'Canes play worst game under Coach Larranaga, get punished by EKU 72-44

After a rust-filled slow start the 'Canes had only scored 3 points in the first 8 minutes of the game. Then Deandre Burnett drilled a couple of threes, EKU answered with 3's of their own and didn't seem like they were going to go away anytime soon.

Miami had difficulty getting to loose balls and as the announcers deftly stated, were getting creamed on 50-50 plays.

Sheldon McClellan had a sick up-and-under move off a loose ball, but it was mostly Eastern Kentucky the first half. Burnett seemed to be the only consistent offensive option and with a little more attention being paid to the standout redshirt frosh, Manu Lecomte was left open on the break for a wide open 3, which cut the lead to 25-23. Ja'Quan Newton was hacked with 2:01 left in the half and tied the game at 25-25.

EKU finished strong and took a 27-25 lead into the locker room. One can only imagine what Coach Larranaga had to say (scream) during the break.

Whatever he said clearly didn't work tonight as the 'Canes appeared to be stuck in the mud as EKU embarrassed them possession after possession. The turnovers were difficult to watch and often led to easy EKU buckets.

Angel Rodriguez continued to struggle, along with the rest of the squad, and before you knew it, EKU had a 43-27 lead with 11 minutes to play. Miami kept settling for 3's - most of which were way short - and EKU kept settling for 3's that were right on the money.

With just under 9 minutes to play, the 'Canes were down 22, until Davon Reed hit a 3 to cut the deficit to an unmanageable 51-32. But EKU continued to convert easy baskets, making the 'Canes look like a JV squad.

With 7:26 left in the game, I decided to stop writing this post-game as the contest was a complete humiliation for the home team. Let's hope the 'Canes can put this absolute destruction behind them and find their footing before conference play begins.

With their ranking gone (it really doesn't matter at this point), maybe the 'Canes will return to playing the kind of unselfish team basketball they played during the first several games of the season. This one was difficult to watch.

I'm still optimistic about the season, but congrats to EKU for demolishing Miami in a game the 'Canes should have won, if not dominated. Miami played with little intensity and it showed. If you would have known nothing about either of these teams, you would have thought EKU was ranked and Miami was a cupcake.

Technical Fouls: PLAYERS: None - TEAMS: None