This Week in Miami Hurricanes Basketball: 12/26

Happy Monday everyone. I hope you and your family had a nice holiday weekend and are looking forward to New Years Eve. It’s been freezing in North Florida the last few days. Phew! Days in the 30s are no joke. At least it’s sunny and clear outside.

We’re back for another week of Miami Hurricanes Men’s and Women’s Basketball. Last week was light, with only one game for each squad. The guys got their biggest win of the season, taking down #6 Virginia Tuesday night at the Watsco Center. The ladies lost their ACC season-opener to their rival, the Florida State Seminoles.

Last week:

I recapped Miami’s exciting 66-64 win over Virginia. The Canes moved up from #25 to #22 before their contest against the Cavaliers. The game was the only matchup between ranked teams the entire week. What a huge early-season victory for our guys. Miami is the only 3-0 team in the ACC. They have one of the top players in the ACC in Isaiah Wong. They have the best overall record, at 12-1. The Canes looks poised to be a top-two team in the ACC this season.

The win propelled Miami to a #14 ranking in today’s new AP Poll. Somehow, the Canes are one spot behind Virginia, despite beating them in the last game played by either team. Also, Virginia lost their prior game to Houston. Yeah, Houston is a highly ranked team. It’s still a loss! Unreal. Instances like these are why Miami fans continue to believe there is a bias against this school, no matter what the sport. AP Poll voters suck.

On a more positive note, head coach Jim Larranaga has been named a 2023 first-time nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He definitely deserves it. Coach L is the best basketball coach in the history of the school. He has the basketball program in the best position they’ve been in in years. He loves the city of Miami. He embraces the good home crowds at the Watsco Center, a building I would describe as meh. He is everything UM fans could hope for. Congrats to Coach L!

The Lady Canes fell to their in-state rival, 92-85. Lashae Dwyer came off the bench to lead Miami in scoring with 23 points. She also had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Destiny Harden chipped in with 20 points. Haley Cavinder scored 17 points and pulled down a team-high 8 rebounds. Makayla Timpson led FSU with 25 points and 9 rebounds on 10-13 shooting.

Miami was playing from behind for most of this game, trailing by 9 points after the first quarter. They fought back in the third quarter, but didn’t have enough to steal the road game. Against solid competition, it seems like the Canes are incapable of having more than three teammates play well in the same game. It’s confounding and has to be frustrating for Coach Meier.

This week:

The guys are back to a two-game week. First, they host the Vermont Catamounts on Wednesday, 12/28 at 8:00 PM EST. The game will be televised on ACC Network. This is Miami’s final non-conference game. Vermont has had some talented teams in the past that have made the NCAA Tournament. However, this year’s version is 6-8, with double-digit losses to Iona and Yale. The Canes then travel to South Bend, IN to take on Notre Dame on Friday, 12/30 at 2:00 PM EST. The game will be televised on ACC Network. The Fighting Irish started the season strong, but have lost three in a row. Miami having a record of 14-1, 4-0 ACC going into 2023 is a real possibility.

The ladies are back to a two-game week as well. They first host #5 Notre Dame on Thursday, 12/29 at 6:00 PM EST. The game will be televised on ACC Network. Notre Dame is back at the top of the Women’s College Basketball world, with wins over #3 UConn and #6 Virginia Tech. The Lady Canes then travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday, 1/1 at 2:00 PM EST. Television coverage has not yet been announced. The Panthers are 7-5 on the season.

GO CANES!