Miami Basketball at Georgia Tech: Open Thread/How to Watch

The 'Canes are a healthy 6-3 in the ACC, good for 4th in the conference.

But they are just 1-3 on the road.

So every chance to get a win away from the friendly confines of the Bank United Center is key.

Today at 1 PM EST (ESPNU)  they get another shot Vs the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

They'll need continued good play from PG Angel Rodriguez, who has been very, very good of late.

Freshman Anthony "Amp" Lawrence Jr. came off the bench for 18 big points in Wednesday's win over Notre Dame.

Another strong performance from the bench would also help.

Much more on this game later.

Game Notes Courtesy UM

The Game

No. 17/15 Miami hits the road to face Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.

The Broadcasts

Catch the game on ESPNU with Anish Shroff and Cory Alexander on the call. Also check out the game on 560 WQAM radio with Joe Zagacki, the Voice of the Hurricanes.

The Coach

Head coach Jim Larrañaga has a 578-387 overall record in his 32nd season as a head coach. He is 108-53 in his fifth season at the University of Miami, with a 47-32 mark in ACC play.

The Polls  (as of Feb. 1)

AP: Miami -17, Georgia Tech – NR

USA TODAY: Miami - 15, Georgia Tech - NR

KenPom.com: Miami - 17, Georgia Tech – 57

NCAA RPI: Miami -16, Georgia Tech - 77

The Weather

Game day temperatures: Coral Gables - 66/46;  Atlanta - 56/36.

The Series

Miami is 11-8 in the all-time series against Georgia Tech, which dates back to the 1952-53 season. The Canes are 5-4 at home against the Yellow Jackets, 6-4 on the road and 0-0 at neutral sites. Miami is 4-2 under Coach L against GT. Miami lost the last matchup with Georgia Tech, losing to the Yellow Jackets, 70-50, on Jan. 28, 2015 at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables.

The Note

Senior guard Sheldon McClellan has posted the eighth-best shooting percentage (52.7%) in the country among guards, and has the top shooting percentage among guards in the ACC, according to stats on NCAA.org on Feb. 5. McClellan’s 2-point shooting percentage is 61.4 percent this season.

McClellan is currently on three national player of the year watch lists: Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy for Men’s National Player of the Year and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.

Amp Lawrence Turns It Up Against Notre Dame

Freshman Anthony "Amp" Lawrence, Jr. knocked down 4-of-4 shots from long range on his way to 18 points in 21 minutes against Notre Dame on Feb. 3. In his previous seven ACC games, the rookie tallied four total points, going 0-3 from long range and 1-8 from the field, in 39 total minutes. For the season Lawrence is 12-of-26 from three, also having a perfect night against Charleston, where he hit all three of his attempts.

Canes Seventh in Nation in FT Percentage

Miami has connected on 370-of-485 (76.3%) shots at the free throw line, while opponents have just 361 attempts at the charity stripe. UM averages 17.6 points per game at the line, and has posted a +12.6 scoring margin this season. Miami ranks seventh in the nation in free throw percentage and No. 71 in free throws made. The Canes have drawn 413 fouls, while committing only 360, which ranks UM No. 27 in the country in fewest fouls.

Newton Best Sixth Man in the Country

Dick Vitale has lauded Miami sophomore Ja’Quan Newton as the "best sixth man in the country." Newton has immensely improved his stats from last year, and has  scored in double digits 17 times this season.

In Miami’s six ACC victories Newton has averaged 14.0 points and 2.7 assists per game, hitting 56.6 percent from the field. In the Canes’ three losses he has put up 8.0 points and 1.3 assists per outing, knocking down only 30.8 percent of his shots.

Jekiri on the Boards

In 125 games at Miami senior Tonye Jekiri has grabbed 808 rebounds, ninth-most in Miami history. He has improved his rebounds per game from 1.6 as a rookie to 9.9 as a senior. He also has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 35 games over the past two seasons (58 games played), after doing so just three times in his first 67 outings.

