Do The 2009 Canes Have "It"?

By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Staff

The Miami Hurricanes, a team that last week was ranked among the nation's best, is now a team that is 1-4 in ACC play. In the last 3 games, the 'Canes have been blown out by Virginia Tech, Virginia, and blew a 15 point second half lead against Boston College, a team that hasn't done much of anything all year. Right now, most Hurricane fans are looking at the season as a lost cause due to the fact that the NCAA tournament may be a pipe dream, but to those who came in with eyes wide open, this team is what it is. There's a reason most major publications saw the 2009 'Canes as a team that was most likely NIT bound. This team has the talent needed to make the NCAA tournament. It's obvious that Reggie Johnson, Malcolm Grant, and Durand Scott are three players Frank Haith can build around. Durand Scott is arguably one of the best freshmen players in the ACC, and Grant has shown the ability that made him such a valued addition to the Miami program. Reggie played a monster game Tuesday, and if he only had the stamina to finish the game, the Canes might have been able to trade baskets with BC, instead of allowing BC to chip away at the lead, and ultimately take it late.

This team may have talent, but it's the inconsistency, and lack of leadership from the senior class that dooms this team. Do you think that if John Salmons, or Jack McClinton was on this team, this team would have blown such a commanding lead? No, because of the fact that those players would have made sure that their teammates continued to compete and they also had that killer instinct. Watching this game from my seat in the BankUnited Center, I didn't see any kind of emotion out of Dwayne Collins or James Dews. When you have such a young team, the upperclassmen must be able to lead by example, and that is not happening. Nevertheless, this team is looking like a team that is the exemplar of a NIT team. A team with talent, that is most likely a year away, but is missing some major component that prevents them from being a legit NCAA tourney team.

The 'Canes will travel to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins on Tuesday..If the faint NCAA tournament hopes of this program are to survive, the seniors will have to step up and take charge of this talented, yet rudderless team.