Jai Lucas and the Miami Hurricanes basketball squad have a real shot to take down the No. 11 team in the nation tonight in the North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC is coming off one of the biggest wins in college basketball, knocking off Duke on a late buzzer-beater Saturday night.
The Tar Heels are riding high after that win. The campus was buzzing, students rushed the streets, confidence is through the roof, and honestly, this might be the perfect time for the Hurricanes to punch back and bring them back down to earth.
Despite the win over Duke, North Carolina has shown some cracks. The Tar Heels have fallen to questionable teams this season, including Stanford and California — teams Miami has already seen, beating one and dropping the other. They’re not unbeatable.
So the question is simple. Are those cracks big enough for Miami to knock down one of the castles of college basketball?
Jai Lucas has done an incredible job in his first year at Miami. Leading scorer Malik Reneau has been one of the more stable players in the ACC, but the Hurricanes’ biggest issue has been the simple mistakes. If Reneau delivers and those mistakes are limited, history, and the bracketologists, will be watching closely.
Here’s what you need to know about tonight’s matchup between the Hurricanes and the Tar Heels. Sadly, I won’t be able to cover the game live tonight, so my guy Kamdyn Burton will be running the game thread. I’ll be able to check in a bit, but I’ve got a basketball game of my own at the same time. I might catch the opening stretch and should be able to cover the final 10 minutes or so.
Enough talk.
Season Rewind
Miami: 18-5 (KenPom: 41)
Miami Vs. UNC Odds
According to our friends at FanDuel, North Carolina is listed as a 1.5-point favorite against Miami. The over/under is set at 156.5, while the Hurricanes check in at -104 on the moneyline.
For the season, Miami is 11-12 against the spread (ATS), while North Carolina is 13-10. The Tar Heels have covered five straight games if you don’t count their narrow one-point win over Syracuse, which was a -11.5 favorite, they covered by 10. Hubert Davis’ squad is just 3-3 ATS on the road.
Miami Starting Lineup
(Starting lineup based on the last game)
#34 – Dante Allen
6-3 – 220 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
6.2 PPG, 2.8 REB, 2.3 AST*
#3 – Tre Donaldson
6-3 – 198 – GUARD – JUNIOR
16.1 PPG, 3.3 REB, 6.2 AST*
#7 – Shelton Henderson
6-6 – 240 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
14.2 PPG, 4.6 REB, 2.2 AST*
#5 – Malik Reneau
6-9 – 238 – FORWARD – SENIOR
19.7 PPG, 6.4 REB, 2.2 AST*
#8 – Ernest Udeh Jr.
6-11 – 266 – FORWARD – SENIOR
6.7 PPG, 10.0 REB, 0.4 AST*
#3 – Derek Dixon
6-5 – 200 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
5.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.4 APG
#7 – Seth Trimble
6-3 – 200 – GUARD – SENIOR
14.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.6 APG
#8 – Caleb Wilson
6-10 – 215 – FORWARD – FRESHMAN
20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG
#15 – Jarin Stevenson
6-10 – 215 – FORWARD – JUNIOR
6.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.9 APG
#13 – Henri Veesaar
7-0 – 225 – CENTER – REDSHIRT JUNIOR
16.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
Quick Hits
ABOUT LAST GAME...
▪ Miami had its final shot at the buzzer fall short Saturday, dropping an 86-85 contest to Cal inside the Watsco Center.
▪ Malik Reneau paced Miami with 24 points and was 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
▪ Shelton Henderson added 16 points while Tre Donaldson registered 14 points and five assists.
▪ Ernest Udeh Jr. tallied 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds while Dante Allen had 12.
OFFENSE CLICKING
▪ Miami has been efficient with their offense, leading the league in field goal percentage (51.1) and fastbreak points (12.6) and is second in assists per game (17.4) and third in effective FG percentage (.567).
▪ Tre Donaldson facilitates the offense with a team-high 135 assists and ranks third in the ACC and is 26th nationally in the category.
▪ Donaldson is tied for third nationally in doubles-doubles with points and assists with five.
▪ Shelton Henderson ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage at 60.8%, which ranks in the top 25 nationally
Postgame Show on YT
Did you miss the game? Don't worry! CIS has you covered with a post-game show available on the CIS YouTube Channel. You can also find post-game coverage on our website, including highlights, comments from coaches and the players, stats, and maybe some key takeaways.
Live BLOG
Want to interact with the CIS crew during today's game? Consider coming over to the conversation on the CIS Forums, where we’ll share live updates from inside at the Watsco Center while also answering questions.
The Tar Heels are riding high after that win. The campus was buzzing, students rushed the streets, confidence is through the roof, and honestly, this might be the perfect time for the Hurricanes to punch back and bring them back down to earth.
Despite the win over Duke, North Carolina has shown some cracks. The Tar Heels have fallen to questionable teams this season, including Stanford and California — teams Miami has already seen, beating one and dropping the other. They’re not unbeatable.
So the question is simple. Are those cracks big enough for Miami to knock down one of the castles of college basketball?
Jai Lucas has done an incredible job in his first year at Miami. Leading scorer Malik Reneau has been one of the more stable players in the ACC, but the Hurricanes’ biggest issue has been the simple mistakes. If Reneau delivers and those mistakes are limited, history, and the bracketologists, will be watching closely.
Here’s what you need to know about tonight’s matchup between the Hurricanes and the Tar Heels. Sadly, I won’t be able to cover the game live tonight, so my guy Kamdyn Burton will be running the game thread. I’ll be able to check in a bit, but I’ve got a basketball game of my own at the same time. I might catch the opening stretch and should be able to cover the final 10 minutes or so.
Enough talk.
