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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.

 

The “What If” Miami made the NCAA Tournament Sim

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.

Next Up: Miami takes on 3-seed Marquette.

11-12 Brigham Young
MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST BLK STL TO PF TP
Noah Hartsock* 30 5-8 0-1 0-0 4 0 0 0 1 2 10
Brandon Davies* 30 5-11 0-0 4-5 8 0 1 2 2 3 14
Brock Zylstra* 29 3-10 1-6 1-2 3 0 0 4 2 2 8
Matt Carlino* 28 6-11 3-5 2-2 4 5 0 0 4 3 17
Charles Abouo* 27 1-9 1-4 0-0 6 4 0 0 1 2 3
Craig Cusick 19 1-3 1-2 0-0 2 4 0 1 2 0 3
Anson Winder 14 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 2 1 0 2
Nate Austin 12 1-3 0-1 0-0 6 0 1 0 1 2 2
Josh Sharp 11 0-0 0-0 1-2 2 1 0 0 1 1 1
TOTALS 200 23-58 6-20 8-11 35 15 2 9 15 15 60
39.7% 30.0% 72.7%

* – denotes game starter

11-12 Miami (FL)
MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST BLK STL TO PF TP
Durand Scott* 35 3-10 1-2 3-4 7 5 0 1 3 2 10
Kenny Kadji* 30 5-9 1-1 0-2 6 0 1 1 3 2 11
Reggie Johnson* 28 1-5 0-0 0-0 6 3 0 0 1 3 2
Malcolm Grant* 27 3-6 2-2 1-2 2 2 0 1 2 1 9
Shane Larkin* 25 2-3 1-1 0-0 5 4 0 6 1 2 5
Trey McKinney Jones 21 4-8 2-5 2-2 5 1 0 1 2 3 12
DeQuan Jones 18 4-10 1-3 0-0 5 0 0 1 2 0 9
Rion Brown 11 2-7 1-3 1-2 2 1 0 0 1 0 6
Garrius Adams 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
TOTALS 200 24-58 9-17 7-12 39 16 1 11 16 14 64
41.4% 52.9% 58.3%

* – denotes game starter

Miami opens up a can on Valpo 66-50.

Rion Brown lead the way with 18 points as Miami overcame a slow start to dispose of Valparaiso 66-50 in the first round of the NIT. Ryan Broekhoff lead the way for Valpo with 18 points but on just 6-15 shooting. Reggie Johnson contributed 9 points 15 rebounds and 4 assists for the ‘Canes, and Shane Larkin continued his strong play with 12 points as well as an outstanding defensive game. Miami looked lethargic at times, building just a 24-23 first half lead. But the second half was all UM, as the ‘Canes used outstanding defense and hot shooting to cruise to the victory.

Rion Brown gave Valpo fits Wednesday night.

Player of the Game: Brown. When Rion Brown is at his best, the only way to describe him is “smooth.” Brown busted the Crusaders zone to the tune of 4-7 from downtown. At one point Brown displayed his superior athleticism by saving an offensive rebound to Trey McKinney Jones, who immediately kicked it right back to Brown. Before RB released the ball TMJ back pedaled down court arms raised with out a shadow of doubt the ball was going in. It was the kind of night for Rion Brown.

The Bad News: Durand Scott was re-instated by the NCAA, but must first serve a 6 game suspension. Counting tonight’s game he has served two, so the suspension effectively ends the season of arguably UM’s best player.  The silver lining is that Larkin and Brown in particular have raised their games. But with out the NYC native Scott, Miami’s chances to reach the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden are significantly reduced.

What’s Next: Miami will face Minnesota (20-14) at the BUC, TBA. The Golden Gophers upset LaSalle 70-61 in their first round NIT match-up.

