2013 NCAA Tournament – East Region Second Round
#2 Miami Hurricanes vs #15 Pacific Tigers
Friday, March 22, 2013, 2:10 pm Eastern, TV: TNT
Frank Erwin Special Events Center – Austin, Texas
Opening Line: Miami -12 1/2
Current Line: Miami -12
Opening Total: 124
Current Total: 125
Opening Money Line: Miami -1000 / Pacific +700
Current Money Line: Miami -1000 / Pacific +700
The 27-6 Miami Hurricanes are having the best year in the history of the basketball program. Of course the Hurricanes have won national championships in football and baseball, but have never had much success in basketball. The Hurricanes finished 15-3 in the ACC and won the regular season tittle outright with a 15-3 record . Miami also won the ACC tournament by beating North Carolina 87-77 in the championship game. It was the fourth straight win for the Hurricanes. Many thought that would be enough to give the Hurricanes one of the four #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. However, the Hurricanes had to settle for the #2 seed in the East.
Miami will take on #15 seed Pacific in the second round Friday in Austin, Texas. The winner of that game will face the winner of #7 Illinois and #10 Colorado in Sunday’s third round. Pacific went 22-12 and finished second in the Big West at 13-5, a game behind Long Beach St. The Tigers would beat UC-Irvine 64-55 in the Big West Championship game last Saturday, after the Anteaters upset Long Beach in the semifinals. Pacific has won 7 straight games. Miami and Pacific have never played each other before.
Miami is coached by Jim Larranaga. The Hurricanes have losses at Florida Gulf Coast, to Arizona and Indiana St in tournament in Hawaii and at Wake Forest, Duke, and Georgia Tech. Miami has key wins over Detroit, Michigan St, at UMass, Charlotte, at Central Florida, at Hawaii, LaSalle, at Georgia Tech, North Carolina three times, Maryland, Boston College three times, Duke, Florida St twice, Clemson twice, Virginia, at Virginia Tech, NC State twice and Virginia Tech. Miami is 20-9-1 ATS and the total is 11-16-1 this season.
Miami is outscoring teams 70-61 this season. The Hurricanes are #41 in points allowed nationally. Miami is shooting 46% from the field and 35.8% from 3 point range. The Hurricanes make 67.7% of their free throws. Miami averages 35.8 rebounds per game, and give up 29.2. Hurricane opponents are shooting 39.9% from the field and 32.6% from 3 point range. The Hurricanes average 11 assists, 6 steals, 5 blocks, and 11 turnovers.
Guard Shane Larkin averages 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2 steals per game. Guard Durand Scott averages 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He is probable with a back injury. Forward/center Kenny Kadji averages 13.3 points, 7 rebounds, an assist, and 1.3 blocks per game. Guard Trey McKinney-Jones averages 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Center Reggie Johnson averages 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block per game. Julian Gamble and Rion Brown each average around 6 points per game. Garrius Adams has missed the whole season with a knee injury and is out indefinitely. Guard Bishop Daniels left the team in December.
Pacific is coached by Bob Thomason who will retire at the end of the season after 25 years at the school. The Tigers have losses at Fresno St, Oral Roberts, Cal in a tournament in Anaheim, at Gonzaga, Santa Clara, at St. Mary’s, at Long beach, at Hawaii, at Cal Poly, at UC- Santa Barbara, at UC-Irvine and Western Michigan. The Tigers have key wins over Xavier & St. Mary’s in Anaheim, Nevada, San Francisco, Cal Poly twice, Hawaii, UC-Irvine twice, and Long Beach. Pacific is 16-13-1 ATS and the total is 10-13 this season.
Pacific is outscoring teams 68-64 this season. The Tigers are shooting 45.2% from the field and 38.3% from 3 point range. The Tigers are #25 nationally in free point shooting. Pacific makes 69.4% of their free throws. The Tigers average 32.4 rebounds per game, and give up 29.8 per game. Pacific opponents are shooting 42.1% from the field and 34.4% from 3 point range. The Tigers average 15 assists, 6 steals, 1 block, and 11 turnovers per game.
Guard Lorenzo McCloud averages 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Forward Travis Fulton averages 9.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Guard Sama Taku averages 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Ross Rivera averages 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Tony Gill averages 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Colin Beatty, Khalil Kelley, Rodrigo De Souza, and Trevin Harri s also get significant minutes.
Pacific is 5-0-1 ATS against teams with winning records, 3-1-1 after a straight up win, and overall, 9-19-1 in neutral site games, and 2-6 after a cover.
Miami is 5-1-1 ATS after a cover, 18-7-1 after a straight up win, 5-2-1 in Friday games, 5-2 overall, 42-17-1 in non-conference games, 17-7-1 against teams with winning records. and 23-10 in neutral site games.
Pacific made an emotional run through the Big West tournament for Thomason. Miami might feel a little pressure with their highest seed in school history. Still, I think the Hurricanes simply have too much for the Tigers. Pacific will hang around for a while, maybe a half, but Miami wins big in the end.
