Miami Herald – There was a time
when everything was right with the University
of Miami men’s basketball
team.
The Hurricanes were once 15-1 and
ranked number 23 in the nation. Miami was
discussed as a possible sleeper in the NCAA Tournament and past legends like
Rick Barry and Jack McClinton flocked the Coral
Gables campus.
Miami’s compact campus
arena was full of fans making noise like it was a college basketball town and it
had a very good Hurricanes team.
Now Miami is a mediocre 18-9, a shameful 4-9 in
the ACC and staring squarely at yet another NIT tournament invite.
What's troubling is that so many of
the defeats have come after big leads were squandered. Many question if the
Hurricanes are as good finishing games as they are starting them and if they
are as good now as a couple of months ago.
The latest blow for Miami came at home in a
loss to sixth-ranked Duke after leading the Blue Devils by 12 points at
half-time.
For Hurricanes head coach Frank Haith,
hope rests in the future.
“Our energy wasn't great there but
as long as we got games left on our schedule, we have opportunities.”