 

Valparaiso Crusaders Valparaiso

Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
E. Buggs 40 1-4 0-2 2-2 1 3 2 3 1 0 2 4
W. Bogan 40 2-10 2-8 0-0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 6
R. Broekhoff 38 6-15 2-9 4-4 2 7 3 2 4 0 2 18
B. Boggs 26 0-2 0-1 0-0 2 4 1 2 0 0 2 0
K. Van Wijk 24 3-8 0-0 0-1 3 10 2 0 0 0 3 6
R. Edwards 32 7-14 1-7 1-2 1 4 1 1 0 0 2 16
Totals 19-53 5-27 7-9 10 29 9 11 5 0 12 50
Percentages .358 .185 .778 Team Rebounds: 3

Miami (FL) Hurricanes Miami (FL)

Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
M. Grant 24 2-4 2-4 0-0 0 0 2 3 1 0 0 6
R. Johnson 33 4-8 0-0 1-2 2 11 4 1 0 3 1 9
K. Kadji 14 1-4 0-0 0-0 2 3 1 0 0 0 3 2
R. Brown 37 6-11 4-7 2-2 1 6 1 1 1 0 2 18
S. Larkin 36 5-10 2-5 0-0 0 5 1 0 1 0 0 12
T. McKinney Jones 26 4-7 2-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 2 10
G. Adams 26 4-8 0-2 0-0 2 2 3 1 1 0 0 8
D. Jones 4 0-1 0-0 1-2 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1
Totals 26-53 10-22 4-6 7 31 16 8 5 3 9 66
Percentages .491 .455 .667 Team Rebounds: 1

Game Info

Technical Fouls:
None
Arena:
BankUnited Center, Coral Gables, FL
Attendance:
1,229
Officials:
Doug Sirmons, Wally Rutecki, Forrest Sigler

‘Canes lose game and golden opportunity 77-73 to NC State.

With an NCAA Tournament so close they could taste it, Miami suffered a major setback losing 77-73 to NC State last night in Raleigh. UM now desperately needs to beat BC at home on Saturday and possibly a game or two in next week’s ACC Tournament to improve their chances at an at large bid. The ‘Canes played well in spurts, but gave the Wolfpack far too many easy buckets and wasted too many opportunities to win. Miami finished just 8-29 on threes, and gave up a key offensive rebound on a missed free throw with under a minute to go, down just one. Miami had several chances to tie or take the lead in the final moments, but it just wasn’t to be. CJ Leslie lead NC State with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Rion Brown was strong off the bench with 15 for UM.

NC State got the ball inside far too often last night.

 

What’s next: Senior Day, with BC at home on Saturday at 2:30 PM EST  (ESPN3/Raycom).

 

Miami (FL) Hurricanes Miami (FL)

Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
M. Grant 28 4-12 4-7 2-2 0 3 1 0 0 0 2 14
D. Scott 33 3-10 0-2 4-4 6 11 3 2 0 0 5 10
R. Johnson 18 5-9 0-1 0-0 3 8 0 1 0 1 4 10
K. Kadji 36 3-14 0-4 1-4 3 7 3 1 0 2 3 7
S. Larkin 18 1-5 0-3 2-2 0 1 2 1 3 0 1 4
R. Brown 25 4-9 3-6 4-4 2 4 1 0 0 0 2 15
G. Adams 10 2-4 1-3 0-0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
D. Jones 22 4-9 0-2 0-1 1 4 0 1 0 0 1 8
T. McKinney Jones 10 0-1 0-1 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 26-73 8-29 13-19 16 39 10 6 3 3 19 73
Percentages .356 .276 .684 Team Rebounds: 6

North Carolina State Wolfpack N.C. State

Name Min FG 3Pt FT Off Reb Ast TO Stl Blk PF Pts
L. Brown 32 7-12 0-1 2-3 0 5 5 3 1 2 3 16
S. Wood 37 5-12 5-10 0-0 0 5 0 1 0 0 3 15
C.J. Williams 25 0-3 0-1 0-0 2 5 1 0 0 0 2 0
R. Howell 25 5-8 0-0 4-10 6 9 3 3 1 0 3 14
C.J. Leslie 35 7-10 1-1 6-11 3 11 2 0 1 3 1 21
D. Painter 18 3-6 0-0 0-0 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 6
A. Johnson 28 1-5 1-3 2-2 0 1 8 0 0 0 1 5
Totals 28-56 7-16 14-26 11 39 19 7 3 6 16 77
Percentages .500 .438 .538 Team Rebounds: None

Game Info

Technical Fouls:
None
Arena:
RBC Center, Raleigh, NC
Attendance:
14,682
Officials:
Roger Ayers, Sean Hull, Bernard Clinton

Category 6 ACC Preview: Miami (17-10) at NC State (18-11)

(Editor’s note: Special thanks to  Akula Wolf with http://www.backingthepack.com/  for working on this collaboration and providing advanced scouting on NC State)

