McClinton’s career-high guides Canes in first round…

Down five at the half, No. 7 Miami rallied behind the heart of Jack McClinton and pulled out a 14-point victory over No. 10 seed St. Mary’s, 78-64.

Miami trailed St. Mary’s 32-27 at the half. Over the next 20 minutes, McClinton and the entire St. Mary’s squad were each good for 32 points.

For those who wondered which Canes team would show up in the post-season, that question has been answered. Miami came to play and looks like they’re getting hot at the right time. Next up, an Easter Sunday showdown with No. 2 Texas.

For those who haven’t heard by now, Miami head coach Frank Haith was an assistant under Texas head coach Rick Barnes. The two are best friends and neither looks forward to the match up, for the sake of taking the other out of the tourney.

For Miami to pull the upset, the Canes will need more than a heavy dose of McClinton. Other role players need to step up. Pulling down rebounds and winning the battle from the free throw line are equally as important. Miami is one of the ACC’s best from the stripe and that needs to continue if the Canes want to advance. Conversely, Texas’ Damion Jones struggles from the line, which is a weakness of the Longhorns.

Another interesting subplot – the Haith vs. Barnes coaching battle. Can the pupil best the teacher? How much did Haith learn from Barnes? How much does he remember regarding Texas’ philosophies and tendencies? When you look at this match up it definitely puts the pressure on the Longhorns. The Canes truly have nothing to lose.

Sunday’s tip off is 2:15pm EDT on CBS. Tune in to see if the Canes can shock the Horns and shake up a few more brackets. 

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