I've had my hat off to Miami Hurricanes coach Frank Haith all season long. After a hellish 2006-2007 season, the ACC media had them picking Miami to finish last in the ACC this year. The Canes responded with a 23-11 record and a win in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami rewarded Haith with a five-year deal to keep him in Coral Gables through the 2012-2013 season:

"Frank Haith has done a tremendous job in elevating the men's basketball program into one of the premier teams in both the ACC and in the nation," incoming athletic director Kirby Hocutt said in a statement Monday. "His character, dedication and relationship with his student-athletes and staff members are beyond reproach, and the University of Miami is proud to have one of the top young coaches in the nation."

"This contract provides stability for this program and gives my staff and I the opportunity, through our recruiting efforts, to build upon the solid foundation we have in place," Haith said. "We will continue our hard work in moving this program forward."

Frank Haith Agrees to Five Year Deal to Stay at Miami Through 2013 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miami spent most of the first half trailing St. Mary's and making me think, "uh-oh ... here comes the anti-ACC smack." Especially since Duke narrowly escaped Belmont last night.

Then Hurricanes' guard Jack McClinton got hot. Very hot. McClinton scored a career-high 38 points to lead Miami to a 78-64 win and a second round meeting against the Texas/Austin Peay winner. If it is Texas, then Canes' coach Frank Haith will face off against his former team (he was an assistant there before taking the Miami gig).

McClinton was just unbelievable in the second half. He scored 32 of his points after halftime which included a variety of shots: fast break threes, drives to the basket, acrobatic layups and floaters. Defenders couldn't keep up with him as he peeled off screens to get open looks and broke down his man off the dribble.

Despite his mammoth offensive output, it wasn't just McClinton that decided this one. Miami's defense was suffocating during a rabid 27-6 run that spanned both halves. The Hurricanes dominated the boards (43 to 30) and hit 17 of their 21 free throws. The St. Mary's Gaels were ice cold. They shot just 37% from the field, 35% from behind the arc and missed 11 of their 23 free throws.

Jack McClinton Gets Hot in Miami's Win Over St. Mary's originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Conference:

NCAA Previews: Recognize the University of Miami Hurricanes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Throughout the season we'll look at bubble teams and assess whether they have a better chance of ending up in the

NIT or NCAA: Miami-FL originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How quickly do things change. One week ago, the Duke Blue Devils were 10-0 and were unstoppable. They had won every ACC game by at least nine points and had dispatched of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and swept Maryland. It was over.

Since then, Duke has lost twice ... with both losses to teams that shouldn't have a chance at beating them. Wake Forest pounded the Blue Devils into submission on Sunday; Miami did the same thing on Wednesday ... beating Duke, 96-95. It was the first time Miami had beaten Duke since 1962.

Now, a runaway regular season title has turned into a dead heat between the Blue Devils and arch rival North Carolina (who are also 10-2) for the top seed in the ACC Tournament.

The biggest knock against Duke is that they are a "donut team" -- they gun threes and have no low post presence. Detractors have asked what would happen if the threes weren't falling. Well, we now know. Duke went 8-for-28 from the arc against Wake and struggled early against Miami (the Canes had built a 59-39 lead). Eventually, the bombs started hitting and the Blue Devils mounted a valiant comeback ... but came up a little short.

"Our team -- there's something missing this week," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We are not the same team these last two ballgames. It's almost like someone has come in and invaded their bodies."

Give credit to Miami. The Canes are trying to make an NCAA tournament push and a win like this shines some light on them. Dwayne Collins (26 pts) and Jack McClinton (22 pts) were beasts for Miami and Duke had no answer for either of them.

The Canes are now 5-6 in conference play and 18-7 overall making them the pure definition of "bubble team" right now. Things are turning for the better, as Miami is on a three game winning streak (which followed a stretch where they lost 6 of 7). They get Maryland at home this weekend before traveling to Clemson next Wednesday.

Duke Loses to Miami for the First Time Since JFK Was President originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Coach called us out after the Kansas game," (BC guard Tyrese) Rice said. "We took it to heart. We tried to prove that we could be better than people think we can."

Boston College scored 14 of the first 16 points and led 50-27 with 11:26 to play before McClinton hit a 3-pointer to start a 23-10 run that pulled Miami back into the game. He had 13 points in all over the five-minute span, including three 3-pointers.

