Hurricanes BBall Preview

At first glance, it would appear that Miami basketball's joyride came to an end last season, as the Hurricanes finished 11-17, 4-12 in Big East play, and missed the postseason for the first time since 1996.

But then you look closer and see that Miami was heavily laden with youngsters last season. And that those youngsters lost 11 games by five points or fewer (eight in conference play), and those included tight games against national champion Syracuse, UConn, and Florida. And you realize that it would be premature to proclaim the end of the Golden Age of Hurricane Hoops, which has included four NCAA invites and three NIT bids since 1995. Miami freshmen started a combined 50 games last season, the most for a 'Canes squad since 1985-86.

"Look at some of those game we played," Miami coach Perry Clark said. "We played some of the toughest teams in the country pretty tight, and it came down to little mistakes here and there, the type experienced teams don't make. It's just a matter of getting there."

Dealing with a lack of experience wasn't the only thing on Clark's plate in the off-season. Miami was at the center of the largely football-based controversy involving a change from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference, which ended up in a lawsuit and with the Hurricanes and Virginia Tech bolting the conference. It has been Clark's job to make sure the circus caused by the football types doesn't distract his team from the task at hand.

"There's two ways to look at this," Clark said. "One, is from a recruiting standpoint. Of course we are talking about the ACC with our potential recruits. It is a huge recruiting tool, knowing we're going into one of the premiere conferences in the country and playing geographical rivals.

"But as it pertains to this year's team, we don't even talk about the ACC. There's a Big East schedule to be played this season, and you have the No. 1 team in the country in UConn and the defending national champion in Syracuse to worry about. The media will ask us about it all year, but this team is simply focused on what it has to do this year and that isn't going to change."

It is no secret who is going to carry the load for the Hurricanes on offense. That would be senior Darius Rice, a 6-10, 222-pound power forward who was voted third-team All-Big East last season. Rice averaged a team-best 18.7 points (ninth in the Big East) and 5.8 rebounds last year, numbers that improved to 21.0 and 5.9 in conference play. He was also sixth in the conference in three-point shooting percentage (.373) and fifth in threes made (2.54). And he made 99-of-129 free throws for a .767 average.

"One of the big things we need to do this year is go to the basket more aggressively and got to the foul line more often," Clark said. "And Darius is a big part of that. He just improved tremendously last year. I keep telling him he has to understand the word 'leadership' as a verb. He has so much potential, and if he keeps improving, last year is just the start."

After Rice, though, there's a big hole to fill, as the 'Canes graduated James Jones, who was drafted by the Indiana Pacers last June. That's 16.9 points and a team-best six boards a game to replace.

Miami needs a couple players to step up in the frontcourt, including 6-9, 240-pound junior power forward Gary Hamilton. Hamilton started eight games as a sophomore last season and his defensive skills are as solid as any, attested to by his 5.0 rebounds per game (third-best on the team) in just 16.7 minutes, a stat that would translate into 12.0 over 40 minutes. But he's not the best shooter around, averaging just 3.1 points.

"Gary knows the deal," Clark said. "He's got to produce more on offense. He was a pleasant surprise, a very good post-up defensive player. He's a hard worker and could see a lot of minutes again this year."

Also returning this year is forward William Frisby, who missed last season as a medical red-shirt with a broken foot. The 6-8, 241-pound junior has three years of eligibility remaining.

"He could be a significant factor," Clark said. "He had an outstanding spring and summer before he got hurt last year, and he's hungry this year."

Also returning in the frontcourt is 6-7, 265-pound senior Rodrigue Djahue, who averaged 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.1 minutes last season.

Everyone except Rice will be pushed for playing time by an intriguing frontcourt recruiting class. Six-foot-6, 197-pund Kerron Clarke, out of Brooklyn by way of the Winchendon (Mass.) School, was chosen the No. 29 prep player in the country by ESPN.com. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds last year.

Anthony King (6-9, 247) of Durham, N.C., averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks at Southern Durham High, and 6-9, 240-pound post Leonard Harden III, a transfer from Garden City (Kansas) Community College, averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds as a sophomore.

Ismael N'Diaye (6-6, 188) left the program after averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 board in his freshman season.

The backcourt doesn't have an experienced anchor like the frontcourt does in Rice, but does boast a pair of sophomore starters in Armondo Surratt and Robert Hite who were battle-tested as freshman.

The 5-11 Surratt understood his role last season was to pass the ball to Rice and Jones, and he responded with a team-best average of 3.3 assists (to go with 6.5 points and two rebounds), 15th-best in the league. He led all freshmen on the team with 28.1 minutes per game, and had nine assists in a loss to Florida.

Hite (6-2, 180), meanwhile, started 18 games and averaged 7.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. And he was superb in limited trips to the line, draining 35-of-41 (.854).

"I'd say Surratt's the most advanced out of all of them," Clark said. "He has the potential to be one of the league's best ball handlers. There's no question we're real young in the backcourt and there's no question our backcourt needs to mature quickly if we're going to be successful this season."

Also pushing for playing time is 6-4 sophomore Eric Wilkins (4.4 ppg, 1.4 apg, 2.0 spg), who played 17.8 minutes a game and started nine times last season, most down the stretch.

The one recruit really drawing raves from Clark is 6-2 freshman point guard Guillermo Diaz, who moved to the U.S. from Puerto Rico last summer and tore it up at the Miami Christian Academy last season, averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Diaz is a standout athlete who won the slam-dunk competition at the Iolani Classic in Honolulu and was a fine volleyball player.

"He's ready," Clark said. "He could compete for a starting position. He just keeps getting better and better. He is a phenomenal athlete."

Also worth keeping an eye on is 6-2 freshman Anthony King, who was second-team all-state and all-city at Whitney Young High in Chicago last season, where he averaged 24.5 points and eight assists.

One thing the Hurricanes did well last season was take the ball away, as their 272 thefts was best in the conference and 10th in the nation. The 'Canes lost their two best in that department in Jones (44) and guard Michael Simmons (41), but Rice (37), Surratt (37) and Hite (31) were all just behind.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

Make no mistake about it: The Hurricanes will be wearing the proverbial bullseye this winter, particularly in league play.

No one involved is holding the basketball program, Clark, or his players personally responsible for Big East acrimony stirred up by football types. But at the same time, other Big East teams wouldn't mind sticking it to a young Hurricanes squad on its way out the door, a sentiment particularly strong among non-football schools that have been with the league for the duration.

Of more immediate concern is whether an already young team that lost 60 percent of their made field goals, 62 percent of their total minutes and an NBA-caliber forward can pick up the slack.

How will Rice respond to being the sole focal point of opposing defenses? And how soon can Miami's gaggle of recruits help turn last year's narrow losses into this year's tight wins? Both those factors will go a long way toward determining the Hurricanes' success.

"I'd say we're a team to watch this year," Clark said. "We'll be a fast team, an exciting team, and team that's growing up. I think everyone knows UConn and Syracuse are the head of the class in the Big East this year, but I think there are three or four teams that will emerge as the next tier and I think we can be among that group. We will surprise some people."