With an outside shot at the NCAA tourney, the Miami Hurricanes laid the biggest egg of the season against conference foe Virginia Tech.
The Canes 47 points scored proved to be a season low, while the Hokies used solid defense to keep everyone in the black and orange from scoring double digits.
Watching this game, you couldn’t help but wonder how Miami mustered up 18 wins this season as Virginia Tech’s ability to shut down this one-dimensional offense should’ve been the blueprint every other ACC team should’ve followed; eliminate Jack McClinton from the equation and cruise to victory.
Down 12-2 early on, the Canes had a three-minute scoring drought and finally made it 12-4 with 13:43 in the first. Late in the half, Miami strung together three straight 3-pointers – two from Adrian Thomas and one from McClinton – cutting the 28-15 deficit to 28-24 at the half.
From there, Miami returned to ice cold. The second half started with a Dwayne Collins foul, a Tech 3-pointer and two missed free throws from Jimmy Graham. The sloppy play continued with McClinton missing two threes and Lance Hurdle missing a jumper.
Hurdle’s first points of the game didn’t come until the 10:58 mark in the second half, making is a 43-37 game. From there the Hokies went on a 14-0 run, putting the game out of reach and embarrassing a Miami team looking to make their claim for a spot in the final sixty-four.
Next up for the Canes, an NIT berth in a season where they garnered the most preseason hype the program had seen in forever. After opening the year 14-4, Miami closed with a 4-8 stretch, playing themselves out of a meaningful postseason.
Thankfully Miami fans can turn their attention to a sixth-ranked, 12-2 baseball squad prepping for a three-game home stand against Duke this weekend. Not to mention a football program primed for a turnaround this fall, based on the good news coming out of spring camp.
i posted here last about the basketball team…and i know this is a football school and i am a true cane football fan…but i went to college for free because of basketball so i have to watch my canes on the court as well…and i said before haith would get owned this game…and it happend…and it has happend the entire second half of the season…when your scorer is getting doubled and shut down…you have to go back to the drawing board and design plays to put him in position…and design other plays for the rest of the team so tech would have had to play them honest…but not today..old haith just sat there and watched and looked lost and frustrated like usual…it kills me just kills me to see these young men struggle and when they look for guidance it is just plain no there…he is in over his head with a team full of talent and size…how does tech go on a 14-0 run…haith burns no timeouts…and i watched 5 straight miami possesions where they took a quick contested three…haith again no timeouts…to calm his team down…or make a sub to get someone else on the floor that can get a bucket or to the line…how does a D1 team score 47 points?…they young men deserve a spot in any tournament for playing hard…but haith does not …get him out of there..he gets owned when he faces a decent coach…i am from virginia…and i hate seeing a superior team as the canes lose to a redneck podunk cow farm school like virginia tech…drives me crazy…oh well lets look forward to a great baseball season…and then mash tech in football
When does football season start?
As someone who tries to keep a perspective on our program and its history this was the most disgraceful performance in years. even in our injury plagued 12-20 season we came to the ACC Tournament with a passion for the game and knocked off Maryland and then took BC to OT the next day- both teams were ranked in the Top 20 at the time.
The Miami teams from 1998 to 2002 would have wiped the floor with this team. Leonard Hamilton found a way to make small forwards into point guards like Vernon Jennings and John Salmons to mask the PG problems. From Haith no such thing- Hurdle wasn’t PG and did his best with his limited skills. Never an attempt to teach Asbury or Dews both decent ball handlers who make decent open court decisions how to run the point.
A lost season and a disappointing end to Jack McClinton’s career.
U GOT WOOOOOOPED!
Today Manny passed on some reports that say Haith is interested in taking the Alabama job. I don’t see how that is a better job, other than maybe he is looking for a school that has more support from the administration, who knows. UA is also a football school, but maybe they have more resources for bball. Regardless, I think Haith and his teams have not performed up to snuff other than last year’s run. I don’t know if it’s the system or players or both. College ball is guard driven, and aside from Jack, our guard play has been awful. If Haith doesn’t want to be here, then move on. We want a coach who wants to be at The U.
-ColumbusCane
Tons of crap we could say, but apparently Jack Mc has been nursing a sprained knee since the BC win on Feb 21st.
Also, the most telling game of the season was way back at home against OSyUck; a ludicrous ejection sure, but on your own floor with an obnoxious lead & the emotional vindication that should have been from the bad call–quickly became panic. It underscored the squeaky wheel that arose whenever McClinton was off court or just off. It was never fixed. The team was dragging a long time before this game.
I know it’s only the NIT, but I have to admit I’m intrigued by these initial match-ups. If we beat Providence, then we get a chance to play Florida and end their season in the O’Dome. If you’re a die-hard Cane, you gotta like that.
C’mon Canes…pick your heads up and let’s go make a run at the NIT.
-Tampa Cane
U GOT WOOOOOOPED!
Yup, and both Miami and Virginia Tech wrapped up garbage seasons and are NIT bound. What’s your point?
Great win by the Canes tonight at Providence. J-Mac had 7 3 pointers and scored 25 points.
Since UF beat Jacksonville, the showdown is set:
Canes vs. Gators, Fri at 7pm.
Can’t wait. I don’t even care that this is the NIT right now. I just want to take out UF in two of the three major sports. Call me a myopic Cane fan, but I think a win at the O’Dome could also be beneficial for Haith on the recruiting trails…guys like Brandon Knight and other south Florida prospects come to mind.
Let’s go Canes…beat the Gators!
-Tampa Cane