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| Angel Rodriguez(Photo Credit: Miami Herald) |
Canes Rising Contributor
It's amazing how much one player can impact a game. Miami was ready to kill on Wednesday night, the 'Canes were up by fourteen points over Florida State with four minutes remaining. Suddenly, Xavier Rathan-Mayes decided that he was going to put on a show. FSU's scintillating guard put on a shooting display that slashed Miami's lead and turned a rout into a nail biter. Rathan-Mayes, who had been kept in check all game, scored 27 points in the final three minutes with most of them coming on impossible shots. Miami found a way to hold on, and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, defeating the pesky 'Noles 81-77. This victory keeps Miami on the bubble, with the Tar Heels of North Carolina visiting the BUC on Saturday.
Quick Shots
Saved by an Angel--This is the performance that we've all been waiting for. Angel Rodriguez stepped up and carried this Miami team, and did it in a way that allowed other players to contribute. Rodriguez didn't jack up ill-advised shots, he got to the rim, and for one of the few times this season, he finished his drives with controlled layups. When Florida State started to shadow Angel and throw extra bodies at him, he slashed and found the open man, as evidenced by his five assists. While he didn't connect on any of his three point attempts, Jim Larranaga will take his 8 of 14 shooting performance any day of the week. This team can compete with anyone when Angel is under control, yet explosive. The question is whether Angel can build upon this dazzling performance.
Poise Under Pressure--Xavier Rathan-Mayes was making shots that were impossible in a game of NBA Jam, yet the 'Canes didn't fall apart. Following every made shot, Miami calmly inbounded the basketball, forced the 'Noles to foul and then stepped to the line and calmly made free throws.The 'Canes connected on 81.6% of their free throws, which is an amazing statistic. Miami has struggled to slam the door on opponents this season, that wasn't the case tonight. The 'Canes forced FSU to throw up prayer after prayer, thanks to timely free throw shooting and not turning the ball over following made shots. Miami also played strong defense down the stretch, nearly every single Rathan-Mayes shot was strongly contested.
Bring Your Squeegee--FSU has a ton of bigs who dominate the glass. Somehow, the 'Canes outrebounded the larger 'Noles by fourteen, and limited them to only four offensive rebounds. For a team that struggles to score, not getting easy putbacks is a death knell for FSU. They can't win if they are forced to shoot a ton of jumpers, because they can't depend on Rathan-Mayes to catch fire every night. Miami limited FSU, and did it as a team for one of the few times in recent memory. Tonye Jekiri snagged eleven boards, Davon Reed had eight, and five other players grabbed at least one rebound. The 'Canes, if they are to compete against UNC and Pitt have to find a way to be a factor on the glass. This team will have to crash the boards as a team.
Basketball Nerds--Miami's basketball I.Q. was very high Wednesday night. Minus a couple of boneheaded fouls, the 'Canes didn't make the mistakes they usually make, and in fact played very well with a large lead. Players passed up the first open shot in order to get a better shot, made the extra pass, and got to the rim. Whenever a team shoots 47.9% from the field, they most likely got there by taking a ton of high percentage shots, which Miami did. The 'Canes also showed outstanding intelligence on the defensive end when they sped up the 'Noles, knowing full well that Leonard Hamilton's team isn't athletic enough to win a track meet. The antidote to Ham Ball is fast paced, uptempo basketball that forces Ham's unathletic bigs to chase after quicker players.
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