Miami is six straight wins away from changing the landscape of sports. Don’t go check the record for longest winning streaks in NBA history. The longest streak hasn’t changed. It’s still 33 wins straight by the Lakers, and the Miami Heat remain 11 straight victories away from that mark. While taking out that record would be amazing and could be a feather in the cap on the way to a repeat for the Heat, the Heat could lose to Boston tonight and still win a title. On the flip-side, the Heat could win 34 straight and lose in the NBA finals (unlikely but a possibility). Ask the Houston Rockets how important their 22-game streak was in ultimately deciding the title in 2008 or the San Antonio Spurs 20-game streak last year. Neither of those teams made the NBA finals. Streaks in the NBA are cool, but ultimately end at that if you don’t win a title. The fact remains the Heat don’t even need to win four straight playoff games to win a title let alone break the longest winning streak in NBA history.

Nope, the six wins I’m talking about are indispensable. You can’t win a title without these six precious wins in a row. You have to go streaking or you get to go home. The Miami Hurricane’s basketball team is now in prime position to attain those six wins amidst the same time the Heat make a mockery of the NBA (for the record I don’t see them getting to 33). This streak, which would be 10 straight if they did win it all after winning the ACC tournament, could become a seminal moment in Miami sports.

Now, I could pretend like I’ve been watching the college basketball games all year. I could wax poetic about Miami’s great guard play in leading scorer Shane Larkin—a must have come tourney time. I could throw out stats like they are 49th in field goal percentage defense or 42nd in scoring defense yet 116th at defending the 3-point line—got to defend the 3-point line or a Drake/Creighton could get ya. I could tell you they’ve got big man defenders in the post in Kenny Kadjii and Reggie Johnson who can also do some scoring—have to control the glass to survive and advance. I could throw every cliché tournament time stat or one-liner in the book at you (somehow I did that anyway), but really the NCAA tournament is a crap shoot unless you have 4 to 5 NBA first-rounders on your team and even at that crap shoot (Right 2010 Kentucky Wildcats). So, let’s not talk about that (anymore).

Instead, I’d like you to join me in a hypothetical. Let’s say the Miami Hurricanes win six straight. They cut down the nets in Atlanta. Doesn’t the city of Miami becomes public enemy number one in the sports world. Think about it. They have all the Los Angeles/New York City ingredients already.

Obnoxious fans—check

I hate judging fans because fans are naturally as they should be FAN-atical, and every fan base, small or large, has some sort of persecution complex. However, two things turn a fan base into a city you can sports “hate.” Millions of bandwagon fans and a we’re bigger than this attitude; Miami has both of these in spades. LeBron brought with him a whole slew of non-Heat fans. Heat fans that depending on LeBron’s next career move might switch allegiances to a new city any minute now. Meanwhile, Miami has always been a little more pre-occupied with clubs and beaches than…ya know…showing up to arenas and stadiums on time or even at all (cough cough Miami Marlins cough cough).

International market—check

You can’t deny that being branded an international market helps a city like Los Angeles or New York City. If you can pull in more ethnic communities in your fan base, you can market your city and teams more effectively. Miami has that diverse big city appeal on lock. It’s not the biggest ingredient but having international fame can’t be a bad thing.

Free Agent Destination—check

It is what it is. I want to be on South Beach right now. You think NBA/NFL/NCAA athletes don’t. It’s not just the idea that everyone wants to play in that city. It’s the idea that the city knows this to be true and the entitlement this brings. Miami has already started to develop this.

Sports dominance—half check

What really makes a whole city worthy of all your sports “hate” isn’t just about winning some championships. The Spurs have won four titles. Let’s be real though. All you have to say is “Where’s your football team or baseball team?” That’s the sound of my whole city silent. Now, what makes a city a “sports bully” is dominance across many sports. Los Angeles has UCLA in college basketball, USC in college football, the Lakers in the NBA, and the Dodgers in the MLB. Heck, their hockey team somehow won a title. They talk a lot of mess, but what bugs you is they can back it up. No ones cares about the guy who talks a big game about the ladies but always seems to go home alone. You care about the well chiseled arrogant guy who goes home every night with his lady of choice. That’s Miami.

That’s where the Miami Hurricanes basketball comes in. The Heat won a title and that’s cool. They could repeat, and that would annoy a lot of people. How much more would it annoy you if Miami dominated an entire year of hoops? How much more obnoxious does a Heat fan become if his/her college team wins an NCAA title? Sure, the Marlins and Dolphins might gum up the works with their questionable decision-making over the last few months, but they already have titles under their belts as do the Hurricanes football team.

I realize there are other “story lines” to focus on for this tournament, and a hot shooting performance from 15th seeded Pacific could blow this whole argument up. The point is Miami is six straight wins away from becoming the center of the basketball world, and they know it. If I’m right and Miami wins it all, you’re about to know it too. After all, that Shane Larking can fill it up and we all know the tournament is about point guard play.