The Miami Hurricanes basketball team are coming off a disappointing loss to the Cal Bears
The Miami Hurricanes are one of the best stories of college basketball under coach Jai Lucas.
At 17-5, the Hurricanes are fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference but are coming off a disappointing loss to the Cal Bears. Afterward, Lucas expressed his problems with the way his team has played defensively.
The `Canes struggled mightily on the defensive end against the Bears.
"I think guarding the ball," Lucas said of the main area that needs to improve. "We've got to guard the ball better; we've got to find the ball better. I mean, usually we're the ones that shoot 32, three throws, and 34 free throws. I mean, they got 32 and 34, and whenever a team that's with us on the time, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough. But even with that said, we want to win that one play, a week from winning."
The `Canes are well on the way to earning another berth in the NCAA Tournament. The goal is to fine-tune some things before the postseason. UM needs to remain consistent in order to keep its hopes of gaining that at-large bid.
Overall, Lucas is content with the state of the team.
"That's the thing that's shown all year, just their ability to compete and play the whole 40 minutes and never feel like they're out of it," Lucas said. "All of these games are hard, so win some games and lose some. I know they're going to compete, and they're going to play. They will always give us a chance to win."
The Hurricanes return to action Feb. 7 at Boston College.
BAIN, TONEY HONORED
Hurricanes stars Rueben Bain and Malachi Toney were named to the Pro Football Focus All-American team.
Toney, a receiver, finished with 109 catches for a school-record 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also named the ACC's Rookie of the Year. Bain, a defensive lineman, was one of the most feared defenders in the country, tallying 30 solo tackles and 9.5 sacks. He is expected to be a top pick in this spring's NFL Draft.
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of MiamiRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com