The Miami Hurricanes are coming off their second Sweet Sixteen appearance in four seasons and are recruiting better than ever. The big question in Miami is how do they replace their top two scorers as well as the heart of their defense? Coach Jim Larrañaga will look to a top-ten recruiting class led by a pair of five-star recruits to help fill the holes. If the youth adapts to the college game quickly, then the Hurricanes will find themselves back in the NCAA Tournament come March.

ACC Roundup

Boston College

Clemson

Duke

Florida State

Georgia Tech

Louisville

Last Season

Jim Larrañaga continues to find success down in Coral Gables with his third 25-win season in the last four. The Hurricanes began the season unranked, but quickly climbed to #15 after defeating Mississippi State, #16 Utah, and #22 Butler to win the Puerto Rico Tip-off. Miami’s offensive attack was led by a quartet of perimeter players, two of which graduated following the 2015-2016 season. Senior Sheldon McClellan started 34 of 35 games, and was the leading scorer for the Hurricanes averaging 16.3 ppg. Joining him in double figures were Angel Rodriguez (12.6), Davon Reed (11.1), and Ja’Quan Newton (10.5).

In their first game back on the mainland, Miami was shocked by Northeastern, losing 77-78 at home. This however, would be Miami’s only loss in the non-conference portion of the season as the Hurricanes went on to win their final six games and finish 11-1. Miami entered ACC play as the #13 team in the nation, and picked up back-to-back big wins over Syracuse and Florida State to climb to #8 in the nation. The Hurricanes then fell back out of the top-10 after losing two straight road games at #13 Virginia and at Clemson. Miami responded to the losses with a three-game winning streak including a win over #24 Duke.

After losing to North Carolina State 69-85 in the final game of January, the Hurricanes went 7-1 in the month of February, with the lone loss coming in Chapel Hill to the eventual national runner-up, North Carolina. At this point, Miami had a record of 23-5 (12-4) and climbed back into the top-10 at #7. The Hurricanes split their final pair of games at Notre Dame and Virginia Tech and finished tied for second in the ACC with Virginia. After getting revenge on the Hokies in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament the Hurricane lost to Virginia in the Semifinals.

Entering the NCAA Tournament, Miami was 26-7 on the year and ranked 10th in the nation. Miami was awarded the three seed in the South Region and played Buffalo in the first round. The 14th seeded Bulls jumped on the Hurricane early and took a nine-point lead. However, Miami stayed calm and fought back to take a two-point lead into halftime, 35-33. In the second half, Miami jumped out to a seven-point lead and was able to keep the Bulls at arm’s length for the entire second half, and came away with a 79-72 victory.

In the second round, Miami was matched up with the 11th seeded Shockers of Wichita State. Miami’s defense came to play early, holding the Shockers to only 19 first half points. In the second half, Wichita State battled back, and even took the lead 43-42 with ten minutes left in the game. Angel Rodriguez scored the final ten points of the game for the Hurricanes and single-handedly held off Wichita State, 65-57.

The Hurricanes’ run came to an end in the Sweet Sixteen where Miami ran into top-seeded Villanova. The Wildcats jumped on Miami from the opening tip and led the game wire to wire in a 23-point blowout, 92-69. Miami lost five players at the end of the season with Angel Rodriguez, Sheldon McClellan, Tonye Jekiri, and Ivan Cruz Uceda all graduating and rising junior, James Palmer, transferring to Nebraska.

Coaching

Jim Larrañaga’s coaching career began in 1971 after graduating from Providence College despite being drafted in the sixth round by the Detroit Pistons. Larrañaga traveled south to Davidson College and served as an assistant under Terry Holland until 1976. In 1976, Larrañaga moved to Belgium for a year and served as a player-coach for Geronemo Basketball Club. After spending a year abroad Jim moved back to the United States and took the head coaching position at Division-II American International College. In his first season at AIC, Coach Larrañaga finished with a 14-13 record, which was the school’s first winning season in five years. After finishing his second year at American International Larrañaga rejoined Terry Holland’s staff, this time at the University of Virginia. Larrañaga spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers including two trips to the Final Four in 1981 and 1984.

In 1986 Larrañaga got his first Division-I coaching job at Bowling Green State University. Larrañaga spent 11 years coaching the Falcons and amassed a record of 170-144. Under Larrañaga, BGSU made back to back postseason appearances for the second time in school history in 1989 and 1990. In his final season at BGSU Larrañaga had his best record at the school at 22-10 including a 13-5 mark in conference. The Falcons tied for the MAC regular season title and qualified for the NIT, but was sent home early after falling to West Virginia in a high scoring affair.

