76 - 50 Miami’s Elite Eight loss was a tough pill to swallow for the Hurricanes. In a game they led by 6 at the half, the Kansas Jayhawks came out energized and aggressive. Jim Larranaga in one of his few mistakes of the NCAA Tournament tried to get Miami to the first TV Timeout. He should have called timeout at the 17 or 18-minute mark when the run started, but by waiting until more than 4 1/2 minutes had passed, Kansas was already well on their way to taking over the game. Maybe it makes a difference, or maybe it doesn’t but you have to try to stem the tide early.
After that, it was downhill for Miami as Kansas blitzed the Canes 76-50.
It was a rough finish for Miami, but what were the sports betting odds that the Canes would even reach the Elite Eight?
Nobody but Miami players, family, and some Hurricane fans could have seen it coming.
Sunday’s result shouldn’t take away in any way from what the Miami Hurricanes accomplished.
Jim Larranaga and his players took Miami further in the NCAA Tournament than they’ve ever gone in history.
They beat a top 25 USC team, a top 10 Auburn team that spent time ranked #1 this year, and a rugged Iowa State team during their improbable run.
The Canes tournament should solidify Jim Larranaga as a College Basketball Hall of Famer, and proved you can win big at Miami.
They helped change the perception of the ACC in a supposedly down year, by being an integral part of the ACC’s nation-leading 11-3 NCAA Tournament record.
Miami along with Duke and North Carolina were the 3 ACC Elite 8 teams. That led all conferences.
The backcourt of Charlie Moore, Isiah Wong, and Kam McGusty was one of the best guard groupings of the tournament as they set the tone for Miami’s 7 straight halves. It was the 8th half where Kansas’s momentum was just too much to overcome.
A 26 win Elite Eight 8 season will be remembered as one of the greatest in Miami history.
