Basketball vs Florida Southern Tonight

The Regular Season opens with high hopes tonight versus D-2 Florida Southern. While this isn't much of a test I am going to be watching Lance Hurdle and Eddie Rios closely to see if these two can handle the point guard duties for the Canes this season. I'll have a post game wrap up after returning from the game tonight.

2007-08 Basketball Preview

I'm hoping to have a comprehensive preview of the Canes up for the 2007-08 season up by Thursday. Don't hold me to this deadline as a lot is going on, but I will do my best to keep this self imposed deadline.

Those Annoying PreSeason Magazines

This weekend I was in Chicago for the US-Brazil Soccer match and had a chance to see the first Basketball preview on the news stands. This preview if put out by Lindy's.

I must say I was shocked by the content and the lack of research done on the ACC and particularly on the Hurricanes. Not one mention was made of Lance Hurdle, the transfer from a JUCO who will likely start at point guard. In addition, little mention was made of the devastating affect injuries had last year in the Canes. The verdict: Miami finishes 10th in the ACC.

I beg to differ and given Lindy's recent track record I am on solid ground. Just last season Lindy's picked Virginia Tech, a team who had a chaotic 2005-06 season last in the ACC. Anybody who watches the ACC knew that the Hokies were a talented team that if healthy and cleared off some of the other issues that hit its players would be a good team. Last year, VT finished within a game of the ACC Regular Season title.

Two years ago, Lindy's picked Florida 5th in the SEC East! Yes the very same Gators would win the national title that year and repeat the next was considered a bottom feeder by the magazine and its editors. How about Football? Our own Miami Hurricanes were picked 11th in the nation last year by Lindy's. Even more laughable Florida State was picked 7th. Both teams lost six games and finished below .500 in the ACC.

Lindy's is not alone selling a cleverly marketed and packaged product to fans eager for information about their teams and others around the country. But it seems these magazines get sloppier and sloppier every year in their research and analysis of College Sports, to the point where they miss late developing and breaking stories. For the record, I firmly believe UM will push to make the NCAA Tournament this year. Our inside game is just too good in a conference which I consider "soft" at least when compared with the Big East and Big Ten. ACC teams don't play good defense compared to the rest of the nation, and I believe the Canes interior defense will be tough to crack. Sure we don't have the flashy scorers and perimeter players the rest of the league has, but if Anthony King stays healthy, he and Dwayne Collins will dominate the inside. How soft is the ACC? Despite losing 4 of 5 big men for much of the season, Miami finished 2nd in the league in rebounding, and 3rd in blocked shots. What does that tell you? With King back and healthy and Collins more seasoned, look out Tobacco Road, here come the Canes!

Canes Basketball Schedule Released

11/6/2007; vs. Barry (Exhib.) !; Coral Gables, Fla.; 7:30 p.m.

11/10/2007; vs. Florida Southern; Coral Gables, Fla.; 4:30 p.m.

11/24/2007; vs. Morgan State; Coral Gables, Fla.; 1:00 p.m.

11/28/2007; vs. Alabama State; Coral Gables, Fla.; 7:30 p.m.

12/2/2007; vs. St. John's; Coral Gables, Fla.; 4:00 p.m.

12/8/2007; at Florida International; Miami, Fla.

12/13/2007; at Mississippi State; Starkville, Miss.; 9:00 p.m.

12/17/2007; vs. Stetson; Coral Gables, Fla.; 9:00 p.m.

12/20/2007; vs. North Florida; Coral Gables, Fla.; TBA

12/23/2007; vs. North Carolina A&T; Coral Gables, Fla.; 1:00 p.m.

MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic 12/29/2007 vs. Winthrop; Sunrise, Fla.; 4:30 p.m.

1/2/2008; vs. Penn; Coral Gables, Fla.; TBA

1/12/2008; vs. Georgia Tech *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 2:00 p.m.

1/15/2008; at Boston College *; Chestnut Hill, Mass.; 9:00 p.m.

1/19/2008; at North Carolina State *; Raleigh, N.C.; 8:00 p.m.

1/23/2008; vs. North Carolina *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 9:00 p.m.

1/27/2008; vs. Clemson *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 1:00 p.m.

1/29/2008; at Wake Forest *; Winston-Salem, N.C.; 7:00 p.m.

2/2/2008; at Duke *; Durham, N.C.; 3:30 p.m. ABC

2/6/2008; vs. Florida State *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 7:30 p.m.

2/9/2008; at Virginia Tech; Blacksburg, Va.; 2:00 p.m.

2/17/2008; at Georgia Tech *; Atlanta, Ga.; 1:00 p.m.

2/20/2008; vs. Duke *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 12:00 p.m. ESPN 2

2/23/2008; vs. Maryland *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 2:00 p.m.

2/27/2008; at Clemson *; Clemson, S.C.; 7:30 p.m.

3/1/2008; vs. Virginia *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 2:00 p.m.

3/5/2008; vs. Boston College *; Coral Gables, Fla.; 7:00 p.m.

3/8/2008; at Florida State *; Tallahassee, Fla.; 12:00 p.m.