Miami Basketball Tabbed with Three of ACC’s Top Ten Games for 2018
CBS Sports marked three Miami Basketball games among their top ten for this season. Home Games against Duke and Louisville, and at Notre Dame are the Hurricanes games selected.
The Miami Basketball ACC Opener will be December 30 at Pittsburgh. They play at Georgia Tech January 3 before their home opener against Florida State on January 7. That is a 6 PM ET Sunday night game on ESPNU.
The first marquee game on CBS Sports’ is January 15 when Duke visits the Watsco Center. The Hurricanes defeated number 10 Duke in Coral Gables last season. Then Freshman Bruce Brown dominated an undermanned Duke roster.
Brown scored 25 points and had four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. He shot 11-18 from the floor as Miami outlasted Duke 55-50. Brown was the only Hurricane in double figures.
Miami earned a split last season with Duke in the win. The Hurricanes blew an 11 point halftime lead in a 70-58 loss to the Blue Devils earlier in the season.
"Duke at Miami (Jan. 15)"
"The Blue Devils’ first tough test on the league schedule. Miami returns Bruce Brown, a dark horse ACC Player of the Year choice. The Hurricanes will have experience, and some size, on Duke. But the Blue Devils will have the talent edge. Should be a terrific game, one that helps decide the top of the standings."
Miami has only won three out of 14 games all-time against Louisville. That includes losses in six of the last games against the Cardinals. Miami lost 71-66 last season at the KFC Yum Center. Brown had 12 points, seven points, four rebounds.
The Hurricanes did win two seasons ago at 73-65 at the Watsco Center. The only returning player for Miami that played in the win in 2016 is Anthony Lawrence. He scored three points in 14 minutes.
Both Duke and Louisville are among the favorites to win the ACC this season. Miami is considered a sleeper to challenge them for the title. Duke has the nation’s number one recruiting class, Louisville seventh, and the Hurricanes tenth according to 247Sports.Com.
"Louisville at Miami (Jan. 24)"
"The Hurricanes welcome a Louisville team that will boast Deng Adel, Ray Spalding, Bruce Bowen and Quentin Snider. The Cardinals, a No. 2 seed in last season’s Big Dance, lost a dynamite player in Donovan Mitchell, who was a lottery pick (No. 13 overall to the Utah Jazz) in June’s draft. There’s enough scoring and athleticism coming back to keep Pitino’s team in the mix near the top of the ACC."
Miami basketball has played Notre Dame 21 times. The Hurricanes have won ten of those. Notre Dame won an ugly game at the Watsco Center 67-62 last season. Notre Dame shot 37.3 percent from the floor and made just five of 20 three-point attempts.
The Hurricanes shot 38.1 percent from the floor and were six of 18 on threes. Miami swept the two games played in 2016. Notre Dame swept two games in 2015. The Irish won four out of five meetings from 2002 through 2015. Miami and Notre Dame did not play from 2004 through 2014.
"Miami at Notre Dame (Feb. 19)"
"Mike Brey has coached Notre Dame to 24-plus wins in four of the past five seasons with NBA talent and experienced rosters. The Fighting Irish are a fascinating team because they don’t project to have a lot of depth, yet Colson and Farrell may wind up as two of the league’s six or seven best players. Can they be good enough to get Notre Dame to last year’s status? That status: a 5 seed."
There is a lot of anticipation for the Miami Basketball season. The return of Brown and the addition of Lonnie Walker with an already good roster and a top ranked recruiting class gives Miami Head Coach Jim Larranaga one of his most talented rosters ever.
Next: Should We be Concerned With Miami Basketball 2018 Recruiting Class?
Miami Basketball opens the regular season on November 10 at the Watsco Center against Gardner-Webb.