Two years after defeating Rutgers in ACC-Big Ten Challenge the Miami basketball team hosts the Scarlet Knights in the 2018 Challenge. The Hurricanes return home after finishing second in the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, California over Thanksgiving weekend.
Rutgers heads to Coral Gables in the first game of a very difficult schedule over the next six days. After facing the Miami basketball team the Scarlet Knights play Michigan State on Friday night and Wisconsin on Monday.
Miami returns home after winning two of their three games out West. The Hurricanes blew out LaSalle in the opener of the Wooden Legacy on Thanksgiving Day. They split a pair of close games with Fresno State on Friday in the Semifinals and lost to Seton Hall, Rutgers Garden State rival, in the Championship game late Sunday night.
Miami needed a spectacular Zach Johnson putback dunk with less than a second remaining to defeat Fresno State. The Hurricanes missed a pair of game-winning shots in the final seconds against Seton Hall.
Miami has used excellent balance this season with five players averaging in double figures led by Sophomore point guard Chris Lykes. Lykes has scored at least 17 points in each of the Hurricanes first six games this season.
After a slow start in his first three games in a Hurricanes uniform, Johnson played exceptionally well at the Wooden Legacy. The Senior Graduate Transfer averaged 18 points per game in the Wooden Legacy.
Johnson, Lykes and Dejan Vasiljevic were all named to the all-tournament team at the Wooden Legacy. Senior forward Anthony Lawrence Jr. has also played very well for the Miami basketball team through their first half dozen games.
Didn't end the way we wanted it to, but our guys balled out at the Wooden Legacy.
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) November 26, 2018
@ZachJohns5n (All-Tournament Team) - 18.0 PPG | 51.6 FG%@IAm_Lykesdat (2nd Team) - 19.7 PPG | 54.3FG%
@DejanMv (Honorable Mention) - 17.3 PPG | 52.4 3FG% pic.twitter.com/axwul03lTr
Miami has been exceptional in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge under Jim Larranaga with a 5-2 record. The Hurricanes have won their last four games in the Challenge including the 73-61 home victory over Rutgers two years ago. Miami has not lost in the Challenge since losing 60-49 at Nebraska in 2013.