Miami basketball opens vs. Missouri State at Charleston Classic: Game Info

The Miami basketball team will open their weekend trip to Charleston, South Carolina against Missouri State in the Charleston, Classic on Thursday morning.

The Miami basketball team has won their last three games after losing their season opener to Louisville at the Watsco Center two weeks ago. The Missouri State Bears travel to Charleston with a 2-2 record after finishing 16-16 in 2018-19. Next up for both teams is either Florida or St. Joseph’s.

Eighteenth ranked Xavier who is on the bottom half of the Charleston Classic Bracket is the only team currently in the polls in the field. Florida began the season ranked sixth nationally but tumbled out of the rankings after losses to Florida State and UConn. The Huskies play Buffalo in the final game in Charleston Thursday night.

Miami advanced to the finals of the Wooden Legacy in 2018 before losing to Seton Hall. The Miami basketball program is the only school to have won the Charleston Classic twice. The Hurricanes captured titles in 2009 and 2014. The Hurricanes will attempt to continue their five-year cycle in Charleston this weekend.

Miami has earned wins over Florida Atlantic, Central Florida and Quinnipiac after the season-opening loss to Louisville. Freshman guard Harlond Beverly has been a key contributor in the first four games of the Miami basketball season. Beverly is averaging 12.0 points, two rebounds and 3.3 assists.

"GAME 5 | NOV. 21, 2019 • 11:30 A.M. ET • CHARLESTON, S.C.Missouri State Bears (2-2, 0-0 MVC)Head Coach: Dana Ford (Illinois State, 2006)Record at MSU: 18-18 (second season), Career Record: 75-83 (sixth season)Miami Hurricanes (3-1, 0-1 ACC)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, 1971)Record at UM: 178-98 (ninth season), Career Record: 648-432 (36th season)Broadcast Information:SERIES HISTORYAll-Time: 1-0 (1-0 since rebirth) | Home: 1-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-0 | Coach L: 1-0 (1-0 at Miami)Last Meeting: 81-72 home win in NIT (March 21, 2011) | First Meeting: sameBROADCAST INFORMATIONESPNU • Play-by-Play: Richard Cross • Color: Daymeon Fishback | https://es.pn/2NWXCdyWQAM 560 AM • Joe Zagacki | WQAM.Radio.comInformation Courtesy HurricaneSports.Com"

Beverly is shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent on three-point attempts, but has made only two of his seven free-throw attempts. Miami has been led by stellar perimeter play early in the season. Beverly, juniors Kam McGusty and Chris Lykes and senior D.J. Vasiljevic are all averaging in double figures.

Miami Hurricanes Basketball

McGusty leads Miami with 14.8 PPG and is averaging 4.5 RPG, two APG and one steal. Lykes is averaging 14 PPG and Vasiljevic 13.3 PPG. Beverly leads the Hurricanes in assists, Lykes leads with 1.5 SPG and redshirt junior center Rodney Miller is pacing Miami with 6.8 RPG.

Miller, Vasijevic, Lykes and McGusty have started all four games with redshirt junior forward Sam Waardenburg. Waardenburg is averaging 4.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG and is the Hurricanes co-leader with sophomore forward Deng Gak with four blocked shots. Miami should have a significant size advantage upfront.

Missouri State relies a lot on 6’5 senior guard Keandre Cook. Cook is averaging 17.8 PPG and 5.3 RPG. Cook is a scorer who is not likely to share the ball. He has only one assist in the Bears’ first four games this season.

Missouri State is led by Lamont West and Tulio DaSilva upfront. DaSilva leads the Bears with eight RPG and is contributing eight PPG. West is the only player to average in double figures for Missouri State besides Cook at 10.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG

Miami will likely try to stop Cook and make the rest of the Bears beat them. Cook and West are the only Missouri State players shooting over 50 percent. Missouri State is far more adept opn the defensive end. The Bears hold opponents to 21.5 percent with 17 made baskets on three-point attempts that is sixth and 18th nationally.