Miami sets sights on Providence
Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The Miami Hurricanes will make a trip to the Empire State on Monday to take on the Providence Friars in the Brooklyn Hoops Invitational at the Barclays Center.
Jim Larranaga will lead his Hurricanes against his alma mater, looking for a bit of consistency as the calendar year comes to a close. The Hurricanes opened the season with eight straight victories, but the team has lost two of its last three outings, including a tough 72-44 whipping at the hands of Eastern Kentucky on Friday.
Ed Cooley’s Friars are off to a strong start as well, sporting a 9-3 mark heading into this contest. Providence lost three straight games spanning the end of November into December, but has righted the ship with three straight victories, including an 85-65 blowout of Massachusetts on Saturday.
This marks the 31st all-time meeting between these two teams, with the series all knotted up at 15-15.
Not much went right for the Hurricanes against the Colonels last time out, as they just couldn’t find an offensive rhythm, instead shooting a dreadful .293 from the floor overall. The team also suffered a 37-26 deficit in rebounding and its 44 points were by far the season’s lowest output. Sheldon McClellan was the only Hurricane to finish in double figures in the loss, posting 14 points. The remainder of the starting five combined for just 12 points in the ugly loss.
The performance against EKU was a bit of an anomaly for Miami, as the team has been efficient if nothing else at the offensive end. The Hurricanes are averaging 70.7 ppg this year on .460 shooting. The team has utilized the 3- pointer effectively, averaging 8.6 treys per game on .403 shooting from long range. McClellan has made an immediate impact after transfering in from Texas. He currently leads the team in scoring at 16.0 ppg, while shooting a scorching .568 from the floor. Fellow transfer Angel Rodriguez (Kansas State) has fit in as well, netting 13.0 ppg, while leading the team in assists (47) and steals (28). Manu Lecomte and Deandre Burnett round out the top scoring threats for Miami with 11.6 and 10.6 ppg, respectively.
Like Miami, Providence isn’t the flashiest offensive squad around, but the team’s 70.2 ppg comes on an efficient .451 shooting. Senior forward LaDontae Henton can fill up the basket and is averaging just under 20 points per game. Sophomore guard Kris Dunn is a jack-of-all-trades type of player with the ability to score (13.1 ppg), rebound (5.2 rpg) and distribute (6.5 apg). Junior forward Tyler Harris adds to the team’s scoring depth with 12.1 ppg.
The Friars stifled UMass in the first half and took a 13-point lead into halftime and then cruised to victory over the Minutemen last time out. Henton dominated in the win, shooting 10-of-19 from the floor and leading all scorers with 27 points. Dunn posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists, while Harris (12 pts) and Carson Desrosiers (10 pts, 9 rebs) chipped in as well.
Categorized in: NCAA Basketball