In the last three postseasons, the Miami Hurricanes have lost to a team that has reached the Final Four. Villanova in 2016 and North Carolina in 2017 won National Championships. Loyola will attempt to make it three in a row.
In 2016 and ’18 the Miami Hurricanes were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by the South Regional champion and in 2017 they lost to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.
In 2016 the Miami Hurricanes lost to Villanova in the South Regional Semifinals. They were ousted by North Carolina from the ACC Tournament in 2017 and lost to Loyola in this season’s South Regional First round.
Those losses bode well for Loyola in the Final Four this weekend. Each of the last two National Champions has defeated Miami in the postseason. Each season has been very different for Miami.
In 2016 the Hurricanes were a trendy pick to reach the Final Four. The Wildcats had other ideas. Villanova blew open a close game in the second half and eliminated Miami from the NCAA Tournament with a 92-69 victory.
McClellan led the way with 26 and Rodriguez had 13. The remainder of the Hurricanes scored just 30 points. McClellan and Rodriguez were the only Hurricanes in double figures in the loss to Villanova.
After five players scored in double figures in Miami’s first-round victory over Buffalo, McClellan and Rodriguez were the only Hurricanes in double figures in their next two tournament games.
The Wildcats added victories over Kansas in the Elite Eight and Oklahoma in the Final Four to set up an epic meeting with North Carolina. Villanova’s 95-51 victory over the Sooners set at Final Four record for margin of victory.