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| Tonye Jekiri grabs a rebound(Photo Credit: Getty Images) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner (@Canedude08)
Canes Rising Contributor
The difference between bubble teams that make the NCAA Tournament, and the teams that don't is that the former takes advantage of opportunities. Miami had a golden opportunity to steal a crucial road win against a highly ranked team and failed to do so. While today's 55-53 defeat stings, Miami is still alive and battling for a spot in the Big Dance. Miami is now in a tough spot, where their next regular season loss will put them out of contention.
Quick Shots
Backcourt Blues--Louisville's aggressive full court press is a handful for most teams, but for Manu Lecomte and Angel Rodriguez, it was a nightmare straight out of a Tim Burton film. Miami's point guards looked lost and unsure, things that the press feeds on. Manu and Angel combined to go 2/14 from the field, and turn the ball over an unacceptable eight times. Lecomte tends to struggle with teams that harass him with athletic guards, so this isn't a big shock. However, Rodriguez's struggles are shocking, especially seeing how many of his attempts were quality looks. Angel can't finish at the rim, he refuses to use a floater when he gets into the lane, and has a low basketball I.Q. With the game in the balance, and the ball in his hands, Angel chose to play hero instead of getting the best possible shot. Miami didn't need a three point basket, but that didn't stop Angel as he took a contested, low percentage heave, with time remaining. There's few teams that can win when their point guards are not only bad offensively, but turning the ball over as well. Miami couldn't overcome Manu and Angel.
Lax Sheldon--Sheldon McClellan had another outstanding game, scoring a team high seventeen points and grabbing four rebounds. The problem is that McClellan was a non factor during the final three minutes, not registering a shot in that span, and not being a factor in the offense. Sheldon is a very good player, but he has to be more assertive when Miami is struggling offensively. The 'Canes have to find a way to get McClellan involved late in games, or when the offense is stagnant. He has the ability to create his own shot, and unlike Angel Rodriguez is a player who can be trusted to make good decisions. No excuse for him to not see the ball in the final three possessions, with the game on the line.
Dirty Glass--Outside of Tonye Jekiri, the 'Canes were unable to be a factor on the boards. While the 'Cards are a long, athletic team that will get their fair share of rebounds, Miami's effort was abysmal, especially on the defensive glass. Allowing a team who doesn't shoot well additional opportunities is unacceptable. What's the point of playing outstanding defense for 30+ seconds, only to allow your opposition to get an offensive rebound? Louisville had seventeen offensive rebounds, five more than the 'Canes. The 'Cards out-rebounded Miami by seven total boards(41-34), with Tonye Jekiri accounting for fifteen of those rebounds. Between the other nine players who received playing time for Jim Larranaga, they could only come up with nineteen rebounds. That's pretty bad, and it's easy to see why Louisville was able to get some cheap put-backs and extra possessions late.
No Relief From the Bench--Jim Larranaga has used a ton of lineups this season, searching for a consistent rotation. Today, Coach L played ten guys, with the bench giving him practically nothing offensively. The bench combined for a grand total of eleven points, compared to seventeen for the 'Cards. While that margin isn't huge, this game was a one possession game coming down the stretch. Every point counts, and Miami's bench didn't provide much of a offensive punch. The one positive from the bench was that they were able to eat minutes, allowing struggling players like Manu Lecomte to remain on the bench. Deandre Burnett provided a boost, giving Miami nine points and creating some nice opportunities down the stretch. However, he did have a crucial turnover late, and also slipped on a drive, setting up another turnover. Miami needs the bench to step up in big games, and give the 'Canes additional scoring and energy. They didn't do that today, and the 'Cards were able to grind Miami into submission.
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