Getting Inside
Miami came up short in its bid to advance to the NCAA regional semifinals for only the second time in school history, but the Hurricanes took a giant step forward in the development of the program in 2007-08.
By finishing with a 23-11 record, the Hurricanes engineered a 10-game turnaround from the previous season, when injuries contributed to a fall to a 12-20 record.
A similar record was predicted for this year when the media made Miami their overwhelming choice to finish in last place in the ACC.
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Instead, the Hurricanes finished in fifth place, won their opening game in the ACC tourney, then played in the NCAA Tournament for just the sixth time in school history and the first time since 2002.
They won their opening game against St. Mary’s—only their fourth win ever in NCAA tourney play—and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback before losing by three points to second-seeded Texas.
But the key thing is coach Frank Haith has the players in place for next season to keep this from being a one-time thing.
Four starters, including top scorer Jack McClinton, return. Two of the others are in the backcourt with McClinton—Lance Hurdle and James Dews—and the fourth, Dwayne Collins, has on occasion demonstrated the ability to be a force inside.
Brian Asbury, a starter as a sophomore in 2006-07 but relegated to a reserve role over the last 2 1/2 months, and Jimmy Graham return for their senior seasons. Asbury is a wing player. Graham adds muscle up front.
Haith also has replacements for departing seniors Anthony King and Raymond Hicks waiting, with Cryus McGowan, a transfer from Arkansas, and Julian Gamble, who sat out 2007-08 as a redshirt, ready to step in.
Notes, Quotes
Final Record: Overall 23-11, 8-8 ACC, fifth place.
What Went Right: Miami won its first 12 games of the season and 14 of its first 15 to rise to No. 21 in the rankings. The Hurricanes then finished the season on a high note, winning six of its last eight regular-season games. The streak included a 96-95 victory over Duke, a game in which they led by 20 points in the second half. They received a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament after going 1-1 in the ACC tourney and won their first NCAA game since 2000 with an opening win over St. Mary’s.
What Went Wrong: The Hurricanes struggled early in the conference race, falling to 2-6 before their closing run. They played only about 35 minutes total of good basketball in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments—the second half of their win over St. Mary’s and the last five minutes against Texas. They also had a pedestrian victory over North Carolina State in the ACC tourney. Shooting became somewhat iffy over the last few weeks as the Hurricanes shot only 38.1 percent from the field in their last six games.
Quote To Note: “We’re just trying to build, and there’s no question that, you know, I think we’re in the right, we’re headed in the right direction. Obviously. … We made the NCAA Tournament this year. But we’re still growing as a program.”—Coach Frank Haith, on the status of his program
Strategy And Personnel
The Good News: Miami will return four starters next season, including top scorer Jack McClinton, to a team that now has the confidence of knowing it can compete in the ACC. Two top reserves also are back, and 6-9 Cyrus McGowan, a transfer from Arkansas, will be eligible after sitting out this season.
The Bad News: The Hurricanes are going to find it tougher getting to the top tier in the ACC than it was to get out of the basement into the midpack. They lose Anthony King, a force in the middle, and Raymond Hicks, who provided depth up front off the bench. Five of their ACC wins were by three points or fewer, so they didn’t exactly dominate the league on their way to fifth place. A half-dozen plays turned another way would have resulted in a much different season.
Key Returnees: Jack McClinton, of course, is the most important returnee. He averaged a team-best 17.7 ppg and scored 56 points in the two NCAA games. Lance Hurdle took over ball-handling responsibilities, and James Dews also can shoot the three, giving Miami a set backcourt. Dwayne Collins returns up front and should be a more consistent performer as a junior than he was this season as a sophomore. Jimmy Graham finished strong. Brian Asbury kind of disappeared but could be a big contributor as a senior.
Roster Report:
• Jack McClinton has scored 1,085 points in two seasons and should easily move into the top 10 career scorers for Miami before he is finished. With one year left, McClinton is within 392 points of 10th-place Guillermo Diaz. The school record of 2,298 points held by Rick Barry is well out of reach, but McClinton could become the leader in 3-point shooting. He has 186 with one year to go. Steven Edwards holds the record with 265.
• Anthony King, who had two blocked shots in the win over St. Mary’s in the NCAA tourney, finished his career with 219 rejections, third most in school history since Miami started keeping records for blocks in the 1985-86 season. Constantin Popa holds the record of 263, and No. 2 is Tim James with 224.
