Dire Situation

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff

A season of promise seems to have gone down the drain in one short week. First it was a blown late second half lead and overtime loss to Virginia Tech. While that one hurt, losing to the Hokies is acceptable, and the loss did not hurt Miami's NCAA chances.

But then the bottom fell out. Consecutive losses to NC State (in OT) and today to Maryland, a team Miami has owned since joining the ACC are unacceptable. Not a single player on the Terps roster had ever tasted victory over Miami until tonight, and it came at a time when the Maryland program is in turmoil.

The Terps have not only been bad this season in ACC play, but legendary coach Gary Williams is fighting with the Athletic Department about why certain players (including South Florida's Gus Gilchrist who is having a nice year for the Bulls) had their scholarship offers rescinded by the University.

Maryland's will to play Basketball appeared to be shattered and yet the Canes managed to lose to them. Miami's lack of discipline from it's two senior guards is striking.

Lance Hurdle and Jack McClinton both play an undisciplined brand of Basketball. A year ago both were on fire as the Canes easily qualified for the NCAA Tournament and won a game in the big dance. This year their propensity to shoot quickly is sending Miami towards an NIT birth, at best. It's possible with all of the automatic bids now awarded to the NIT for regular conference champions that the Canes could miss the NIT unless they rack up a few more wins. Seriously, that's how bad things have gotten in the past seven days.

Dwayne Collins has dominated the post in ACC play. But today the Canes got Collins, who was double and triple teamed in Maryland's zone the ball very rarely. The Canes big man, who is shooting 63% on the season and who has handled the opposition inside took five shots all night! Yes, five shots, and he made just two.

Miami has wasted good performances from Brian Asbury, Adrian Thomas and now James Dews in a one week period. The Canes role players have stepped up, but its stars, the two best players a year ago are sinking without a trace.

Things are bad. No other way to describe it. Miami needs to stop the bleeding and with three top 5 teams on the schedule in the next two weeks, chances aren't very good that this funk will be snapped.