After the 1997 season, Larrañaga left Bowling Green and took the head coaching position at George Mason of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots struggled in their first year under Larrañaga finishing with a record of 9-18, however, the following season saw a ten-game improvement to 19-11. George Mason won both the CAA regular-season title as well as the conference tournament to book the school’s first trip to the NCAA tournament in a decade. The Patriots received the 14th seed in the East Regional and a date with the 3rd seeded Cincinnati Bearcats. It didn’t go well for George Mason as the Bearcats dominated the game 72-48. Larrañaga and company returned to the big dance two years later, but ran into a similar fate with a first-round loss to Maryland.

In the 2005-2006 season, Coach Larrañaga led George Mason to history when they became the first school from the CAA to make it all the way to the Final Four. Over the course of the regular season, the Patriots went 22-6 and finished tied for first place in the conference with UNC Wilmington. After beating Georgia State in the quarterfinals of the CAA Championship, the Patriots faltered in the semifinals against Hofstra. This meant George Mason was not guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament and was firmly on the bubble heading into Selection Sunday.

The Patriots snuck in as an 11-seed and were matched up against Michigan State in the first round. After upsetting the Spartans in the first round, 75-65, George Mason faced a very difficult matchup against North Carolina. The 3rd-seeded Tar Heels couldn’t stop the Patriots as they marched to the Sweet Sixteen and a matchup with fellow mid major, Wichita State. It the school’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance, George Mason continued their magic run with a 63-55 victory over the Shockers. In the Elite Eight the Patriots took the court against the #2 team in the nation, Connecticut. The Huskies were one of the nation’s top teams and entered the matchup with a 30-3 record. It took overtime to finally get a winner, but when it was all said and done the Patriots came out on top 86-84.

In the Final Four the Patriots faced off with the Florida Gators, who happened to be a double-digit seed as well. Larrañaga’s squad fell short against the Gators as the clock struck midnight on their Cinderella story. After qualifying for the NCAA tournament two more times in the next five seasons Larrañaga was on the move again. In 2011 Larrañaga took over for Frank Haith as the head coach at the University of Miami. Miami finished Larrañaga’s first season with a 20-13 (9-7) record while finishing with the school’s first winning record in ACC play since joining the conference in 2004.

In his second season at Miami, Larrañaga led the Hurricanes to a record of 29-7 (15-3) and both the regular season championship as well as the ACC Tournament championship. This was the first time since 1974 that a team not named Duke or North Carolina swept both championships when North Carolina State went 30-1 and won the national championship. The Hurricanes were the second-seeded team in the East Region and made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2000.

The Hurricanes failed to return to the NCAA Tournament over the next two seasons before returning to the Big Dance last season. The Hurricanes returned to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in four years after posting a record of 27-8 (13-5). After beating a pair of double-digit seeded teams in the first two rounds, Miami ran into Villanova. The Wildcats proved to be too much for Larrañaga’s squad as Miami fell by the score of 92-69. Over the course of his entire career Jim Larrañaga has accumulated a record of 588-391 and is one of only 12 active coaches with at least 550 career wins.

Returning Players

The Hurricanes lost a lot of talent after last season and return six scholarship players from last season’s squad. On the perimeter, Miami returns a pair of double-digit scorers in Davon Reed and Ja’Quan Newton. Rashad Muhammad will also be eligible for the Hurricanes this season after transferring from San José State after his sophomore season. Davon Reed started every game for Miami last season and is the returning leading scorer at 11.1 ppg. Reed is a dangerous outside threat that has shot 39% from deep over the course of his college career. The 6’6 senior out of New Jersey pulled down 4.1 rpg and is a solid but not great passer and has a career assist to turnover ratio of 1.14-to-1. Reed gives Jim Larrañaga versatility with his ability to play both wing positions and has the ability to guard all three perimeter positions.

Joining Reed in the backcourt is Philadelphia native, Ja’Quan Newton. Newton served as Miami’s sixth man last season and averaged 10.5 ppg in 22.7 mpg. The 6’2 Newton has a knack for getting to the rim and finishing and making plays for his teammates. With the graduation of Angel Rodriguez, Newton leads all returning Hurricanes in assists with 76. While he is a good passer, Newton must also work to take care of the ball better after having 66 turnovers a year ago. The biggest knock on Newton’s game is his lack of a three-point shot which allows defenders to sag off of him and play the drive.

