A Low Point

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff


Seldom since Miami joined the ACC have the Canes looked overwhelmed by the occasion or just plain like they don't belong in the most prestigious and visible Basketball league in America: until last night. Beginning with Miami's first ACC game ever, a win over an eventual Sweet 16 team (NC State) in January 2005, even when over matched the Canes have given a full effort worthy of nation's best Basketball league.

This was Miami's first loss to Clemson at home since joining the league. The Hurricanes had in fact taken Clemson to overtime two seasons ago at Littlejohn Coliseum with only six scholarship players eligible. Last night, with 11 scholarship players, the Canes were blown out of their own building. The crowd in South Florida has become College Basketball savvy enough to know the difference between an ACC matchup and an early season non conference game in a made for TV event. The crowd was buzzing before this game in a way it was not before the Ohio State game two and a half weeks ago.

The crowd tried several times to give the Canes a lift but it never happened. Miami problems were so numerous they cannot be accurately described in this posting. Missed free throws are now an epidemic for a team that lead the ACC from the charity stripe a year ago. The Canes shot from the line the way Clemson typically has, 12-27 while James Dews and Lance Hurdle continued their regression from last season. Miami trailed with ten minutes left in the game by less than the Canes did last season versus this same Clemson team at home. Yet last season the Canes rallied to win as they so often did, and this year the final score was a nineteen point drubbing that rates in the "embarrassing" column. How can the same players who last season seemingly could dig as deep as they needed to dig to pull out games and come from behind at home or even in the NCAA Tournament look so out classed?

My feeling is that the Canes were not prepared for the early season grind. A loss to Connecticut which was closer than the score indicated was perfectly acceptable. So was the loss to Ohio State given Jack McClinton's ejection. The win against Kentucky was a big plus, but the problems that currently are biting the Canes began in that game in the second half as Miami was allowing the Wildcats to erase 24 point deficit thanks to horrible free throw shooting and bad decisions with the ball on offense. Kentucky didn't come all the way back but the seeds for Miami's December collapse were planted firmly that afternoon at Rupp Arena.

Eddie Rios gave the Canes a spark off the bench but he continues to resemble a reckless, street ball player more than a composed Division 1 point guard. Dwayne Collins was so weak inside on defense that Haith pulled him after the first dead ball early in the game in favor of Jimmy Graham and used him sparingly throughout the rest of the first half.

Cyrus McGowan played tough inside, but once Miami's helter skelter offensive play began midway through the first half, the big man got limited touches although his effort on the boards allowed Miami to attempt some second chance shots.

Jack McClinton is already showing signs of being worn down from having to carry this team in last year's NCAA Tournament and early this year as his form and concentration on free throws is suffering. I've also seen the incredibly well conditioned and hard working McClinton gasp for air more this season than he did all of last year. Much of this is due to the poor ball handling of Hurdle and the inability of James Dews to do almost anything of note on either end of the floor.

Lance Hurdle whose ball handling and decision making allowed Miami to make a wake of Virginia and Maryland's press a year ago was a disaster last night hesitating in the open court and throwing the ball into dangerous spots continuously. Perhaps Hurdle is still not recovered from an injury suffered early in fall practice. James Dews lack of concentration on both ends of the floor as noted above has put an even greater burden on Jack McClinton than he had last season. Dews who was the Canes other double figure scorer a year ago began his descent in the NCAA Tournament last year and has yet to recover. The same can be said for Dwayne Collins whose recent performances have been poor.

Brian Asbury gives a great effort but has clearly never developed into the player many of us thought he'd be when Miami won a recruiting battle with Florida for his services. Asbury however is not the problem with this team as some fans may claim. It's been easy to blame a guy whose scoring output has gradually decreased since his sophomore year, but he's a defensive stopper and very athletic and effective rebounder offensively. These are the type of intangibles Dews, Hurdle and Collins aren't bringing this season.

The Hurricanes have gone from being ranked in the Top 25 just over a week ago to being the first ACC team to record a loss in conference play this season. That loss being a double digit home loss to a team that had never beaten Miami in Coral Gables. This wasn't North Carolina, Duke or Louisville the other teams that have blown out Miami during the Frank Haith era: This was Clemson and for that, this game enters the Hall of Shame as the worst performance for the Canes in the five years under Coach Haith.

A trip to Madison Square Garden to face old Big East rival St Johns looms next Saturday. That is yet another nationally televised cable game, so Miami better find whatever it had in the first half at Rupp Arena against Kentucky and bring that type of performance Saturday, or we will be staring a loss to an old rival after a loss to a conference foe during the Holidays. Not exactly the feel good stuff you want for Christmas and New Year's.