Nearly one year ago, Miami Jim Larranaga’s guided his Hurricane team to a Sweet 16 after a masterpiece of a coaching effort against the Auburn Tigers. 73 years young, Larranaga is doing it again. Miami is headed back to the Sweet 16 after the Canes thumped a solid Indiana team 85-69.
Back in December Larranaga was tabbed a Naismith Hall of Fame’s first-time nominee, and he just keeps adding to his Hall of Fame career.
He’s now taken Miami to four Sweet 16s in his twelve years and coached another great game against Indiana. Against Auburn, it was all about defense, and against Indiana, it was about the offense. Even with an All-American post player in Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Cane’s offense was aggressive early and often. They raced out to a double-digit lead in the 1st half, absorbed an early 2nd half run by the Hoosiers, and gradually wore them down with their relentless offensive attack. The Miami backcourt just kept driving into the lane with experienced athletic guard play that Indiana simply wasn’t equipped to handle.
Larranaga has done it again, and he might not be finished yet.
Miami will be ready for the Houston Cougars on Friday. Houston has been ranked in the top 5 all year and put on the NCAA tournament’s best defensive performance locking down the Auburn Tigers in the 2nd half of their game by holding them to just 23 points. Now that’s two years in a row, where Auburn Bruce Pearl was badly outcoached in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Pearl has only made it to the Sweet 16 or further once in his tenure at Auburn.
I’ll leave that to Auburn fans what exactly that means.
There is no wondering with Miami fans and Larranaga. When Larranaga arrived in Miami I thought he might coach for 5 or 6 years, and just cruise into retirement. Larranaga had other thoughts and he shows no signs of slowing down and neither does Miami.
Houston is going to have their hands full Friday night.
