Miami basketball hopes to be fully healthy versus Boston College: Game info

The Miami basketball team returns home for the second of three out of four games at the Watsco Center on Wednesday night against Boston College. The focus is on getting healthy.

The Miami basketball team returns to the Watsco Center on Wednesday night to host Boston College. The Eagles come to Coral Gables to face the Hurricanes who are in the middle of a four-game stretch with three home games. Miami has lost seven of its last eight games to fall under .500 for the first time since November.

Injuries have decimated the Miami basketball team for the second season in a row. Miami lost redshirt sophomore forward Deng Gak early in the year for the second straight season with a knee injury. Gak has played in only 15 games in two seasons with Miami. Several other Miami basketball players have missed time with injuries.

Junior point guard Chris Lykes returned Saturday against Florida State after missing four games, junior guard Kam McGusty also played against the Seminoles after missing three of the previous four. Graduate transfer forward Keith Stone who was supposed to provide depth up front has missed 13 games in 2019-20.

A torn ACL ended the season for Stone with Florida in January 2019. Stone missed the beginning of the season for Miami still recovering. A reaggravation of that knee in early January 2020 caused Stone to miss another three and a half weeks before returning February 2 against Pittsburgh.

"GAME 24 | FEB. 12, 2020 • 7 P.M. ET • CORAL GABLES, FLA.Boston College Eagles (12-12, 6-7 ACC)Head Coach: Jim Christian (Rhode Island, 1988)Record at BC: 74-112 (sixth season), Career Record: 316-266 (18th season)Miami Hurricanes (11-12, 3-10 ACC)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, 1971)Record at UM: 186-109 (ninth season), Career Record: 656-443 (36th season)Courtesy HurricaneSports.Com"

Center Rodney Miller sat out Saturday versus Florida State with a sprained ankle. Miami head coach Jim Larranaga hopes to have a healthy team with the exception of Gak against Boston College on Wednesday night. Lykes appears ready to play and is feeling much better according to Larranaga.

It sounds like Lykes should be back in the starting lineup against the Eagles. McGusty is not 100 percent recovering from back spasms and Miller did not participate in practice on Monday, but Larranaga was hopeful the 7’0 center would be back to 100 percent by Wednesday.

"SERIES HISTORYAll-Time: 24-26 (23-26 since rebirth) | Home: 13-11 | Away: 10-13 | Neutral: 1-2 | Coach L: 11-2 (11-2 at Miami)Streak: Lost 1 | Last Meeting: 64-57 road loss (2/17/19) | First Meeting: 72-69 road win (12/4/62)BROADCAST INFORMATIONRSN • Play-by-Play: Evan Lepler • Color: Mike Gminski | FOX Sports Florida | WatchESPNRadio: WQAM 560 AM • Joe Zagacki • Danny Rabinowitz | WQAM.Radio.comWMYM 990 AM • Broderick Zerpa • Jose Martinez • Lorenzo Berry • Daniel Ramirez | Spanish RadioWVUM 90.5 FM • Philip Capuzzi • Josh White | WVUM.org"

The timing of the injuries for Miami after a brutal January schedule was a tough blow this month. The absence of the key players for the Miami basketball team has given more playing to freshmen, guards Harlond Beverly and Isaiah Wong and forward Anthony Walker.

Beverly scored a career-high 20 points in Miami’s loss last Wednesday to North Carolina State. In the past four games, he is averaging 14.5 PPG 3.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.3 SPG. Miami is extremely guard-oriented this season. The Hurricanes are led by Lykes, McGusty, senior Dejan Vasiljevic, Beverly and Wong.

Getting Miller back is critical inside. Stone provides good minutes upfront with starting stretch four Sam Waardenburg. Larranaga is hoping that Miami can make a late-season run with a healthy team.