After sitting out a year due to transfer rules, Rashad Muhammad is eligible to play for the Hurricanes. The 6’6 guard spent the previous two seasons at San José State where he led the Spartans in scoring in both of his two seasons. Muhammad is an excellent outside shooter and made 134 threes during his two years at SJSU. To prepare for this season Muhammad added 24 lbs to his frame while redshirting to help him cope with the rigors of ACC play. Muhammad brings with him an NBA pedigree as his brother, Shabazz, plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In the frontcourt, sophomore Ebuka Izundu from Nigeria will get the first crack at manning the middle for the Hurricanes. Izundu struggled to stay on the court as a freshman, playing only 5.3 mpg in just 15 appearances. On the offensive side of the court, the big man does a nice job of sealing off his defender and finishes with power whenever possible. On defense, Izundu has shown excellent timing and elevates with ease to block shots. He also keeps his hands straight up to avoid picking up silly fouls. While he is far from a finished product, Izundu has a solid all around game that can flourish as he continues to improve.

At the forward positions, the Hurricanes return a pair of players that were part of Coach Larrañaga’s rotation from last season. Kamari Murphy started 28 games last season after transferring from Oklahoma State after his sophomore season. The 6’8 Murphy is a tough in-your-face defender as well as the leading returning rebounder for Miami, with 6 rpg. While he won’t be the Hurricane’s go to scorer on offense, Murphy is a capable scorer who shot over 50% from the field last season. The biggest flaw in Murphy’s game is his free throw shooting. In all three of his prior seasons in college, Murphy has shot under 60% from the free throw line.

Also returning at the forward position is 6’7 sophomore Anthony Lawrence Jr. As a freshman, Lawrence averaged 4.1 ppg in 12 minutes of action each night. While he did have some exciting performances as a freshman (18 points vs Notre Dame) Lawrence was inconsistent for a majority of the season scoring in double figures in only six out of 33 games. Lawrence did a lot of his work from behind the arc last season, shooting 43% from deep last season. If need be, Lawrence is a more than capable ball handler and is a solid passer for a player of his size. Like Reed, Lawrence is a versatile defender who can defend both guards and forwards on the perimeter.

Incoming Players

Miami welcomes a four-man class which might be its most talented recruiting class in program history. Led by a pair of five-star prospects in Dewan Huell and Bruce Bown the Hurricanes will rely on a lot of youth to supplement their returning talent. Also joining the Hurricanes is VCU transfer Michael Gilmore, who will have to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.

The Hurricanes added much-needed depth down low with a pair of big men in the previously mentioned Huell and New York native Rodney Miller. Huell was a huge get for Miami not only for the fact that he is one of the top big men in the class, but also because he decided to stay home over offers from Kansas, North Carolina, and Louisville among others. The 6’11 freshman is an extremely skilled offensive player who has excellent touch in the paint and is very light on his feet. Huell runs the floor very well and can finish above the rim thanks to his length and athleticism. The big man has the ability to knock down a jump shot out to about 18 feet and does so with consistency. Huell plays with a high motor on both sides of the court and rarely, if ever, takes a play off.

After spending last season at Oak Hill Academy, Rodney Miller will join Huell in the Hurricanes’ frontcourt. Miller is a big body at 7′ 258 lbs and uses his size to his advantage on both sides of the court. On offense, Miller is a high-level post player is comfortable finishing over both shoulders. He is capable of knocking down an open mid-range jumper and is a solid passer from the high post, but he does the majority of his damage in and around the paint. Miller is a good positional defender that is generally always in the right place to make a play. He is very coachable and has shown that he is willing to do what it takes to continue to improve.

The other five-star prospect that Miami signed for this upcoming season is 6’5 shooting guard Bruce Brown. Brown is a college-ready guard both mentally and physically who could push for big minutes immediately. He is an explosive athlete that gets to the rim with ease, but also has the ability to stop and hit a pull-up jumper off the drive. Brown has the ability to hit a three-point shot both off the dribble and when he catches the ball on the perimeter. On the defensive side of the ball Brown has the potential to be a top-level defender thanks to his physical attributes, as well as his mental makeup.

The final recruit in Larrañaga’s 2016 class comes from down under and is a bit of a mystery to most college basketball fans. The 6’3 Dejan Vasiljevic has the ability to play both guard positions and should find playing time this season backing up Newton at the point. Vasiljevic has competed at the international level since 2013 and has proven to be a capable scorer at that level. Vasiljevic led Australia in scoring at the 2015 U19 FIBA World Championships with 13.3 ppg while also pulling down 3.1 rpg.

Season Outlook

Miami will look to be competitive in the ACC again this season and has enough talent on their roster to return to the NCAA Tournament. With a nice blend of both returning experience as well as a top-ranked recruiting class to work with, Jim Larrañaga has all the tools to continue his success at Miami. The position to keep an eye on this season is shooting guard. Rashad Muhammad and Bruce Brown are both talented newcomers who will decide how far this team can go come March.