Ball Durham
Fansided

Miami continues to improve but still has a long way to go

By Kevin Connelly

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Jim Larranaga of the Miami Hurricanes looks on against the Yale Bulldogs during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Jim Larranaga of the Miami Hurricanes looks on against the Yale Bulldogs during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Basketball team will be in Miami to face the Hurricanes on Saturday night and the ‘Canes have come a long way since last season.

ACC play is now officially in full swing and the Duke Blue Devils (12-1, 2-0) will play its second road game of conference play on Saturday night against the Miami Hurricanes.

Prior to the game, the team at Ball Durham got a chance to catch up with the Miami Hurricanes FanSided page, Canes Warning, for a short Q&A before the two teams go to battle.

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Q: What has been the biggest difference from last season’s disappointment to this season’s promising start for the Hurricanes? 

A: Health and depth. Miami had only seven scholarship players, Six if you take away the walk-on who earned a scholarship  They brought in three freshmen after not signing any last year. Harlond Beverly has been a key contributor off the bench as has grad transfer Keith Stone from Florida. 

Q: Miami is coming off of an impressive road overtime victory over Clemson, what went right in that game for the ‘Canes? 

A: Miami made the plays down the stretch in overtime. A Dejan Vasiljevic 3-pointer put the Hurricanes ahead to stay with 59 seconds remaining and made two free throws to put the game away, while Chris Lykes also scored 27 points. 

Q: Who is a player that Duke fans should look out for on Saturday night?

A: Without a doubt Lykes. He is a dynamic player who gets too much focus for being 5-foot-7. He can score and is a very good on-ball defender.

Q: What is the ceiling for this Miami team? 

NCAA Tournament and possibly one win in the Big Dance. 

Q: How do you see this game playing out? Will the Hurricanes have a distinct home-court advantage and will that carry them to a victory over the Blue Devils? 

A: The ‘Canes should have a very distinct home-court advantage. Probably one of the most underrated home courts in the country. They have sold out the last three to four years. Hard to say how it will play out. Canes are not very deep and will probably have to keep the score in the 50s or 60s to have a chance. They cannot let Duke get up big early.

We’d like to thank Canes Warning for its time and you can watch Duke and Miami at 8:00pm EST on Saturday, December 4 at 8:00pm EST on ESPN.

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