The victory made the RedHawks the first team in FBS history to go from double-digits losses (1-11 in 2009) to double-digit wins (10-4 in 2010). Miami aslo finished with an eight-game turnaround, the second-best effort in FBS history.

Miami fell behind 7-0 late in the first quarter on an 18-yard touchdown run by Middle Tennessee's Philiip Tanner with 4:37 left in the first quarter. But Miami immediately answered back in a fashion seen many times in 2010. Boucher and Armand Robinson connected on a 70-yard catch-and-run down the sideline. It was the longest reception of Robinson's career and the longest in Miami bowl history. The play ended at the three-yard line where Merriweather took it in for the tying touchdown with 2:56 to play in the quarter. On the very next series, though, a 49-yard touchdown run by Dwight Dasher with 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter gave MT a 14-7 lead.

A 40-yard pass from Boucher to Nick Harwell on the third play of the second quarter set up Merriweather's second TD run of the game, another three-yarder. That tied the score at 14-all with 13:11 remaining in the second quarter.

Miami tried to take the lead before halftime, driving into the redzone in the final minute. But an 18-yard touchdown pass to Robinson was nullified by a penalty, then Boucher suffered just his second interception of the season to end the threat.

The RedHawk defense gave Miami its first lead as true freshman Dayonne Nunley picked off Dasher's pass and ran it in from 52 yards to put Miami on top, 21-14. It was Nunley's sixth interception of the season and marked the second time in school bowl history that a pick was taken back to the endzone.

MTSU came right back on a 54-yard touchdown run by Tanner to tie the score at 21-21. The teams traded turnovers and punts before Miami started its go-ahead drive. DeMarco Paine returned a punt 44 yards to the Middle Tennessee 30. Five plays later, Chris Givens hauled in a 17-yarder with 54 seconds left in the third to put the RedHawks on top, 28-21.

As the fourth quarter began, MTSU was faced with a third-and-11 situation. Sophomore linebacker Evan Harris intercepted his sixth pass of the year, running it back 23 yards. MTSU's defense toughened, forcing a Trevor Cook 32-yard field goal attempt. The placekick was blocked and MTSU took over at the 44-yard line with 13:38 left in the game. However, Miami got the ball back quickly.

Boucher hit Givens on passes of seven and 17 yards, then connected with Nick Harwell on third-and-seven for a first down at the 8:15 mark. Three straight runs by Merriweather gave the RedHawks the ball at the two-yard line. A loss of three by Merriweather took the ball back to the five-yard line, but Boucher's five-yard touchdown pass to Harwell boosted Miami's lead to 35-21.

Interim Head Coach Lance Guidry's defensive backs then took control as cornerback D.J. Brown intercepted Dasher with 4:35 left, then safety Pat Hinkel sealed the contest with a piock in the endzne with just over two minutes to play.

Jerrell Wedge finished the game with 13 tackles, while the entire defense made three sacks and eight tackles for loss.

The RedHawks' celebration began shortly before the final whistle as Guidry was doused in Gatorade, then Boucher (Overall MVP), Merriweather (Offensive MVP), Nunley (Defensive MVP) and Paine (Special Teams MVP) collected individual awards from GoDaddy.com spokeswoman Danica Patrick.

Probable Starters

DJ Gay, 6’ Sr.  11 pts,  3 ass.  47% FG, 44% 3PFG, 55% FT.  Looks to setup his teammates first, but he’s a very capable scorer.  Plays under control, especially when he puts it on the floor.  He can hit the pullup, step back, and spot up jump shots. 

Chase Tapley, 6’2” So.  9 pts, 2 reb.  63% FG, 14% 3PFG, 60% FT.  More of a slasher than a shooter.  Good rebounder for a guard.  Good on-ball defender.

Kawhi Leonard, 6’7” So.  21 pts, 11 reb, 3 ass.  50% FG, 37% 3PFG, 75% FT.  This guy reminds me of Carmelo Anthony.  Handles the ball well for a guy his size.  He can take you outside beyond the 3 point line.  He has all the moves:  jab step, 2 hard dribble pull up, and step back 3.  He can post you up as well.  But he’s also very unselfish, always makes the correct decision.  Relentless on the glass.

Billy White, 6’8” Sr.  14 pts, 6 reb.  69% FG, 50% 3PFG.  Another multi-talented forward.  He can take you off the dribble.  He’ll hit the floater in the lane.  He can post you up and hit the baby hook.  He’s also a legitimate 3 point threat.  Another great rebounder, he plays with a lot of energy.

