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The 2023 NCAA Men’s March Madness basketball tournament begins this week, and Miami is a force to be reckoned with.
Yes, Miami – your Miami. Not Miami, Ohio. Literally, the Miami Hurricanes.
If the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team snagging a high seed in this year’s tournament is news to you, we’re not here to judge. After all, they’re not exactly an annual national powerhouse – or, for that matter, a squad that attracts much media attention, even on the local level.
But fret not, Miamians who seek to jump on the Hurricanes basketball bandwagon just in time for March Madness but don’t know where to start. We’re going to learn about the best-kept secret in Miami sports together.
Below is a handy guide to the 2023 Miami Hurricanes basketball team that arms you with everything you need to fake it around the proverbial water cooler till you make it appear you’ve been a diehard supporter all along.
Court storm in Coral Gables ð?¤© @CanesHoops secures a No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and wins its second @accmbb regular season title in program historyâ?¼ï¸
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/TXTMPfLnRj
— CBS Sports College Basketball ð?? (@CBSSportsCBB) March 5, 2023
Head Coach Jim Larrañaga Is a Legend
If there’s one single thing you need to know about the Miami Hurricanes, it’s that head coach Jim Larrañaga is a living, breathing college basketball legend.
Not only can Larrañaga boast a lengthy list of achievements since his arrival in Miami in 2011, but he was already a force to be reckoned with when he stepped onto the Watsco Center’s hardwood.
In fact, Coach Larrañaga has coached college ball for half a ding-dang century. With 708 victories as a head coach, he stands at ninth among active coaches in Division 1 hoops.
Miami Hurricanes.
ACC Regular Season Champions.
#1 seed in next week's ACC Tournament.
LET'S
FUCKING
GO!!!!!— StateOfTheU.com (@TheStateOfTheU) March 5, 2023
Meet Miami’s Best Players
You’ll need to know who Miami’s best players are if you’re going to fake it until you make it seem like you know what you’re talking about at a Hurricanes watch party.
The easiest path to not blowing your cover is to proclaim Canes guard and ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong a program savior and sleeper 2023 NBA draft prospect. Wong averaged a team-high in points (15.9), assists (3.4), and steals (1.4) per game this season while leading Miami to the ACC regular-season title.
Norchad Omier and Jordan Miller are your extra-credit homework assignments if you have time to dive deeper into the Canes roster before Thursday. Both players were vital to Miami’s success this season.
“I am so proud of all three of our All-ACC honorees. Isaiah, Jordan and Norchad have all had amazing impacts on the court and in the locker room." -Coach L
Congratulations to our three All-ACC team members@NorchadO, @zaywong21 & @Jordan_miller11 🙌 pic.twitter.com/hiee2QwoQ7
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) March 6, 2023
Best Win: Hurricanes Beat No. 6 Virginia
Just two months ago, the 2023 Miami Hurricanes basketball team wasn’t much to write home about. Sure, they were an 11-1 squad and ranked No. 22 in the nation, but the program has been there before, only to plummet back into obscurity and a .500 record by March.
Not this season. Not this team. Miami made a statement against No. 6 Virginia with a 66-64 home win, making it clear this season would be different.
Jim Larrañaga on 250 Wins from The Jim Rome Show on Vimeo.
Worst Loss: Miami Blows 25-point lead, Noles Stun at Buzzer
The key to being an incredible diehard fan of a sports team is to harp on the absolute worst moments of the season. For the Miami Hurricanes, the indisputable champion of worst moments was a buzzer-beater loss at home to the Florida State Seminoles, particularly because it came in a game Miami had led by 25 points.
Pain. So much pain. But if you’re pretending you watched the Hurricanes all season, necessary pain.
Miami Is Co-ACC Regular Season Champ
For the first time since 2013, the Miami Hurricanes won the ACC. Technically, Miami is a co-ACC regular-season champion along with Virginia, as the teams posted identical 15-5 records in conference play.
The Hurricanes’ overall record this regular season was 24-6. The impressive mark includes a 16-1 record at home.
Miami clinched the No. 1 seed & splits the conference title! 🙌
Canes beat No. 25 Pitt 78-76 at home!@CanesHoops | #ACCMBB pic.twitter.com/uYGCmSNBF8
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) March 5, 2023
Miami Awarded ACC Tournament No. 1 Seed
Because college basketball is weird like that, after winning the ACC title, Miami immediately went on to play for the ACC title. That would be like the Heat winning its division, only to have to play for the division championship before the playoffs. Make that make sense!
Regardless, Miami was awarded the highest seed entering the ACC tournament – which, you know, makes a lot of sense because they already won the ACC.
The ACC Tournament Went Poorly
As it turns out, Duke is still Duke! And unfortunately, until proven otherwise in the coming weeks, Miami basketball remains unreliable in big moments.
After Miami managed to get past Wake Forest in its first game of the ACC tournament, it ran into a Duke Blue Devils team on the come-up and was promptly given the weekend off courtesy of an 85-78 defeat.
Miami is ACC champion! Well, co-champ! Of the regular season but not the tournament!
Pretending to be a college basketball fan: It’s hard.
Click here for a printable NCAA March Madness tournament bracket.
Screenshot via ncaa.com
Miami’s March Madness Outlook
Despite a disappointing ACC tournament, the Hurricanes were awarded the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Division of the Big Dance. The team is one of a whopping five ACC squads – the others being Duke, Virginia, North Carolina State, and Pittsburgh – to make the cut.
Miami will face off against the 12th-seeded Drake Bulldogs, the sole tourney entrant from the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), in first-round action in Albany on Friday, March 17. Drake, which finished the season 27-7, topped Bradley in the MVC Conference championship game to secure an automatic tournament bid.
If the Canes get past Drake, it’s likely their next foe will be the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana, a No. 4 seed, is coming off a solid Big 10 campaign and will be heavily favored to beat 13-seeded Kent State.
It makes no sense to ponder what else might lie ahead – especially since it probably involves the Houston Cougars, an NCAA powerhouse that FanDuel Sportsbook currently pegs as the overall favorite to take home the national championship trophy at odds of 5 to 1. The Hurricanes enter tournament play at odds of 45 to 1.
