After a second straight loss in the NCAA Tournament first round, Bruce Brown missing the last third of the season and the FBI Scandal the Miami Hurricanes and Jim Larranaga are looking forward to the 2018-19 season.
What began as the most anticipated Miami Hurricanes season ever turned into one of the most adversity-filled seasons in program history.
It began last summer when prized Freshman Lonnie Walker needed surgery in July to repair the MCL in his knee, continued with Miami being implicated in the FBI investigation that rocked college basketball last September and continued with Brown’s season-ending injury in January.
The Hurricanes began the season 10-0 before they had an inconsistent run in the ACC. Miami eventually finished 11-7 and earned the third seed in the ACC Tournament. They finished the regular season with a four-game winning streak.
As the third seed in the ACC Tournament Miami earned a double-bye into the quarterfinals. Ten days after winning in Chapel Hill on a Ja’Quan Newton buzzer beater the Tar Heels ousted the Hurricanes from the ACC Tournament for the second year in a row.
Miami seemed poised to win their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament against Loyola. The Hurricanes blew numerous chances to put the game away late but lost to eventual South Regional Champion Loyola.
In an interview with Miami Hurricanes play-by-play announcer, Joe Zagakci on WQAM Sunday relayed by the Palm Beach Post’s beat reporter Matt Porter Larranaga discussed the adversity of the past season and looked ahead to recruiting and next season.