The Miami Hurricanes seek revenge against the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals. Will they overcome injuries and past losses to advance in the ACC Tournament? Tune in to find out.
The Miami Hurricanes men's basketball squad will face the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. After securing a 62–58 victory over the SMU Mustangs on Wednesday, a rematch was set between them. Both programs faced each other for the regular season finale at the Watsco Center on Saturday, March 7, in which the Hurricanes suffered a 92–89 loss, coming back from a 12-point deficit.
This time, it's a win-or-go-home situation in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Spectrum Center. Here's important information to learn before the game.
How to watch:
TV Channel: ESPN 2
Starting time: 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Injury report:
The Hurricanes listed freshman forward Timotej Malovec as questionable due to back tightness. He was sidelined for the last two regular-season games, including the finale against the Cardinals. The Slovakian native averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, one assist, and 33.3 percent three-point shooting in 29 games.
Sophomore forward Marcus Allen (non-Hodgkin lymphoma; out for season) and freshman guard Treyvon Maddox (undisclosed) were ruled out for Thursday's game.
The Cardinals ruled out freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. for the entire ACC Tournament. The 19-year-old dealt with back injuries all season, causing him to miss 10 games. He averaged 18.2 points on 41 percent shooting, 34.4 percent from three-point range, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 21 games. The team is optimistic that Brown Jr. will return for the NCAA Tournament.
Game note:
The Hurricanes must prevent the Cardinals from getting off to a hot start. They started the game 13-2, making three three-pointers within the first five minutes of the regular-season finale matchup. The Hurricanes are a defensive-first team. If the starters can be disruptive from the jump, it gives them a stronger chance to pull through with a victory.
Senior All-ACC forward Malik Reneau must avoid early foul trouble. In the previous matchup, he picked up two within the first two minutes of the game. The 22-year-old played a total of 25 minutes.
Reneau finished with 18 points on 50 percent shooting, five rebounds, and a block. However, most of his scoring came from the free-throw line, making 14 of 16. The Miami native needs to establish a presence. The Cardinals don't have much size on the roster, which should work in his favor, matchup-wise.
Regardless of Malovec's availability, junior forward Noam Dovrat should get quality playing time. In the final three games of the regular season, he averaged 11 points on 68 percent shooting from three-point range. For a team that finished last in the ACC in shots made and attempted from behind the arc, it would be beneficial to ride Dovrat’s momentum in a single-game elimination setting.
The Hurricanes haven't won the ACC Tournament since the 2012-13 season. However, in Jai Lucas's first year as head coach of the program, overachieving has been a theme.
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