UM clings to postseason hopes heading into crucial road game at Clemson on Wednesday
The assumption coming off the Miami Hurricanes’ historic Final Four run last spring was that the team would, at the very least, be back in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Yes, the team lost Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller, but the returning players and the addition of FSU transfer Matt Cleveland gave fans reason for optimism. The Hurricanes began the season ranked No. 13 in the AP poll and rose as high as No. 8 after a 5-0 start.
By mid-December, Miami had dropped out of the Top 25 after lopsided losses to Kentucky and Colorado. Now, after a string of injuries, the Canes head into the road game Wednesday at Clemson (7 p.m., ESPN2) clinging to postseason hopes.
UM is 15-9 and in 10th place in the ACC standings (6-7) with seven games remaining, including a home game against No. 9 Duke next week, a road game against No. 3 North Carolina, and the season finale on the road at FSU.
The Hurricanes have lost three of their past four games. They almost pulled off an upset of the Tar Heels last Saturday but fell three points short.
“We played well enough to win the other day, but we didn’t win, and that’s unfortunate,” UM coach Jim Larranaga said.
Guard Nijel Pack, who scored 18 first-half points against North Carolina, felt knee discomfort in the second half and scored just two more points the rest of the game. Larranaga said Pack’s status and that of Kyshawn George (ankle) are “day to day” for the Clemson game.
Pack led UM with 25 points in a 95-82 win over Clemson on Jan. 3. Norchad Omier and Cleveland each scored 23 points in that game, and the Canes scored 60 points in the second half.
“Maybe as bad a defensive half as I’ve had as a coach,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said that night.
The Tigers (16-7, 6-6 ACC) have turned things around since then. Over the past month they have beaten FSU, Louisville, North Carolina, and Syracuse. Their losses to Virginia and Duke were each by one point. Miami, meanwhile, lost to FSU, Louisville, North Carolina, and Syracuse, and was routed 60-38 by Virginia.
“They’re having a heckuva season, but we had a heckuva game with them early in January,” Larranaga said. “They’ve continued to play well. They’re on a roll right now. Obviously, playing at home is a tremendous advantage for them. They get a great turnout. They’ve got great, great fan support. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
Larranaga said the Hurricanes’ struggles are partly due to injury, but also due to poor shot selection.
“We’re taking way too many shots off the bounce and not enough catch-and-shoot,” he said. “We’re a much better shooting team than what we’ve shot in conference play. Guys are taking quick shots off the bounce. We dribble the ball too much. I’ve said it all season long. We’re very, very comfortable in shooting the ball off the bounce, but we are a much better team shooting the ball off the catch.”
The coach would also like to get Cleveland more involved in the offense. He met with him on Monday to discuss how to do that. After averaging 20-plus points in early January, he has averaged 7.3 points over the past six games, including three two-point games.
“He’s had a very good year as a whole, but the last several games, he’s kind of been left out of the offense, and we need him desperately to be a double-figure scorer, be in that 15-point category on a nightly basis,” Larranaga said.
On the defensive end, UM will have to contain Joseph Girard III, the Tigers’ transfer guard from Syracuse. Over the past three games Girard is shooting 56.7 percent from the floor and 62 percent from 3-point range. He leads the ACC and ranks fourth nationally in free-throw percentage at 93.4 percent. Last week Girard scored 21 points against North Carolina and 18 against Syracuse.