Still, it wasn't enough. Boston College improves to 3-0 in the ACC ... keeping pace with North Carolina and Duke as the conference's lone unbeaten teams in ACC play.

#24 Miami drops just its second game on the season (the first was to Winthrop). BC travels to Virginia while Miami goes to Raleigh to take on struggling NC State on Saturday.

Boston College Dominates Miami ... Again originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Miami Hurricanes' undefeated season came to an end with a sloppy 76-70 loss to Winthrop in the Orange Bowl Classic. No shame in that; the Canes are now 12-1 and still quite the surprise.

What is funny is that Canes fans are starting to talk smack over basketball.

"It really started for me yesterday when we went out to eat as a team," (Winthrop senior Chris) Gaynor said. "One of the Miami fans came up to me and was like, 'Do y'all think you can keep it close?' That was like a slap in the face to this program. It gets tiring every time you go somewhere and everybody is like, 'Where's Winthrop?' It feels good to show them where Winthrop is at today."

Miami's Undefeated Season Ends at Home to Winthrop, Thanks to Smack Talk originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miami Remains Unbeaten originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With over 300 teams in Division I college basketball, I understand why you need some sort of way to rate teams. College football uses the BCS. College hoops uses the RPI.

Right now, RPI doesn't mean much to anyone ... but when February and March roll around, we will hear those three letters more than our own names. Bracketologists everywhere will spout these RPI numbers out to you as why or why a team should or shouldn't be in the Big Dance. Right now, here is how the current RPI rankings shake out:

1-St. Mary's
2-Miami, Fla
3-Xavier
4-Vanderbilt
5-Texas

The team that has been voted #1 in both the media and coaches poll, North Carolina, currently sits 21st. The team that was picked to be last in the ACC - Miami - sits at #2. I guess beating up on Marist, VCU, Providence, Morgan State, Alabama State, St. John's and Florida International shows us what a #2 team is capable of.

Miami-FL is Ranked #2 - In the RPI originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who are the main men? Big man Anthony King got a break by regaining his eligibility via a medical reshirt ... giving the Canes a big man that will anchor the offense. Miami already has Jack McClinton, who was an All-ACC player last year, and Brian Asbury, a slashing swingman.

What are the team's strengths? Hopefully, Miami feels that the bad element is out of the program. They will try to be a quick team who pounds the boards. King joins Dwayne Collins as the beef up front.

When will we see them struggle? There is too much youth at the point guard spot and feasted on bad shots last year out of necessity. It will be interesting to see if they can shake that against the ACC, which should be a great defensive conference.

Why should anyone care? Miami did come on at the end of the season. They beat Virginia and Maryland [both NCAA tourny teams] and lost their last three games in overtime.

How stable is the program? Frank Haith is probably sitting on the hottest seat in the ACC. Last year, he had to mix and match guys just to suit up a team at times. You would think that if Haith can turn this thing back around ... good times are ahead. But another disasterous season could crash the entire thing.

Where will they finish in the ACC? The media has the at the bottom of the league, but coach Haith is a fighter who has enough talent to stay out of the basement. Just not too far.

Name you didn't know, but will: McClinton was a big bright spot for the Canes last year. Unless your team played Miami, you have no idea who he was [even then, you forgot in a few days]. He was among the ACC's top scorers and the league's top FT and 3-point shooter.

ACC Hoops Preview: #9-Miami originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This will be a transition year for most of the ACC. Pretty much everyone took a hit this offseason, with only four teams really looking like locks for the NCAA tournament. There is little doubt that North Carolina will be the favorite ... but remember that this was the case last year ... and UNC was nearly the #5 seed in the ACC tournament. NC State, Duke and Clemson have the best shot at giving the Heels trouble for the title

1-North Carolina: Sometimes subtraction isn't a bad thing. The Heels lose Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry, but the rotation should be tighter and everyone more understanding of their roles. If UNC is going to make its title run, they better do it now before Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough bolt.

2-NC State: Brandon Costner is my pick for ACC Player of the Year. With JJ Hickson running alongside him in the paint, Costner is free to show his entire game [similar to how Wright helped Hansbrough last year in Chapel Hill]. This team is ready to break out and get back into the ACC's elite. At issue is finding Engin Atsur's replacement ... since he was so key in the success of the Pack last year.

3-Duke: With Kyle Singler and Taylor King coming in, expect Duke to go back to its gun-slinging ways. Last year's team wasn't normal Duke: they struggled to find their offense and were very inconsistent shooting. The big issue this year is ... well, what happens if they keep missing those threes? Josh McRoberts is gone and there really isn't anyone reliable in the paint to score or rebound.