Malcolm Thomas, 6’9” Sr.  6 pts, 6 reb.  41% FG, 41% FT.  Good athlete, good rebounder, looks to block shots on the defensive end.   Can score with his back to the basket.   Prone to foul trouble.

Off the Bench

James Rahon, 6’5” So.  8 pts, 2 reb.  59% FG, 50% 3PFG.  Biggest offensive threat off the bench.  Very much a 2 guard.  Can score off of curls, off the dribble or off passes.

Tom Shelton, 6’7” Jr.  3 pts, 2 reb.  36% FG.  Wide body who takes up space under the glass.

Brian Carlwell, 6’11” Sr.  3 pts, 2 reb.  50% FG, 60% FT.  Wider body via Illinois.  He’s a beast on the glass but has a nice touch around the hoop.

The Aztecs do a great job of spreading the floor offensively, they make everyone play defense.  They want to attack the basket and so with high and wing pick and rolls.  They love to run curls for Leonard and Rahon who consistently make the 15-17 foot elbow jumper.  Leonard will play some point guard and when he does, he usually bounces an entry pass to the high post and goes back door.  If the back door isn’t open, he and usually Rahon come off a staggered screen on the weak side, Leonard being the 2^nd guy through, and he’s usually open.  If Gay bounces an entry into the high post, he’ll get the ball back on a handoff and fire a quick 3.  But the Aztecs will mostly keep moving, pick and roll, cut and fill, and space the floor, then crash the glass once the shot goes up.

Defensively, the Aztecs don’t pressure the perimeter in their half-court man, instead building a wall in the lane, forcing you to hit outside shots, which you’ll get plenty of, as Gonzaga did last week.  Steven Gray had over 30 because he was able to step into shots.  But if you don’t hit your 1^st attempt, you probably won’t get a 2^nd because of the Aztecs rebounding prowess.  The Aztecs will run and jump in the backcourt after a made free throw.  Because they’re so big and crash the glass hard, you can score in transition on them.

One of the biggest things that stood out to me about the Aztecs is how for such a good team, everyone plays within themselves.  No one tries to do too much, everyone knows their role, and they play together.  Miami will need a great shooting, rebounding, and defensive performance to stay with San Diego St.

Probable Starters

Rahmon Fletcher, 5’10” Sr.  14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ass.  14/33 FG, 44% 3PFG, 86% FT.  Lefty combo guard, can shoot the mid-range jumper or the 3.  He really shoots well coming off screens.

Steve Baker, 6’2” Jr.  8 pts, 5 reb, 2 ass.  38% FG, 50% 3PFG, 57% FT.  JUCO transfer still finding his way.  Similar game to Fletcher’s but doesn’t have his confidence. Good rebounder for his size.

Bryquis Perine, 6’3” Sr.  14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ass.  33% FG, 5/13 3PFG, 67% FT. Long, lanky guard.  Wants to drive, but a very capable shooter, more streaky than consistent.  Also has the mid-range pullup and the floater in his arsenal.

Troy Snyder, 6’7” So.  10 pts 5 reb.  12/23 FG, 40% 3PFG, 50% FT.  Athletic rebounder who found his shooting touch against San Diego St.

Alec Brown, 7’1” Fr. 6 pts, 6 reb. 44% FG, 63% FT.  Very skinny, only weighs 215.  Looks like a kid who grew late because he’s more comfortable shooting rather than playing big.  Doesn’t move very well.Off the Bench

Seth Evans, 6’  So.  6 pts, 2 ass.  6/13 FG, 40% 3PFG, 50% FT.  Shooter off the bench, not much of mid-range game. Daniel Turner, 6’6” Fr.  3 pts, 2 reb.  30% FG.  Aggressive slasher who can go both ways

Jarvis Williams, 6’6” Jr.  6 pts, 4 reb.  50% FG, 14% 3PFG.  Didn’t play vs. SDSU.  Lefty slasher who can get out-of-control.  Not much of a shooter.

Greg Lesage, 6’8” Sr.  2 pts, 5 reb.  28% FG.  Tough guy who plays his role well.  Strong rebounder.

