CATEGORY 6

It's all about . . . The U!!!

Tag Archives: West Virginia

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 Before Johnson’s injury healed, before the suspension was revoked, and before anyone knew anything tangible about Kenny Kadji, Shane Larkin and Trey McKinney Jones, Category 6 was sticking its neck out and made some bold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:

Could it happen at the BUC?

With just over 2 minutes remaining the ‘Canes trailed West Virginia by double

Miami fought hard against WVU Saturday.

figures. I watched helplessly as UM fought but the clock melted away. An aggravating defeat no doubt, but we all deal and move on. There’s always next game, right?……..

 

For a moment let’s let our minds wander. Imagine the shoot last, pass first point guard that almost every college basketball team has had at some point. The Greg Anthony of the Knicks in the 90′s. Duke’s Greg Paulus with out the flops. You know, the consummate leader who will never be the team’s top scorer, but gets his ass kissed all day long by the color commentator for having “intangibles”……

Greg Anthony will never be mistaken for Michael Jordan

 

Now picture said player clanking long jumpers, turning the ball over, and looking overwhelmed by the other team’s faster more explosive players. His team is trailing by 15 and there are only 3 minutes left. You almost change the channel, but you don’t…..

 

You continue watching and he gets an uncontested layup, as the defense is content to let him waste time. Then he hits a long three. No biggie. His teammates start making a few plays. A blocked shot, another three, and suddenly Mr. Intangible converts an and-one. TIMEOUT!!!  Still, it can’t happen, right? His opponent dribbles the ball off his foot inexplicably. They leave him wide open for another three.Where has this guy been the whole game??? The lead slowly melts away. It all seems to happen in slow motion. For his opponents the game is like watching a car accident you can do nothing to prevent. His teammate hits an impossible three. The game goes into overtime. Mr. Intangible’s & his team can suddenly do no wrong. You think to yourself its not possible. But “it” happens. They win…………

 

Now imagine this impossible scenario happening not once, not twice, not three (picture Lebron James talking here), not four. But six games in a row. Yes it is a little different each time. But in each game the opponent makes just enough mistakes. Mr. Intangible struggles for almost the entire game each time, but flourishes in the end. Lucky breaks go his way……….

 

Ladies and Gentleman think what you must, but what I have just described for

Tim Tebow drives his opponents crazy in the final 2 minutes.

those who haven’t guessed, is Tim Tebow as a college basketball player. I’ve run out of swears and superlatives to describe “it”. Some may throw up, some will bask in the glory of what they perceive to be a phenomenon. Whatever reaction you have to Tebow, just don’t hold your breathe waiting for “it” to happen next time you watch college basketball.

 

 

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 . . .

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Projected Starting Lineups:

 

Miami

 

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

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

G Shane Larkin                 5’11 160   FR

 

West Virginia

 

F Keaton Miles                   6’6 205    FR

F Kevin Jones                    6’8 260    SN

F Derniz Kilicli                   6’9 260    JN

G Darryl Bryant                 6’2 195    SN

G Jabarie Hinds                5’11 175  FR

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

GO CANES!!

Category6 Recap: Purdue 76 Miami 65

Robbie Hummel lead the way with 17 points and Lewis Jackson added 15 as Purdue had all the answers for the ‘Canes in a 76-65 victory Tuesday night in West Lafayette. Shane Larkin was spectacular for Miami in the second half, scoring all 16 of his points including 4-4 from downtown, but Purdue answered everytime Miami rallied. Hummel hit the clutch jumpers while Jackson and reserve guards Terone Johnson (13 points 6-9 from the floor) & Anthony Johnson (8 points 4-7 from the floor) repeatedly took the ball to the rim.  Malcolm Grant added 16 and Durand Scott 12 for UM.

 

Player of the Game:  Shane Larkin. Larkin was locked and loaded last night. He nearly single handedly brought Miami back with slashing moves and dead eye shooting. No one player on Purdue stood out in what was a balanced attack. The combination of Johnson & Johnson surgically dismantled Miami’s defense in the second half though.

 

The Good: Miami never quits. Coach Jim Larranaga chose to start 6’5 Trey McKinney-Jones over 6’11 Kenny Kadji, making the ‘Canes ever smaller up front then usual. The strategy worked early as UM’s quickness seemed to bother Purdue. But eventually the Boilermakers took advantage of  the undersized ‘Canes and built a 12 point half time lead. Miami fought back and cut the lead to 5 in the second half. Miami’s scrappy attitude will hopefully pay dividends in the long run. ESPN reported that Reggie Johnson could be back as soon as the second week in December.

 

The Bad: UM shot 8-28 from the floor in the first half. Purdue finished the game shooting 55% from the floor. UM once again took too many forced quick shots. Durand Scott made just 6-10 from the line.

 

The Ugly: Kenny Kadji played just 2 minutes. Miami sorely lacks inside presence on both ends of the court.