4-Clemson: Can the Tigers get back that team that was scorching the early part of the season? Well, they have four returning starters and has one of the better frontcourts in the conference. They just need to get their minds right. This team has the talent ... they just need to tighten the bolts and clean the sawdust.

5-Virginia: Dave Leitao better thank God that Sean Singletary came back. The ACC player of the year candidate will be asked to do even more with JR Reynolds and Jason Cain gone.

6-Maryland: Gotta love those Terps! The head-scratchers are gone, with their understudies ready to take their place. The team will rely on James Gist and Greivis Vasquez to become leaders on and off the floor. However, this streaky team must find someone who can hit a shot.

Premature Preseason ACC 2007-2008 Hoops Rankings originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THE BIGGEST STORIES

1. Duke's Demise. Duke enters this tournament as the #7 seed, making it hard for them to win their 8th ACC title in 9 years. Add into this the Gerald Henderson foul on Tyler Hansbrough most likely following the team to Tampa.
2. North Carolina's Chase For a #1 Seed. Most likely the Heels need to win this thing to gain a #1 seed....and still they'd need some help elsewhere. What the real story here is how the Heels perform in this tournament and how it could gauge their perfomance in the Big Dance.
3. The Bubble. Georgia Tech is on the good side of the bubble; FSU and Clemson are on the bad side. The Tigers and Noles face off in the first game of the weekend which could pop the loser's bubble.

THE FAVORITES:

1. North Carolina. Despite flailing at the end of the season, there is no denying UNC's talent is the best in the league and being the #1 seed helps them avoid Maryland, Duke or Ga Tech in their first game. And in a three day format, the Heels' depth will help them over the weekend.
2. Maryland. No team has been hotter of late and the Terps have the swagger to win this thing. But winning four games in four days hasn't been done in ACC play before.
3. Virginia. The Cavs backcourt is the best in the league...and this is the time of year where backcourt play really matters.

THE DARKHORSES:

1. Duke. No one is thinking about them [deservedly so], but they tend to just dominate ACC tournament time. Plus the Henderson suspension gives them a chip on their shoulder.
2. Georgia Tech. They can beat anyone in this conference....just not on the road. Let's see how the neutral site feel does for them against Wake Forest, then struggling Virginia Tech.
3. Florida State. Al Thornton could just blaze a way to a title.

TEAMS WITH MOST TO GAIN:

1. Clemson/Florida State winner. Whomever wins this game will have a key victory over a fellow bubble team. It also means that they'll get a chance to knock off the ACC's #1 seed on Friday, giving them a big time win on their resume.
2. Duke. Duke does well here, and if Duke makes a run to the championship game, they could be a #3 or #4 seed and may get play in the Winston-Salem pod.
3. North Carolina. If they win this thing, they could get back into a discussion for a #1 seed. They'd lock in a #2 at least.

TEAMS WITH MOST TO LOSE:

1. Clemson/Florida State loser. The loser of this game will most likely be out of chances for an at large berth.
2. Georgia Tech. They cannot afford to lose in the 1st round.
3. North Carolina. UNC needs to get to at least the finals for the selection committee to even feel they are worth a #2 seed. If they stumble like in recent ACC tournaments, they could drop to a #3.

PLAYERS THAT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE

1. Al Thornton, Florida State. The ACC tournament is filled with guys like Julius Hodge or Randolph Childress that just dominated the tournament. Thornton could be that guy. With FSU's season at stake, he could take the tourny into his hands as he did when he dropped 45 points on Miami this past Saturday.
2. Jared Dudley, Boston College. He has to be a huge factor if BC has any shot of winning this thing. And he'll probably be facing Maryland and UNC en route to the title game.
3. Javaris Crittenden, Georgia Tech. He could become the buzz player in the tournament if he can put together a string of games we all know he can produce.

BEST CHANCE FOR AN UPSET

• NC State over Duke. Duke limps into the ACC tournament with two straight losses and without Gerald Henderson for a least a game. Not to mention the story following the Blue Devils will be the end of the game against UNC. NC State has had an ability to rise up to the occasion and bite someone.

BYE TEAM WITH THE BEST CHANCE TO BE UPSET

• Boston College. BC hasn't been really good lately and could see a white-hot Maryland team in their first game.

ACC Tournament Storylines originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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