Green Bay runs a lot of different offensive sets, but they all revolve in getting their perimeter players open shots or open lanes to the basket. They don’t get much inside production from their 4 and 5 men.  They run a lot of high pick and rolls and dribble weaves.  They’ll fake the dribble weave and have the wing go back door.  The wings will cross off of screens underneath to get open for 3s.  And they also like to run their point guards off of staggered screens in the high post area and flare to the opposite wing for a look.  On side out of bounds, they’ll enter the ball into the post and the inbounder will step and go back door down the baseline.Everyone has a long reach, but they’re not physical.  They can be pushed around underneath, especially on the boards. They play tight man defense on the perimeter, but their interior helpside often gets lost.  They will play some 2-3 zone, but they don’t match up out of it.  A simple high post entry and baseline duck under will be successful against their zone.  Even with good guards, they don’t run the floor particularly well.  It’s another situation where Green Bay has the advantage outside, but we have the advantage inside.

Probable Starters

John Ashworth, 6’3” Sr.  7 pts, 4 ass.  63% FG, 33% 3PFG, 100% FT. 

Leroy Nobles, 6’5” Sr.  18 pts, 6 reb.  35% FG, 33% 3PFG, 80% FT.

Alex  Young, 6’6” Jr.  17 pts, 8 reb, 3 ass.  52% FG, 0/5 3PFG, 78% FT

Donovan Gibbs, 6’7” Fr.  6 pts, 2 reb.  50% FG, 50% FT

Christian Siakam, 6’7” Jr.  1 pt, 6 reb.  17% FG

Off the Bench

Stephen Thomas, 6’1” Jr.  8 pts, 4 reb, 3 ass.  54% FG, 17% 3PFG, 50% FT

Sean Esposito, 6’3” So.  6 pts, 1 reb.  44% FG, 50% 3PFG

Mitchell Patton, 6’9” Fr.  6 pts, 1 reb.  50% FG, 100% FT

Coach Hunter lets his perimeter players direct the offense and make the decisions.  Ashworth is content to trigger the offense, either through his penetration or the use of a high screen.  When they run the high pick and roll, Nobles and Young pop out.  Ashworth can finish at the basket and shoot the 3, though he won’t resort to shooting until the shot clock is running down; he’s content to pass first.  Nobles is a true wing player.  He can drive or hit the open jumper.  If he drives and you’re able to cut him off, he doesn’t have a midrange game, at least from what I’ve seen.  But he’s a very good shooter.  Young is the best athlete on the team.  He can run like a deer and penetrate all the way to the hoop.  Young’s weakness is his jumper.  He’d rather drive or crash the glass.  Gibbs is a good athlete, but he, Siakam, and Patton only score when they’re the recipients of dumpoffs.  When IUPUI runs pick and roll either up high or on the wing, the roll is the 4^th option, not the 1^st or 2^nd.  Thomas is a transfer from UD.  He can shoot the deep ball or hit the floater when he drives to the basket.  Esposito is arguably their best shooter, but he’s strictly a catch and shoot guy.  8 of his 9 attempts and all 4 of his makes are from 3.

One of the big keys Saturday will be for our guys to move their feet defensively and keep their perimeter players outside, even force their big forwards to make shots.  Gonzaga did just that, only allowing 3 assists on 18 made field goals.  If our guards challenge theirs man-to-man as they did with Duke and we make sure their athletes don’t fly in for rebounds, IUPUI should have a tough time scoring.  Defensively, the Jags will gamble.  They forced Gonzaga into 14 turnovers, but also allowed them 19 assists.  Goodson and Gray had 14 assists to just 4 turnovers.  We need to be more aggressive on offense and start our offense closer to the basket so our wings can get open for shots.  ]]> tag:miamihawktalk.com,2010:home/news/index/1.13515 2010-11-15T19:10:01-05:00 2010-11-15T19:36:22-05:00

1st Round

12 Toledo at 5 Buffalo

Previous meeting at Toledo:  Buffalo 65-59.  When they played earlier, both teams were looking to gain some confidence.  Toledo hadn't won a conference game and Buffalo, after starting strong, had lost 5 of their last 6.  This game was close throughout, but Buffalo's experience and Toledo's self-doubt were the difference at the end of the game.  Since their previous meeting, both teams have played better, Buffalo has won 6 of 8 and Toledo got their 1st conference win against Ball St.  Buffalo is one of the top 3 offensive teams in the league, led by Pierce and Betts and their gambit of athletic bigs who provide a number of things.  However, their defense has really fallen off, especially on the perimeter, which can keep a team like Toledo in it because the Rockets will be able to get shots.  Toledo played one of their better games vs. Buffalo and still lost, at home.  Toledo will have a chance to score points, but Buffalo will score more, between 10-15 more.  I see the Bulls gradually pulling away in this one.