Coming off of an exhilarating and clutch win over FSU, Miami returns to action in Raleigh with another huge match-up against the suddenly struggling NC State Wolfpack (Wednesday 9PM EST Raycom/ESPN3). While the Hurricanes may have saved their NCAA hopes by thrashing Florida St, 78-62 on Sunday, NC State comes in losers of 4 in a row.  They likely need to win their last 2 contests as well as make a run in the ACC Tournament to salvage any chances of being selected. Earlier this year the Wolfpack did defeat UM 78-73 at the Bank United Center. After the game Coach Jim Larranaga questioned his ‘Canes, and they responded with 5 wins in a row. That game may have been the turning point in Miami’s season, but this game may be its most important. It is unclear whether Reggie Johnson will be cleared in time for this match-up.

Reggie Johnson was forced to sit out against FSU.

 

 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings

Conf All
 Duke (5) 12-2 25-4
 North Carolina (7) 12-2 25-4
 Florida St. (15) 10-4 19-9
 Virginia (25) 8-6 21-7
 Miami (FL) 8-6 17-10
 N.C. State 7-7 18-11
 Clemson 7-7 15-13
 Maryland 6-8 16-12
 Virginia Tech 4-10 15-14
 Wake Forest 4-10 13-15
 Georgia Tech 3-11 10-18
 Boston Coll. 3-11 8-20

 

 

Projected Starting Lineups:

Miami

C Reggie Johnson                  6’10 290 JR

or Raphael Akpejori                6’10 230 SO

F Kenny Kadji                         6’11 260 SO

G Shane Larkin                      5’11 160 FR

G Malcolm Grant                   6’1 188  SR

G Durand Scott                      6’4 198  JR

 

NC State

F Richard Howell                     6’8 250 JR

F CJ Leslie                              6’8 209 SO

F Scott Wood                          6’6 177 JR

G CJ Williams                         6’5 224 SR

G Lorenzo Brown                    6’5 189  SO

 

Keys to the Game: Avoid the “Woodshed”. After the FSU game Jim Larranaga admitted they had a goal of knocking down 10 threes and 20 free throws. And while they only knocked down 9 threes, they made up for it with 23 free throws. Against NC State we imagine Coach L might set a number to the amount of touches they allow for Scott Wood. In January Wood lit up the ‘Canes for 21 points, including 4-6 from downtown.

Scott Wood is no easy match-up.

Win with Depth. NC State only plays 7 players and their starters tend to play 30 minutes or more nearly every time out. Wood, CJ Leslie, Lorenzo Brown. and CJ Williams are all very talented players, but we wonder if extended minutes haven’t left those guys with tired legs. In the meantime Miami has enjoyed sparkling bench play of late featuring the all around game of Rion Brown, the red-hot shooting of Trey McKinney Jones, and the ferocious athleticism of DeQuan Jones. The biggest mismatch in this game is the ‘Canes depth. This becomes even more a factor if Reggie Johnson is cleared in time to play.

Key Match-up: Scott Wood VS Trey McKinney Jones/Rion Brown. As we noted earlier, Wood killed UM the last time these two teams played. Something tells me this time around TMJ and RB will stick to Wood like glue, while keeping him busy on the defensive end as both have been shooting the ball very well in the last few games.

Prediction: Miami has come too far to let their NCAA hopes falter. Injuries, suspensions, and a new system have not deterred the resilient ‘Canes. CJ Leslie and Scott Wood are too good to let the Wolfpack roll over, but there’s no way UM shoots just 2-20 again on threes as they did in the first match-up. Kenny Kadji is a force to be reckoned with, and Malcolm Grant continues to return to form. Look for Grant to score in double figures in this one. Miami makes another statement on the road, 77-70.

Durand Scott celebrates with UM fans.


Here is our full Q&A with Akula Wolf of http://www.backingthepack.com/

Please check their site to see our answers to their questions.

C6: If you could pick an all time NC State team who would be the starting five, and who would be the go to player?

BP: Wow, that’s tough. Do I go with the best players in school history regardless of era, or do I try to build a team that could compete in today’s game? David Thompson is a no-brainer, of course, and he’d be the focal point of the offense.
I’d probably go small and take Chris Corchiani and Rodney Monroe as well. Ronnie Shavlik and Tommy Burleson would make up my front court. Julius Hodge is my sixth man. Anthony Grundy. Tom Gugliotta. Thurl Bailey. Todd Fuller. Kenny Carr. Sorry, I accidentally built a whole team.