Last Week with Angel Rodriguez

In last week’s games against Duke and NC State, Angel Rodriguez handed out 17 assists with just two turnovers, while hitting 47.4 percent (9-19) from the field, 40.0 percent (6-15) from three and 1.000 percent (4-4) at the line for 14.0 points per game. He also grabbed 4.0 rpg. 

Canes Have Stingy 3-Point Defense

In 12 of the last 14 games, Miami has held each of its opponents to less than 33.3 percent shooting per game from long range, holding those 12 teams to a combined 24.7 percent mark - with Clemson’s 43.8 percent and NC State’s 45.5 percent the exceptions. In the first seven games, Miami averaged 41.4 percent 3-point defense. Opponents shot better than 32 percent from three in six of the first seven games.

Quick Hits

- Miami is 15-2 this season in games decided by 10-or-more points, and Coach L is 65-19 all-time at Miami in games decided  by more than 10 points.

- Miami’s bench has scored 25.2 points per game, including 50 against Mississippi State, 47 at La Salle, 39 vs. Charleston and 35 vs. Charlotte.

- The Canes have scored 32.6 points per game in the paint, including 50 paint points against Northeastern and La Salle, and 46 against Mississippi State.

- Five Hurricanes are averaging at least 8.0 points per game.

- Five Canes pull down at least 3.0 rebounds per game.

- Six players are averaging at least 21.0 minutes per game.

- Nine of 10 scholarship players are shooting better than 40 percent from the field.

- Every scholarship Cane has scored 10+ points in at least one game.

What’s Trending - Individually

- Ja’Quan Newton has scored double-digit points in 17 games after only scoring 10+ in four games as a rookie. He has already scored 250 points as a sophomore,  after tallying 135 points in 34 games a season ago. Newton has at least two assists in 15 games and five-or-more assists in four times.

- After scoring four points in seven ACC appearances (39 total minutes), Anthony Lawrence, Jr. notched 18 points vs. Notre Dame in 21 minutes.

- Davon Reed has a steal in eight of the last 10 outings. He has grabbed at least three rebounds in every game but three. Reed has knocked down a 3-pointer in 11 games and hit multiple threes in seven outings.

- Sheldon McClellan has scored 20+ points in five outings and 14+ points in 16 games. He has scored 12+ in every ACC game, and 20+ in three outings.

- Angel Rodriguez has knocked down a 3-pointer in every game but six and has hit multiple shots from long range 10 times. He has scored in double digits in 15 games, and notched four-or-more assists in 13 outings. He has made a free throw in every game but one.

- Kamari Murphy has at least one block in 11 of the last 16 games. He has grabbed at least five rebounds in 12 of the past 16 outings.

- Tonye Jekiri has pulled down at least 10 rebounds in 14 games, including eight games with 12-or-more. He has 10+ rebounds in six of the last eight outings. Jekiri has four-or-more offensive rebounds in four of the last six games.

- Ivan Cruz Uceda has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in every game except six outings. He has hit multiple 3-pointers in nine games. He has a rebound in every game but three.

In ACC Games

- Ja’Quan Newton has scored in double digits in seven of nine games. He has an assist in every game, and multiple assists in six games. He has grabbed four-plus rebounds in five games. He has shot better than 40 percent in all but two games - at Clemson and NC State.

- Anthony Lawrence, Jr. has recorded at least one block in two-straight games.

- Davon Reed has grabbed four-or-more rebounds in seven outings. He has a steal in seven of the last eight games and a block in three of the last four outings.

- Sheldon McClellan has scored 12+ in all eight ACC outings. He has an assist in eight-straight games and multiple handouts in six outings. He has a steal in six games, with three in three outings. McClellan has hit four-or-more free throws in six games.

- Angel Rodriguez has 22 assists combined in the past three games. After starting ACC play 2-of-25 from long range through the first five games, he is 8-of-24 in the last four league contests. He has three-or-more assists in seven outings. Rodriguez has five-plus steals twice.

- Kamari Murphy has grabbed five-or-more rebounds in six games.

- Tonye Jekiri grabbed double-digit rebounds six times and blocked a shot in four of the last six games. Jekiri has played at least 27 minutes in all nine league games.