Miami Hurricanes host third straight conference preseason favorite

The Miami Hurricanes conclude a three-game homestand to begin the season with a visit from Bethune-Cookman. The Hurricanes won their first two games with ease over Lehigh and Stephen F. Austin.

Bethune-Cookman is the third team in a row that has been picked to win their conference that the Miami Hurricanes will play. The game against the Wildcats will be the final one of a three-game homestand to begin the season.

The Miami Hurricanes began the season with an 83-62 victory over Lehigh last Friday. The win over the Mountain Hawks was followed up with a 96-58 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday night. Lehigh, Stephen F. Austin and Bethune-Cookman are all favored to win their conferences.

The Wildcats have already played four games this season. Bethune-Cookman lost by a combined 55 points at DePaul and Marquette to begin the season last week. The Wildcats won their last two games against Sub-Division I opponents Trinity Baptist and Johnson University by a combined 110 points.

Bethune-Cookman was tabbed as the MEAC preseason favorite in a vote of the conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. Our partner site Busting Brackets also picked the Wildcats to win the 2018-19 MEAC title.

Bethune-Cookman forwards Shawntrez Davis and Soufiyane Diakite were named to the all-MEAC preseason first-team and guard-forward Isaiah Bailey was named to the second-team. Bailey leads the Wildcats with 14.7 points per game this season. Forward Cletrell Pope is averaging 10.5 PPG and 10.5 rebounds.

Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Jim Larranaga tabbed Sophomore Chris Lykes as his next great point guard. Lykes is expected to be the team leader this season. Lykes has been outstanding this season. He is averaging 21.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.0 APG.

Seniors forward Anthony Lawrence and Center Ebuka Izundu, Junior guard Dejan Vasiljevic have also been outstanding this season. Lawrence is averaging 18.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 2.5 APG. Izundu is averaging 16 PPG and 14 RPG. That included a career-high 22 points and 17 rebounds against SFA. Vasiljevic is at 16.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG.

The Miami-Bethune Cookman game will not be televised on traditional TV or cable, nor will it be broadcast on the Hurricanes Flagship Station WQAM. Tipoff for the Canes and Wildcats is at 2 PM ET. The Hurricanes football team will kick off their game against Virginia Tech about an hour and a half later at 3:30 PM ET.

"Date/Time: Saturday, November 17, 2018/2 p.m. ETLocation: Coral Gables, Fla./Watsco Center (7,972)BETHUNE-COOKMAN WILDCATS (2-2)Head Coach: Ryan Ridder (Embry-Riddle, ‘08)Record at BCU: 20-16 (2nd season), Career Record: 115-44 (3rd season)MIAMI HURRICANES (2-0)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, ‘71)Record at UM: 163-79 (8th season), Career Record: 633-413 (35th season)Television: None; Online: ACC Network ExtraPlay-by-Play: Kyle Sielaf, Color: Mike GillianRadio: WKIS 99.1-HD2 (PxP: Kevin Rogers)Satellite Radio: XM Internet 993Series vs. BCU: Miami leads, 5-0Home: 5-0 | Road: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-0Information Courtesy of HurricaneSports.Com"

The schedule for the Miami Hurricanes gets much more difficult next week. The Hurricanes will fly to Southern California to take part in the Wooden Classic in Fullerton over Thanksgiving Weekend.

Miami will tipoff the Tournament at 2:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM PT against a familiar opponent, LaSalle. This is the fourth time in the last seven seasons that the Hurricanes and Explorers will play. Miami will take on Northwestern or Fresno State in their second game.

The four teams on the other half of the bracket are Seton Hall, Grand Canyon, Hawaii and Utah. Miami defeated Hawaii last season on the Warriors home court in the Outriggers Diamond Head Classic.