Well if that’s the case, the Miami Hurricanes certainly look ready for next month’s madness.
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“You would think we were favorites to win the national championship with the way we’re practicing”, coach Rick Pitino following Wednesday’s 67-60 win at Pitt, in which the Cardinals closed on a 27-12 run to overcome an eight-point deficit with nine minutes left. As long as Rodriguez is playing consistently, the team doesn’t really have much in the way of weaknesses.
Miami was hampered by the loss of sophomore guard Ja’Quan Newton, who sat for the first of a three-game suspension announced a half-hour before tip-off.
Louisville lost at Miami by getting away from what was working. Snider led Louisville with 14 points.
Louisville-Miami Preview Barred from the postseason, Louisville is sure competing like a team with something to play for.
The Hurricanes shot 59 percent in the first half but trailed 38-36 at halftime because Louisville shot 58 percent. Hines-Allen scored seven points during the spurt and Asia Durr’s layup at the buzzer ended the run and gave Louisville a 40-21 lead at halftime.
“I said, ‘Listen, you need to show everybody in this arena how hard you’re willing to play to win this game, and your teammates will follow, ‘” Larranaga said. “From that moment on, he was absolutely sensational”. Still, they’re a legitimate second-weekend threat in the NCAA Tournament, because they’re good at both ends of the court. It’s not the ACC tournament. Sheldon McClellan added 13 points.
The Hurricanes shot 53 percent from the floor and made 19-of-23 free-throws. The biggest was Reed’s swish with 41 seconds left that put Miami up by six.
Miami rebounded to beat No. 3 Virginia at home and if they win out and the Tar Heels lose another game, they’re guaranteed a share of the conference crown. Wearing rings for winning the league’s regular season title is the only remaining goal U of L is alive for. Besides the impact for this season, it was also the first time in school history that Miami had beaten two Top 15 teams in consecutive games. Ivan Cruz Uceda, who started as part of Miami’s tribute to its seniors, had nine points while fellow senior Tonye Jekiri had eight points and eight rebounds. “I’m very happy we won, and as an individual, obviously I’ve got to be happy with my performance”. “We won’t hang any banners, we won’t have any Final Fours”. Rodriguez had 17 points and seven assists as Miami defeated Louisville 73-65. “You’ve got to give credit to a player who turns around his body and his game like that”. It will be their fourth consecutive game against a ranked team over a 12-day stretch.
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“Miami has all the tools”, Pitino said about the Hurricanes capability to get to the Final Four this year. They are balanced, experienced, efficient, well-coached. With all their assets and characteristics and their proven ability to play their best down on the stretch, there’s no telling how far this team can go now.
