Canes looked like they were loose and having a great time. At one point near the end of practice, Kenny Kadji went berserk from 3, hitting an astounding 14 in a row.
Trey McKinney Jones and Malcolm Grant were also locked in from beyond the arc. We took some video of the practice, but were later informed that videotaping the practice violated ACC policy. So we burned the tape and spread the ashes outside the Phillips Arena.
Next up was an encounter with a Coach Larranaga connection:
On Thursday morning, on the way to breakfast, we ran into 3 players from the Virginia Cavaliers. We weren’t sure who two of them were, but the limping 7-footer had to be Assane Sene. After a hearty meal, we hit the ACC FanFest. Aside from being an interactive commercial for GEICO and AT&T, there were a lot of fun things to do. Jerry took cues from Kadji’s performance at practice, and calmly stepped-up and nailed a spring-loaded 3-pointer for a free ACC T-shirt.
Here is some raw footage from ACC FanFest:
Mascots from every team were at the event – and Sebastian seemed to be relieved there were some other Miami fans lingering around. We ran into a few others, but there isn’t that much orange and green in Atlanta so far. Here is some footage from FanFest.
Tonight we’re planning on meeting up with some more ‘Canes fans and indulge in some pre-game festivities. At 9pm the world will stop for UM basketball fans as the ‘Canes take on Georgia Tech. If the ‘Canes can defeat GT tonight, Miami’s chances at making the NCAA Tournament will hinge on defeating rival FSU on a neutral court.
That’s all for now from Atlanta. Stay tuned to category6um.com for ‘Canes hoops coverage at the ACC Tournament.
The 59th Annual ACC Tournament kicks off this Thursday in Atlanta, and the biggest question other than how many “OOOOO’s and ARE YOU KIDDING ME’s??” Dick Vitale will scream out, is which bubble teams can help their chances? In addition, if anyone can unseat powerhouses UNC and Duke, it will be the first time since 2004 when Maryland took home the crown. In any event it promises to be a fun week filled with high drama and terrific hoops action.
Dickie V loves the ACC Tournament.
Teams with the most on the line:Miami, Virginia, NC State. The ‘Canes and Wolfpack are clearly on the bubble, but do not overlook the importance to winning at least one game on the slumping Hoos. A second round match-up between NC State and UVA just might be an NCAA Tournament elimination game. Miami likely needs to defeat both Georgia Tech and FSU to assure a trip to the tourney.
Reggie Johnson and Miami have some work to do in Atlanta.
Sleeper Alert:Clemson, Maryland. Clemson comes in on a hot streak, winning a 5 of their last 7. The Terps might have the most explosive individual player in the conference in Terrell Stoglin. Unfortunately Clemson stares at a possible second round meeting with Duke, and Maryland, UNC. But amongst the middle to lower echelon teams, these two are the most dangerous.
Which players will shine brightest?Harrison Barnes can carry UNC to the title should he get hot. Malcolm Grant finally emerged from a season long shooting slump going 12-25 from downtown in his last 4. Mike Scott is my pick for ACC player of the year. He simply can not afford a bad game or UVA loses. Scott carried Virginia in its season finale with 35 points in their OT win over Maryland which clinched a 4 seed. If NC State makes a run it will no doubt be on the back of Calvin Leslie. Leslie has really raised the level of his play down the stretch, averaging 20.2 points and 10.1 rebounds over his last 5.
Harrison Barnes might just take over in ATL.
Predictions:
1st round: Maryland over Wake Forest, NC State over BC, Clemson over Va Tech, Miami over Ga Tech.
Quarterfinals: UNC over Maryland, Virginia over NC State, Duke over Clemson, Miami over FSU.
Semifinals: Miami over Duke, UNC over Virginia.
Final: UNC defeats Miami.
MOP: Harrison Barnes, UNC.
ALL ACC Tournament Team: Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, Mike Scott, Malcolm Grant, Kenny Kadji.
After receiving some bad news about Reggie Johnson’s eligibility and coming off a heart-crushing loss to Maryland, the ‘Canes were backed into a corner. The ‘Canes had lost 3 of their last 4 contests, including one to FSU. With an NCAA Tournament bid on the line, the ‘Canes played fast and furious in defeating the Seminoles 78-62.
The fans celebrated with the team after an emotional win over rival #15 FSU
When the season started, Miami struggled without Reggie Johnson. When Big Reg returned, the ‘Canes soared. DeQuan Jones’ return added more toughness and physicality. With Reggie suspended, Miami had to dig down deep. Put simply: the ‘Canes at the beginning of the year would have likely lost this game.
The team has improved tremendously over the course of the season. Sure, if the ‘Canes had lost to the ‘Noles at home tonight, the tone of this recap would have been completely different. The excuse would have likely been that Reggie wasn’t playing. And it would have been a good one, right? Reggie is a dynamic player who presents a match-up nightmare for nearly all his opponents – when he’s healthy. But the ‘Canes ability to win in this HUGE spot without him speaks volumes to how far this team has come.
