What a surreal but awesome day to be a Miami Hurricane fan. Just hours after the NCAA made the bizarre admission it had epically bungled its own investigation into the school, the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team reminded the world that this is the campus that invented swagger by delivering a historic beat down of No. 1 ranked Duke. It was the biggest win in 'Canes basketball history by far, and there are millions of reasons why it was awesome, but here are 25 of them.
1. The Canes' 27 point win was the third biggest margin of victory over an AP poll No. 1 rated college basketball team ever, and the largest since all the way back to 1968.
2. The Hurricanes are now 5-0 in ACC play, and two games ahead of everyone else in what may be the best basketball conference in all of college sports.
3. Reggie Johnson returned weeks earlier from an injury than expected, and it was kept a secret right up until game time.
4. Because look how excited Johnson's big ol' baby face was after the game:
5. Both Durand Scott and Kenny Kadji scored season highs.
6. This was the third time the Hurricanes have upset Duke when they're ranked in the top five (and in fact, three of the Hurricanes five wins over top five teams have come against Duke), and we've now evolved to the point where we've become the thorn in the Blue Devil's side. Yes, long the black sheep of Miami athletics, the basketball team has evolved to the point where they have a legitimate rivalry with the biggest brand in college basketball.
7. This Rion Brown dunk:
8. This Shane Larkin dunk:
9. This Kenny Kadji dunk:
10. It was the Miami Hurricanes first win over a No. 1 ranked basketball team in their history.
11. It was coach Jim Larranaga's first win over a No. 1 ranked basketball team in his career.
12. Yes, Dick Vitale is easily excited, but, come on, not usually this excited.
13. Because apparently someone wore a Dick Vitale mask?
14. Oh Jeez, sorry, apparently that's not a mask ...ok then, well then lets just say that Miami fans were so excited their expressions literally looked crazy-Dick-Vitale-mask-like.
15. Because of that epic, stunning, beautiful, unbelievable, adjective, adjective, there aren't enough adjectives 21-1 run in the first half that basically sealed the game.
16. The 'Canes are now off to their best start in conference play since they joined the ACC.
17. This sweet, sweet expression on the Duke coaches' faces.
18. Also, is this girl a meme yet?
19. Because the score looked like if the Miami Heat played Duke in a charity game or something.
20. Because the halftime score looked like if the Hurricanes played the Blue Devils in football (and the Hurricanes had a down year, and the Duke was having a "good" year -- good by their football standards at least).
21. It was Duke's worst regular season loss since 1984.
22. It was only the 10th sellout in the 'Canes 10 year history at the Bank United Center, but hopefully ensures a few more. Edit: Turns out it already did. The FSU game is a sellout as well.
23. The students rushing the court afterward:
24. Even people at the Miami Heat game were excited (and were maybe a little sad they were at the wrong Miami basketball arena that night).
25. Because, really, what better way to let the NCAA know they can fuck themselves? Oh, whoops, they already did that.
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