Miami vs. #11 North Carolina: How to Watch, Listen
- Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN (Wes Durham)
- Local Radio: UM Sports Radio (Joe Zagacki, Don Bailey Jr.)
- AM: 560 WQAM
- FM: 103.4 FM
- Online: Audacy App
- Sirius XM: 84
Season Rewind
Miami: 18-5 (KenPom: 41)
- 11/3: 86-69 W vs. Jacksonville
- 11/6: 101-61 W vs. Bethune-Cookman
- 11/10: 102-61 W vs. Stetson
- 11/16: 82-68 L vs. Florida
- 11/20: 99-72 W vs. Elon
- 11/23: 97-41 W vs. Delaware State
- 11/27: 72-62 L vs. BYU
- 11/28: 78-65 W vs. Georgetown
- 12/2: 75-66 W vs. Ole Miss
- 12/6: 88-64 W vs. Southern Miss
- 12/13: 104-79 W vs. ULM
- 12/16: 98-81 W vs. FIU
- 12/21: 105-67 W vs. North Florida
- 12/30: 76-69 W vs. Pittsburgh
- 1/6: 81-77 W vs. Wake Forest
- 1/10: 91-81 W vs. Georgia Tech
- 1/14: 81-69 W vs. Notre Dame
- 1/17: 69-59 L vs. Clemson
- 1/20: 65-63 L vs. Florida State
- 1/24: 85-76 W vs. Syracuse
- 1/28: 79-70 W vs. Stanford
- 1/31: 86-85 L vs. California
- 2/7: 74-68 W vs. Boston College
- 11/3: 94–54 W vs. Central Arkansas
- 11/7: 87–74 W vs. Kansas
- 11/11: 89–74 W vs. Radford
- 11/14: 97–53 W vs. NC Central
- 11/18: 73–61 W vs. Navy
- 11/25: 85–70 W vs. St. Bonaventure
- 11/27: 58–74 L vs. Michigan State
- 12/2: 67–64 W at Kentucky
- 12/7: 81–61 W vs. Georgetown
- 12/13: 80–62 W vs. USC Upstate
- 12/16: 77–58 W vs. ETSU
- 12/20: 71–70 W vs. Ohio State
- 12/22: 99–51 W vs. East Carolina
- 12/30: 79–66 W vs. Florida State
- 1/3: 83–97 L at SMU
- 1/10: 87–84 W vs. Wake Forest
- 1/14: 90–95 L at Stanford
- 1/17: 78–84 L at California
- 1/21: 91–69 W vs. Notre Dame
- 1/24: 85–80 W at Virginia
- 1/31: 91–75 W at Georgia Tech
- 2/2: 87–77 W vs. Syracuse
- 2/7: 71–68 W vs. Duke
Miami Vs. UNC Odds
According to our friends at FanDuel, North Carolina is listed as a 1.5-point favorite against Miami. The over/under is set at 156.5, while the Hurricanes check in at -104 on the moneyline.
For the season, Miami is 11-12 against the spread (ATS), while North Carolina is 13-10. The Tar Heels have covered five straight games if you don’t count their narrow one-point win over Syracuse, which was a -11.5 favorite, they covered by 10. Hubert Davis’ squad is just 3-3 ATS on the road.
Miami Starting Lineup
(Starting lineup based on the last game)
#34 – Dante Allen
6-3 – 220 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
6.2 PPG, 2.8 REB, 2.3 AST*
#3 – Tre Donaldson
6-3 – 198 – GUARD – JUNIOR
16.1 PPG, 3.3 REB, 6.2 AST*
#7 – Shelton Henderson
6-6 – 240 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
14.2 PPG, 4.6 REB, 2.2 AST*
#5 – Malik Reneau
6-9 – 238 – FORWARD – SENIOR
19.7 PPG, 6.4 REB, 2.2 AST*
#8 – Ernest Udeh Jr.
6-11 – 266 – FORWARD – SENIOR
6.7 PPG, 10.0 REB, 0.4 AST*
North Carolina Potential Starters
#3 – Derek Dixon
6-5 – 200 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
5.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.4 APG
#7 – Seth Trimble
6-3 – 200 – GUARD – SENIOR
14.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.6 APG
#8 – Caleb Wilson
6-10 – 215 – FORWARD – FRESHMAN
20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG
#15 – Jarin Stevenson
6-10 – 215 – FORWARD – JUNIOR
6.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.9 APG
#13 – Henri Veesaar
7-0 – 225 – CENTER – REDSHIRT JUNIOR
16.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
Quick Hits
ABOUT LAST GAME...
▪ Miami had its final shot at the buzzer fall short Saturday, dropping an 86-85 contest to Cal inside the Watsco Center.
▪ Malik Reneau paced Miami with 24 points and was 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
▪ Shelton Henderson added 16 points while Tre Donaldson registered 14 points and five assists.
▪ Ernest Udeh Jr. tallied 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds while Dante Allen had 12.
OFFENSE CLICKING
▪ Miami has been efficient with their offense, leading the league in field goal percentage (51.1) and fastbreak points (12.6) and is second in assists per game (17.4) and third in effective FG percentage (.567).
▪ Tre Donaldson facilitates the offense with a team-high 135 assists and ranks third in the ACC and is 26th nationally in the category.
▪ Donaldson is tied for third nationally in doubles-doubles with points and assists with five.
▪ Shelton Henderson ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage at 60.8%, which ranks in the top 25 nationally
Postgame Show on YT
Did you miss the game? Don't worry! CIS has you covered with a post-game show available on the CIS YouTube Channel. You can also find post-game coverage on our website, including highlights, comments from coaches and the players, stats, and maybe some key takeaways.
Live BLOG
Want to interact with the CIS crew during today's game? Consider coming over to the conversation on the CIS Forums, where we’ll share live updates from inside at the Watsco Center while also answering questions.