The ‘Canes were down early as FSU got some easy baskets down low. With FSU leading 18-11, Hurricanes fans got nervous and the buzz in the BUC started to dissipate like electricity with no conductor. Then the ‘Canes went on a huge run and closed out the half with a slim 24-20 lead.
In the 2nd half, the ‘Canes got off to a fast start and shot the lights out of the BUC. As a team, Miami shot an eye-popping 60.9% from the field during the 2nd half. Miami appeared locked in on offense and consistently torched FSU’s vaunted defense. Down by 17, FSU’s Leonard Hamilton went to the Hack-A-’Cane strategy followed with a full court press. A few turnovers and some shaky FT shooting and FSU was able to cut the lead to 7 with 2:39 remaining. Shrugging off any bad memories of the previous game against Maryland, Miami refused to fold.
Durand Scott (17pts, 7reb, 2ast, 1stl) seemed to revel in the on-court celebration after the clock had expired. Kenny Kadji (15pts, 3reb, 5blk, 4stl) played a sterling game and was an absolute defensive beast. Trey McKinney Jones (11pts, 6reb) continued his great play with another strong effort. Shane Larkin (13pts, 2reb, 3ast) protected the ball and was money from the line at the end of the game. Rion Brown (9pts, 2reb, 1stl) produced a ton in only 13 minutes. DeQuan Jones (6pts, 4reb, 3ast, 1blk) was aggressive and his block in the 1st half seemed to spark the Miami run. Malcolm Grant (6pts, 1reb, 3ast) took care of the ball and hit a couple of big 3′s.
Player of the Game: This was a team effort with 4 players in double-digits in scoring and another with 9. If I have to give it to someone, it’s Durand Scott. Scott is the heart of this team. As he beats, so do the ‘Canes.
Defensive Player of the Game: Kenny Kadji. The team played great defense as a whole, but Kadji was spectacular with 5 blocks and 4 steals.
The Good: Beating FSU in a must-win game and really boosts Miami’s chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. At 8-6 in the ACC, Miami has a legitimate chance to cement a bid by winning out. If not, the ACC Tournament is another shot to add a few more notches. We’ll be covering the ACC Tournament from Atlanta and look for our ACC Tournament Survival Guide coming soon. If you’re going, send an email to category6um@gmail.com.
The Bad: FSU fans were tailgating under the Metrorail. We’ve been trying to find out if this is legal. I asked a police officer on duty and he said “As long as they’re not burning any trees down, I don’t think it’s a problem.” We need to have a tailgate before the finale against Boston College. It’s a moral imperative.
The Ugly: Lots of maroon and gold in the crowd, but you didn’t hear that much of them as the game wore on. Last season after FSU beat Miami, they did that irritating tomahawk chant as they streamed merrily out of the BUC.
The ‘Canes suffered a heart-breaking loss to the Maryland Terrapins falling 75 – 70 in an effort that left ‘Canes fans scratching their heads. Miami seemed to grab the momentum in the final minutes and outplayed the Terps for most of the game, but sloppy play at the end gave Maryland enough room to squirm out of their shells and secure the victory.
Coach Chris Caputo told 'Canes fans that Reggie Johnson (42) didn't play much because his knee was bothering him.
It was a game that the ‘Canes seemed on the verge of putting away at several points. There were times where just one more rebound or made shot could have made Maryland quit. But the Terrapins hung tough. Terrell Stoglin (20pts, 2reb, 3ast) needed a ton of shots, but was money on the stripe at the end of the game.
Where Maryland was clutch, Miami struggled . . . badly. As one poster on canestime.com framed it “We worked hard for that loss”. The ‘Canes have been adept at putting away lesser-talented teams this season but that trend faltered and buckled with a tough loss. The ‘Canes needed 2OT’s to beat Maryland at home, but that was without Kenny Kadji (16pts, 8reb, 1blk) who played a strong game. Reggie Johnson (3pts, 4reb, 1ast) only played 15 minutes and didn’t appear to hit the floor the entire 2nd half. It was in the 2nd frame that the ‘Canes were dominated on the boards.
Trey McKinney Jones (13pts, 2reb) was on fire from the field but didn’t get many opportunities in the 2nd half. TMJ was 4-5 from the field and nailed 3 of his 4 bombs from beyond the arc. Durand Scott (14pts, 5reb, 1ast) fouled out in the waning moments. James Padgett (16pts, 6reb) had an impressive game for Maryland, connecting on a variety of post-moves.
Make no mistake – this was a game the ‘Canes let slip away. Out of 9 turnovers – a pretty good line – 3 of them were in the final minutes and proved to be the difference in the game.
Despite the loss, Miami’s chances at the NCAA Tournament aren’t dashed. The ‘Canes have 3 games left before the ACC Tournament begins on March 8th in Atlanta, Georgia. With the loss against Maryland, the game against FSU becomes a must-win (barring a deep ACC Tourney run) game.
Next Game: Miami takes on FSU at the BUC on Sunday. Let’s rally around the team and pack the BUC! There’s a lot of basketball left to play.
