Everything seems to be going right for the University of Miami these days.
The No. 14 Hurricanes (16-3, 7-0 ACC) have won eight consecutive games and enter Saturday’s showdown (CBS, 4 p.m.) against No. 19 North Carolina State (16-5, 5-3) in Raleigh, N.C. with a two-game lead in the conference standings.
That winning streak figured to be in jeopardy against N.C. State, the preseason pick to win the ACC and an unbeaten host in its first 12 home games.
But UM may be catching a break. The Wolfpack could be without junior point guard Lorenzo Brown, the ACC’s leader in assists, who sprained his left ankle on Tuesday in a loss to Virginia and might not play. Brown, averaging 12.7 points, is also second among ACC players in steals.
“The probability, in my mind, for him to be recovered enough to cut and move and sprint and jump is pretty slim,” N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried told the Raleigh News and Observer. “We have to prepare as if he’s not going to play and then we’ll go from there.”
Brown’s absence would spoil his expected matchup with Miami’s Shane Larkin in a battle of the ACC’s best point guards.
Larkin, a sophomore, is coming off a sensational effort in UM’s 73-64 victory against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Wednesday. Larkin scored 25 points and hit five three-pointers, including a long one with 1:47 to play after the Hokies had creeped within four points, 60-56.
“He did everything for us,” forward Kenny Kadji said after the game.
The Hurricanes have been on fire since the start of the new year, posting an 8-0 record in January. UM is the first team other than North Carolina or Duke to open with a 7-0 ACC record since Virginia in 1981. Coincidentally, Miami coach Jim Larranaga was an assistant on that Virginia team that was led by center Ralph Sampson.
In a two-week stretch that included a dominating victory over then-No. 1 Duke, the Hurricanes have gone from unranked to a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament according to various bracket predictions. A win today could move UM closer its first Top 10 ranking since March, 1999.
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