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.
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.
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 here5-3
@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 here5-4
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
Turns out Coach Larranaga almost missed the first game of his career with the flu. Nice job, coach! Way to hang in there! Now eat plenty of chicken soup, rest up, and get ready for Sunday. Coach K is going to be working the refs like a pimp psychologically abusing his workforce and we’re going to need your voice for some push-back.
I love the part of the post game conference where Durand Scott says that he went out there and did what Coach L told him to do. It’s a funny bit. Great win for the ‘Canes. Get fired-up for Duke on Sunday. I know I speak for Jerry as well – we HATE Duke in a basketball context. That being said, we look forward to working with some of their bloggers on an upcoming preview.
(Editor’s note: Special thanks to Jeremy Gold with http://turtle-soup.com/ for working on this collaboration and providing advanced scouting on Maryland)
The Miami Hurricanes return home to the BUC Wednesday (8pm EST Raycom/ESPN3) with a visit from Terrell Stoglin and Maryland Terrapins. Stoglin who leads the ACC in scoring at 21.2 points per game, will provide UM’s backcourt a unique challenge. Fortunately for the ‘Canes, Durand Scott (19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals against BC) looked the part of an All-ACC guard his last time out. With each team coming in tied for 6th place at 3-3 in conference, it is a game both teams need desperately if they hope to emerge from the middle of the ACC pack.
Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant came alive against BC.
Keys to the Game:Run the offense through Kadji & Johnson. Maryland’s “bigs” are at a distinct height and weight advantage against K2 and Big Reg. It was fun to see Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott break out against Boston College, but Miami is still at its best when the ball works inside-out. James Padgett and Ashton Pankey won’t be able to contain the ‘Canes down low, let’s hope UM’s guards don’t make life easier on them by failing to get the ball in the post.
Give Stoglin plenty of defensive looks. I expect Shane Larkin, Malcolm Grant, and Durand Scott to all get a chance at defending the left handed Stoglin. Maryland’s top scorer plays like former Piston great Vinnie Johnson and does his best work creating his own shot off the dribble (usually a jumper) and getting out and finishing in transition. Scott and perhaps Rion Brown have the length to bother Stoglin in the halfcourt and Larkin is quick enough to stay in front of him on the break. More then anything the Canes will need to play excellent team defense to keep the Terrapins version of “the microwave” in check.
Terrell Stoglin leads the ACC in scoring.
Best Match-up:Stoglin VS Grant/Scott. It’s easy to forget just how great Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott have been over their UM careers. Niether have played their best basketball this season and with expectations being so high for the NYC guards, this season could be classified as a dissapointment thus far. But something seemed to click for MG and DScott simultaneously in the 2nd half at BC. With a match-up against the super scorer Stoglin, Grant and Scott get an other chance to show they too can play with anyone. The key will be to be both poised and productive, and not forget to share the ball with their teammates, while matching Stoglin’s intensity and flare.
Prediction: Maryland has niether surprised nor dissapointed this year. New Coach Mark Sturgeon inherited a star in Stoglin but very little inside punch. Miami has way too much depth and versatility to lose, despite the scoring of Stoglin and Sean Mosely. Kenny Kadji will flirt with 20 points, Reggie Johnson will force double teams, and Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant will continue their resurgence. With Trey McKinney-Jones, Shane Larkin, and DeQuan Jones adding punch off the bench, the Canes get a much needed win, 79-66.
Trey McKinney-Jones and Miami look for a big victory Wednesday.
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: Terrell Stoglin is having an incredible year. What NBA or current college player is his game reminiscent of? What type of players have had success slowing him down?
TS: Right now, a lot of Terp fans are comparing him to Greivis Vasquez. Their games couldn’t be more disparate; but both players have/had a knack for scoring points in bunches for both teams. One minute, Stoglin will drain back-to-back threes within the flow of the half court set; and the next minute, he’s chucking up off-balance shots on a fast break just when the team needs a good possession. Vazquez did the same thing.
In terms of actual style, I’d say Stoglin is a poor man’s Allen Iverson (minus the shut down defense). He’s a great clutch shooter; but he’s also deadly going to the hole. He’s also a shooting guard in a point guard’s body.
C6: Aside from Stoglin, who else has played well this year? Who is the biggest surprise player? Who is the biggest dissapoinment?
TS: It depends. The first three games Alex Len played were a revelation. He averaged 14 points and 8 boards in under 20 minutes per game. He even showed up on an NBA 2013 Mock Draft! He’s fallen down to Earth big time when the ACC Season started. He’s an unreal talent. He’s 7’1″, with good feet, and a three point shot. He’s learning the US game; but will be a force by the end of the season.
Recently, Sean Mosley has stepped up his offense game; but he often throws up a 3 points, 4 fouls game as often as he turns in 19 point scoring nights. Ashton Pankey has been the biggest surprise. He’s a 6’9″ redshirt freshman who will be a star eventually. He is still raw defensively and needs to work on his footwork but he’s got a good offensive game and no one anticipated that- even Turgeon.
The biggest disappointment has been freshman Nick Faust. He’s going to be good and he oozes athleticism; but his outside shooting has been dreadful. He was touted as an elite shooter and he’s hitting 19% of his threes.
C6: How would you classify Maryland’s style of basketball? Do they press? Who is their best defensive player?
TS: The Terps ran the flex offense and pressed for the 22 years that Gary Williams was at the helm. They run the motion with Mark Turgeon; but you get the sense that Turgeon wants to run more. He just lacks the horses. The Terps play 9 guys, but they are the only scholarship players on the team. The guards are sub-par defenders and Turgeon is not able to press as a result.
C6: Which players/match-ups on Miami concern you? How do you see the game on Wednesday playing out? What is your prediction?
TS: Obviously, Johnson and Kadji are concerns. Miles Plumlee took our bigs to school last week and both Kadji and Johnson are capable of doing the same. Terp bigs Ashton Pankey and James Padgett have displayed good skill; but they’ve lacked the toughness that is required to defend and rebound in the paint night in and night out in the ACC.
The Terps have been in every game they’ve played since they added Len and starting PG Pe’Shon Howard to the roster on 12/28. Unfortunately, the games are 40 minutes long. The Terps will go toe to toe for 30 minutes and then falter down the stretch. This happened during the most recent losses (NCST, FSU, Temple and Duke). A big reason is free throw shooting. In crunch time, I don’t trust any Terp at the line. That includes Stoglin who had big misses against both Duke and Va Tech this past week.