11 NIU at 6 Eastern

Previous meetings:  NIU 77-69 at DeKalb, Eastern 66-60 at Ypsilanti.  When these 2 teams met 10 days ago, NIU had 72 shot attempts (making 22) and Eastern had 48 FT attempts (making 26).  Earlier in the year, NIU shot the ball well, but their percentages have dropped as the year's gone on.  NIU is now the worst 3 point shooting team in the league at 30% and they need to make 3s to win.  To make up for that, they do a great job on the boards, so it'll be important for Bowdry and Dobbins to stay out of foul trouble.  The most important question may be how Eastern responds after giving away the West title Thursday night to Central on their home floor.  But Eastern has won 4 of 6 with their 2 losses being in the last minute and Medlock played well in both meetings.  I think he'll lead Eastern to a 5-7 point win.

10 BG at 7 Western

Previous meeting at Kalamazoo:  Western 65-64.  BG led by 11 late in the 2nd half, but the Broncos came back and won it on a Kool drive with 4 seconds left.  These 2 teams are pretty evenly matched.  Western had trouble keeping BG's guards in front of them and they don't have the bulk to match up with BG down low.  On the other hand, BG doesn't have anyone who can stay in front of Western's athletes, they're not quick enough and most importantly, they don't have anyone who can stay with Kool.  BG's lost 3 straight, 4 of 5 and haven't won away from the Anderson bandbox since late January.  Western wins another close game.

9 OU at 8 Ball St.

Previous meeting at Athens:  OU 67-66 (OT).  OU led by 3 with 13 seconds left, but Ball St. scored twice to steal one at the Convo.  Ball St. had a big edge on the boards, including 12 offensive rebounds.  OU was without DeVaughn Washington and they missed him as Terence Watson went for 20 and 16.  Ball St. wins games with defense, which is good because OU can score and make shots in bunches.  You have to force OU into falling in love with perimeter shots less dribble penetration and kickouts.  OU's done a better job of getting more balance in their scoring and their play has improved.  Ball St. has lost 3 straight, but OU hasn't won away from home in a month.  I think OU's ability to make shots and Washington's play will be enough to give OU the win, but by a basket.

Quarterfinals

9 OU vs. 1 Kent

Previous meetings:  Kent 62-60 at Athens, Kent 74-67 at Kent.  To beat Kent, you have to be able and willing to attack them off the dribble at every position.  OU's guards have the ability to do that and they've had success in doing so while also putting pressure on Kent's guards, not making it easy for them to run their offense.  But, Kent's bigs have the advantage inside because they can guard OU's pick and roll and they're better on the glass.  Kent gets too many 2nd chance points and they'll win by 8-10 points, though OU will make a lot of outside shots to stay in it.

5 Buffalo vs. 4 Miami

Previous meetings:  Buffalo 73-55 at Buffalo, Miami 73-62 at Oxford.  Buffalo is more experienced, more athletic, more unselfish, and tougher on the boards, all things Miami has had trouble with.  But, Buffalo's had trouble on the defensive end and if you can beat their initial ring of pressure, you can get any shot you want.  Team defense wise, Buffalo's pretty good, especially with their athletic, tall bigs waiting to swat away any weak stuff.  Where they've had trouble defensively is in the half-court on ball reversal and getting out to shooters, things Miami is good at.  In each game, one team has gone on a 15 minute run to put the game out of reach.  Miami must attack the dribbler on the ball screen, attack offensively, and rebound better to win.  I think Miami wins by 3-5 points.

6 Eastern vs. 3 Akron

Previous meeting:  Eastern 62-59 at Akron.  In their 1st meeting, Eastern got hot with Antonio Green and Jay Higgins emerging from slumps and Medlock finishing it off at the end.  Akron had plenty of chances, but they insisted on settling for jump shots despite getting to the foul line with regularity.  Akron is at its best when they're moving the ball, getting shots from that ball movement, then hitting the glass hard to get 2nd and 3rd chance points.  Unless Akron falls in love with the 3 again and Eastern gets hot, the Zips should come away victorious.  Eastern has to hit 3s in order to stay with Akron and Akron's defense shouldn't allow this to happen a 2nd time.  Akron by 10-12 points, though low scoring as Eastern will make it hard on Akron to score.

7 Western vs. 2 Central

Previous meetings:  Western 70-61 at Kalamazoo, Central 74-66 at Mt. Pleasant.  In the 1st game, Donald Lawson was the difference with 17 and 8 while Harman and Bitzer were forced into tough shots and lots of dribbling.  10 days ago, Central got better ball movement, better shots for Harman and Bitzer and Lawson was nowhere to be found.  On a neutral floor, the result is usually somewhere in the middle of the home and home.  Kool will get his points; Harman and Bitzer will get theirs as well.  The more aggressive team will win because that will mean someone's supporting cast will have stepped up.  Western has the more talented supporting cast, but Central is a good defensive team and will force Kool to try and do it all by himself.  The problem is Kool can do it all by himself and he makes the game-winning play for the win in this one.