(Editor’s note: Special thanks to Jeremy Gold with http://turtle-soup.com/ for working on this collaboration and providing advanced scouting on Maryland)
Just a little over three weeks ago Miami and Maryland staged a battle for the ages, with Miami holding on 90-86 in double OT. Maryland hopes to gain a measure of revenge as the ‘Canes head to College Park to take on the Terrapins (8pm EST Raycom/ESPN3). For the Hurricanes it is another opportunity to get one step closer to an NCAA Tournament bid. With just 4 games remaining most experts project Miami to barely make the field. Maryland proved no easy out last time these teams met, however this time around the ‘Canes will have big man Kenny Kadji available. Kadji missed the game on February 1, with a concussion. Miami will need K2 and company to fire on all cylinders to take out ACC leading scorer Terrell Stoglin (21.4 ppg) and the Terrapins.
The 'Canes and Terrapins really battled hard back on 2/1.
Projected Starting Lineups:
Miami
C Reggie Johnson 6’10 290 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
Maryland
F James Padgett 6’8 215 JR
F Ashton Pankey 6’9 220 FR
G Pe’Shon Howard 6’3 195 SO
G Sean Mosely 6’4 210 SN
G Terrell Stoglin 6’1 185 SO
Keys to the Game:Keep firing Malcolm!! Yes Malcolm Grant has been in a prolonged shooting slump. His last effort against Wake Forest he was 3-10 on threes, and his shooting percentage in ACC games overall has been alarming. The good news for Grant is that Coach Larranaga is clearly in his corner. His shot selection has improved slightly in the last few, and a high percentage of the shots he’s missed have been long. In other words there is nothing physically wrong with him. Grant is one big game from breaking out big time. Something tells me tonight is the night.
Coach L tells Malcolm Grant to keep shooting!
Take control early. Maryland is no easy place to play. If the crowd gets into it, Miami will have a tough game on its hands. With Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji down low, Miami has a big size advantage and should dominate the boards. Durand Scott should be able to penetrate at will. Terrell Stoglin is going to get his, but Miami must make Stoglin’s running mate Sean Mosely and promising big man Alex Len non factors.
Best Match-up:Rion Brown VS Nick Faust. Maryland’s 6’6 freshman swing man appears to suddenly get it, The highly touted Faust is averaging 14 ppg over his last three. Faust is the most athletic guy on the Terps roster, but Brown specializes in shutting just such a player down. Brown also got it done on the offensive end last time out with 11 against Wake Forest, and has been abusing the rim of late with some of the best dunks in the conference.
Here’s an example of Brown’s athleticism off the nice feed from Trey McKinney Jones.
Prediction: Miami has more at stake than Maryland and therefore should come up more aggressive. Stoglin and Faust will do enough to keep the Terps in it, but Malcolm Grant will rediscover his stroke and Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji will be too much inside. Miami gets a hard-fought victory 73-68.
Here is our full Q&A with Jeremy Gold of http://turtle-soup.com/ Be sure to check out his site to see our answers to his Q&A as well.
C6: How would you classify Mark Turgeon’s first year in College Park? What does Maryland need to do for the remainder of this year and in the future to be more successful?
TS: Mark Turgeon is an EXCELLENT basketball coach. This team is young and relatively unheralded. Even Terrell Stoglin was barely in the Top 100 coming out of high school. Given the lack of talent and injuries, what this team has accomplished is remarkable. The Terps beat Notre Dame with 7 scholarship players. They have a legitimate shot to be .500 in the ACC. As for the future, the Terps have a good recruiting class coming in with Shaquille Cleare being the centerpiece. He’ll be a great compliment to Alex Len. If Stoglin stays and he learns to share the ball better, the Terps will be Top 25.
C6: What did you see in the first match-up between these teams that would Maryland confidence? What makes Miami potentially a difficult opponent for the Terps?
TS: The Terps came back in large part due to Miami’s foul problems. It doesn’t appear that the Canes can guard Stoglin so he will need to remain hot if the Terps are to have a chance. The Terps big men are not stout enough defensively and that could really hurt the Terps if the Miami big men can get it going.
C6: Alex Len appears to have serious potential, but is inconsistent. In the games he has struggled, has it just been a matter of not getting him the ball enough? Do Maryland fans feel like Terrell Stoglin takes too many shots?
TS: It’s more than just not getting shots. He’s still learning the game. Most of the time, he just doesn’t know what to do in the offense or how to get good position on his defender. He continually makes rookie mistakes like bringing the ball down when he gets an offensive rebound. He is, however, an unreal talent with good shooting ability, athleticism, and ridiculous size. He needs to get to a big man camp in the offseason. If he does that he could be the most improved player in the ACC next season.
C6: How do you see this game playing out? What is your prediction?
TS: I think the Terps will pull it out late. They’ve proven that they can play with Miami and the Terps are stout at home. Out of the ACC, only UNC and Duke have won at Comcast this year.
C6: How many/which teams from the ACC do you see making the NCAA Tournament?
TS: I think 6 teams should get in. Miami would be the 6th team but they will need to win 9 games in the ACC plus 1 game in the ACC Tournament. I think that is doable. The Terps will likely need four wins in Atlanta to get in. Mark Turgeon said as much at his press conference this week.