 

Offensive Player of the Game: Hummel. Miami contained the Purdue star pretty well most of the game, but some of his shots were indefensible.

 

Defensive Player of the Game: Kelsey Barlow (2 steals 1 block). No one really stood out on D for either team, but Barlow did a good job containing UM’s guards.

 

Offense: C- Until Miami can avoid the long scoring droughts that have plagued them in three consecutive games, they’ll have a tough time against better teams like Purdue. Garrius Adams and Rion Brown both strugged shooting (2-9 combined). The ‘Canes settle too often for long jumpers. Shane Larkin however continues to impress.

 

Defense: D The effort is there. But if Miami continues to play small they absolutely must keep thier guys in front of them.

 

What’s next: Miami returns to action Saturday at 1pm with a home game against UMass (5-2) .  With Memphis and West Virginia looming on the horizon, this game could be critical.

 

 

 
 

Category 6 Breaks down the 2010-11 Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes Basketball Program has long been overshadowed by the football squad. Dissapointing home crowds, some very tough losses, and just one NCAA appearance in seven years marked the Frank Haith era. Nonetheless Haith left UM when Missouri came calling, and the Canes caught perhaps the biggest break of the offseason. When Jim Larranaga was  hired, this team took on a whole new feel. For the first time ever UM will have a coach with Final four experience. Haith did not leave the cupboard bare and Larranaga inherits an experienced squad. Injuries to big men Reggie Johnson and Julian Gamble provide an early challenge. Nonetheless if this team reaches its’ potential by season’s end I expect fans in South Florida to know more about basketball then the “Big Three”.

Projected Starting Lineup:

C – Kenny Kadji   6’11 255 Redshirt Sophmore *****
F – DeQuan Jones  6’7  218 Senior
F – Rion Brown    6’6  194 Sophmore
G – Malcolm Grant 6’2  188 Senior
G – Durant Scott  6’3  198 Junior

Key Reserves

G/F Garrius Adams       6’6  193 Junior
C   Raphael Akpejori    6’10 230 Sophmore
G   Trey McKinney-Jones 6’5  216 Junior
G   Shane Larkin        5’11 160 Sophmore
F   Erik Swoope         6’6  230 Sophmore
G   Bishop Daniels      6’3  180 Freshman
**** C Reggie Johnson 6’10 300 Junior (injured)

Star Watch:

 

There were times last year when Malcolm Grant was the best player on the floor for either team. Grant brings swagger & McClinton-esque range on threes to every game. I’d be very surprised if he isn’t a first team all ACC pick at the end of the year. In addition to improving on last season’s 15 plus points a game and maintaining 42 percent on three pointers, the 6’2 combo guard needs to be the leader of this team in his senior year, and take better care of the ball. But watch any team that makes a deep run in the NCAA’s and they have a guy like Grant,  who is deadly from the line and has a penchant for making big shots in crunch time.

 

If Reggie Johnson comes back healthy and regains his form quickly, he deserves mention here as well. Reggie is already the best offensive rebounder in the ACC. at 6’10 300 pounds, Reggie has the size few in the country can match.  Reggie has NBA hands and touch as well. The only question about the big guy is how well he heals and how his conditioning holds up when he gets back in January.

Break out player:

 

While DeQuan Jones may finally be in the system to utilize his athleticism and Garrius Adams has the versatility to be the guy here,  my break out player for 2011-12 is Rion Brown. Whether in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, I expect to see Brown play major minutes. He is arguably the Canes’ best perimeter defender. By the end of the year I expect he’ll be thier second best outside shooter. At 6’5 Brown has good size. I expect he will fill out some in his upper body and end up getting to the line more frequently. Expect double figures from Rion Brown on most nights.


X-factor:

Durand Scott. In my opinion no one gets the basket in the ACC better then Scott. The problem is the 6’3 guard seems to rarely get the benefit of the doubt from the refs when he makes contact with bigger players. Scott often has the strength to finish plays on his own, and his 39 percent on threes last year was far improved from his freshman season. Miami needs Scott to take care of the ball and become a consistent 2nd scoring option until Reggie gets back. If Durand Scott brings his A game night in and night out, UM may have the best backcourt in the conference if not the country.

Biggest shoes to fill (literally):

 

Kenny Kadji. 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.

 

Outlook/Prediction:

The bad news:
Playing in the ACC is never easy, and the out of conference schedule is daunting. A four game stretch in late November and early December that includes bookend trips to Purdue and West Virginia, and home slates against UMass and Memphis, will be telling. Miami get preseason #1 UNC twice and their lone match-up with Duke is in on the road. Reggie Johnson is out until January.

The good news:
Despite the tough road ahead, I think the Canes have a chance to do something special. Jim Larranaga and his coaching staff bring final four experience and endless energy to the equation. The back court is talented and experienced. The wings players are versatile and athletic. Reggie Johnson should be back in time for the conference schedule. These factors usually lead to special seasons.

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.