C6: NC State has struggled of late. What has been their main weakness in the recent losing streak?  Has depth been a concern?

BP: I don’t know that there’s any one thing to point to. Well, other than sadness. NC State just couldn’t close out Duke in Durham and it seemed to snowball from there. They were flat against Florida State a couple days later, and then didn’t play that poorly against UNC, but the Heels were really good that night. The Clemson game was a complete choke job in the final minute. It happens.

Depth is always a concern for this team, but I don’t think that’s been any more  trouble of late than it has been all season.

C6: In the last match-up Scott Wood played extremely well. Who else on the Wolfpack do you feel will give the ‘Canes problems? Which players on Miami do you feel will give NC State issues?

BP: State has several players that can give most teams problems, it’s just a question of how they’re playing on the night in question. That’s one of State’s issues; it’s hard to know what to expect out of anybody on a game-to-game basis. Calvin Leslie and Lorenzo Brown can be big difference-makers, Scott Wood can hit six threes to change a game, but all of those guys have an ability to fade into the background or shoot their way out of the game.

I was really impressed by Kenny Kadji in the first meeting and I think he’ll create plenty of trouble for State’s frontcourt guys. I think that Scott and Grant have the potential to be tough matchups as well.

C6: What does NC State need to do to get back in the Tournament discussion?  Do you feel Miami is worthy of a selection?

BP: State probably needs to win four games in a row, at minimum. It’s always hard to tell, though. I think Miami is definitely worthy of a selection, and the situation could be a lot different for that team had Reggie Johnson been available and in game shape all season.

C6: How do you see the game playing out/what is your prediction for the outcome?

BP: I have no idea how they’re going to respond to the losing streak at this point, so your guess is as good as mine. I’ve had a feeling for a while that Miami would have its revenge, and I still feel that way.

Thanks again to Akula Wolf for working with us.

Go Canes!!!

‘Canes chop Seminoles, build NCAA Tournament resume

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.

Next Game: Miami takes on N.C. State on the road.

 

Florida State Seminoles
STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Bernard James, F 33 4-8 0-0 0-1 3 9 1 0 2 1 2 8
Xavier Gibson, F-C 13 1-2 0-0 2-2 2 3 2 0 0 1 3 4
Luke Loucks, G 26 0-4 0-3 0-0 0 3 4 0 0 3 4 0
Deividas Dulkys, G 25 3-6 1-4 3-4 1 4 1 2 2 2 5 10
Michael Snaer, G 36 7-13 3-5 3-4 5 8 4 1 0 4 2 20
BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Okaro White, F 18 2-5 0-1 0-2 0 4 1 0 1 2 5 4
Jeff Peterson, G 15 2-5 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 4
Antwan Space, F 2 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Ian Miller, G 24 5-13 1-6 1-3 1 2 0 2 0 2 3 12
Terry Whisnant, G 5 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Jon Kreft, C 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
24-59 5-23 9-16 12 34 13 5 5 18 29 62
40.7% 21.7% 56.3%
Miami (FL) Hurricanes
STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Raphael Akpejiori, F 7 0-2 0-0 0-0 3 4 0 0 1 0 2 0
Kenny Kadji, F-C 37 4-6 2-2 5-8 0 3 0 4 5 4 5 15
Shane Larkin, G 28 2-6 1-2 8-9 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 13
Durand Scott, G 33 6-11 0-2 5-8 3 7 2 1 0 2 4 17
Malcolm Grant, G 17 2-6 2-5 0-0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 6
BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Trey McKinney Jones, G 29 4-7 2-5 1-3 0 6 0 0 0 2 4 11
DeQuan Jones, G-F 27 2-3 0-0 2-3 1 4 3 0 1 1 1 6
Rion Brown, G 13 3-6 2-4 1-1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 9
Garrius Adams, G 9 0-0 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1
TOTALS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
23-47 9-20 23-34 7 29 11 7 7 11 17 78
48.9% 45.0% 67.6%

Technicals: None
Officials: Earl Walton , Michael Stephens, James Luckie
Attendance: 7,261

Category 6 ACC Preview: Miami (16-9) at Maryland (15-11)

(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.

 

Thanks again to Jeremy and http://turtle-soup.com/ for working on this preview with us.

Go Canes!!!