Miami basketball ends brutal stretch at North Carolina, Saturday

The Miami basketball team concludes a brutal stretch when they play at number eight North Carolina on Saturday. The game against the Tar Heels is the Hurricanes fifth in their last seven games against a ranked team.

The two games that the Miami basketball team did not play in their last seven against a ranked team were at Syracuse two weeks ago and Wednesday’s home victory over Notre Dame. The Hurricanes are 0-5 against ranked teams this season with only a loss a Florida State coming on the road.

Miami won last season’s game at North Carolina on a near-halfcourt shot from Ja’Quan Newton at the buzzer. The Tar Heels had tied the score moments earlier on Joel Barry’s three-point shot. Both players graduated after last season.

This has been a tumultuous season for the Miami basketball team. The Hurricanes have played the entire season without star center-forward Dewan Hernandez. They chose to redshirt backup center Rodney Miller before the seasons started. Eight games in the Hurricanes lost backup Deng Gak for the season with a knee injury.

North Carolina enters the game with Miami 18-4 overall and 8-1 in the ACC in a three-way tie for first in the ACC with Duke and Virginia. North Carolina’s lone ACC loss was an 82-63 blowout at home to Louisville last month. The Tar Heels have yet to play Virginia or Duke.

North Carolina is led by All-American Candidate Luke Maye. Maye is averaging
14.9 points per game, 9.8 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game. Four Tar Heels average in double figures and six score at least eight PPG. UNC is second in the nation averaging 88.3 PPG.

Freshmen Nassir Little and Coby White and Senior Cameron Johnson are the other Tar Heels to watch. Little’s recruitment by the Hurricanes was indirectly involved with Hernandez’s suspension as related to the Adidas bribery scandal.

Miami’s win over Notre Dame on Wednesday should be huge for the Hurricanes confidence. It was more than just ending a five-game losing streak. After getting in an 11-2 to deficit early the Hurricanes dominated play. Miami outscored the Fighting Irish 60-36 the rest of the way for a 62-47 victory.

Notre Dame shot 32.1 percent from the floor and made 4-28 three-point attempts. While playing a far superior team on the road will be significantly more difficult, the Hurricanes will need to continue with that kind of defensive effort.

Miami has been much better defensively over the last two games. In their loss at Virginia, last Saturday Miami held the third-ranked Cavaliers to 42.3 percent from the floor and 6-17 on threes.

Sophomore point guard Chris Lykes recovered from a two-game slump with solid play over the last three games. Lykes averaged 15.3 PPG and shot 48.5 percent from the floor in the Hurricanes last three contests.

Miami hopes to even the season series with the Tar Heels after playing well before losing 86-76 at the Watsco Center last month. Miami and North Carolina split their two games last year. The Hurricanes won in Chapel Hill and UNC won in the ACC Tournament.

"GAME 23 • FEB. 9, 2019 • NOON • CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Dean E. Smith Center (21,750)MIAMI HURRICANES (10-12, 2-8 ACC)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, ‘71)Record at UM: 171-91 (8th season), Career Record: 641-425 (35th season)8/8 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (18-4, 8-1 ACC)Head Coach: Roy Williams (North Carolina, ‘72)Record at UNC: 442-130 (16th season), Career Record: 860-231 (31st season)Courtesy of HurricaneSports.Com"

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on Raycom. Play-by-Play announcer Wes Durham is the son of late, legendary North Carolina Announcer Woody Durham. Durham will be joined by former Georgia Tech Star Brian Oliver.

"Broadcast Information:Play-by-Play: Wes Durham, Color: Brian OliverRadio: WQAM 560-AM (PxP: Joe Zagacki)Satellite Radio: Sirius 133, XM 382, XM Internet 973Series vs. UNC: UNC leads, 23-8Road: 4-10 | Home: 3-9 | Neutral: 1-4"

The Hurricanes schedule is much easier over the next four games after Miami plays North Carolina. That should give the Miami basketball team a chance to build momentum.

Miami alternates home and road games against Clemson, Boston College, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest before traveling to Duke on March 2. The Hurricanes finish the regular season by hosting Pittsburgh and playing at number 11 Virginia Tech.