Semifinals

4 Miami vs. 1 Kent

Previous meetings:  Miami 55-53 (OT) at Oxford, Kent 66-58 at Kent.  Miami is another team that matches up pretty well with Kent because Hayes is willing to attack outside and Mavunga has the mismatch offensively against Greene and Parks.  However, Kent likes the matchup as well because of Miami's weakness at guarding the ball and on the glass.  Usually when Kent and Miami play one another in the tournament, the pace slows to a grinding halt and the affair becomes physical.  Miami has sometimes shyed away from the physicality of the game while Kent normally embraces it.  Since the 1st meeting, Kent's frontcourt, especially Greene and Simpson, have stepped up their play, giving Singletary some help.  Miami should be able to stop their 1st shot offense, but I think Kent will get too many 2nd chances and win by 4-6 points.

7 Western vs. 3 Akron

Previous meeting:  Akron 79-70 at Kalamazoo.  Akron shot 53% in the 1st meeting and made 8 3s, one of their better offensive performances of the year.  Western doesn't fare well against East division teams, especially in Cleveland because they usually run into Kent or Akron, teams they usually don't match up with physically.  That's the case here.  Kool will get his, but no one else will.  Akron wins by 12-15 points.  The McKnight boys are too good and too strong offensively for Kool, McLemore, Whitfield and whoever else tries to guard them.

Championship

3 Akron vs. 1 Kent

Previous meetings:  Kent 87-70 at Kent, Kent 74-61 at Akron.  Akron's gameplan is to isolate you on both ends of the floor and see if you're as good as us.  Right now, Kent is better at every position, outside, inside, and off the bench.  Once Kent got through the 1st 5 minutes Friday night and took the lead, Akron's facial expressions told the story.  Kent's play Friday night was the best game by any MAC team this year that I've seen.  They are the team to beat and I don't think Akron is capable of beating them.  Kent beats Akron by at least 12 points.  Kent's tougher matchups will be OU, Miami, or Buffalo, depending on who they see.

We will update this post with more details as they become available.

UPDATE 1, 2/6/10:  The Toronto Maple Leafs, where Brendan’s father Brian serves as GM, have issued an official statement:

The Toronto Maple Leafs are saddened to report that Brendan Burke, the youngest son of Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke, succumbed to injuries he suffered in an auto accident earlier today in Indiana.

Richard Peddie, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, issued the following statement regarding the passing of Brendan Burke, son of Maple Leafs’ General Manager Brian Burke:

“On behalf of the entire Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Brian Burke. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burke family during this extremely difficult time.”

The Burke family asks for privacy at this difficult time.

Thank you.

In addition to the linked stories above (the ESPN article about Brendan’s coming out to his father and the Miami hockey team and the Richmond Palladium-Item story about his death), here’s a roundup of stories about his passing.

National Post:  Brian Burke’s son Brendan dies after car accident in Indiana
Dayton Daily News:  Feelings of joy short-lived for victorious RedHawks
TSN:  Brian Burke’s son Brendan passes away after auto accident
New York Times:  Son of U.S. Hockey Team’s G.M. Dies
Toronto Sun:  Leafs, hockey world mourn Brendan Burke
Toronto Star:  Crash kills Leafs GM Brian Burke’s son
Globe and Mail:  Leafs devastated by death of GM’s son
Globe and Mail:  True advocates like Brendan Burke are hard to come by
Globe and Mail:  Tributes flow in for Brendan

UPDATE 2, 2/6/10:

Further details have been released regarding Brendan’s funeral.

Visitation hours will be held Monday, February 8, from 2-8 p.m., at Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home in Canton, MA.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 9, at 10:30 a.m., at St. John the Evangelist Church in Canton, MA.

The Burke family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Brendan’s name to:

Xavierian Leadership Institute
c/o Xavierian Brothers High School
800 Clapboardtree Street
Westwood, MA 02090

Those of you who were around back in 2004-05 may remember that we encouraged posters to donate to recovery efforts for the Indian Ocean Tsunami—both to help those in desperate need and as a reminder of how lucky we are that we’re spending time on a message board arguing about college sports.

In that spirit, we’re recommending donations once again.  Because of the transport situation after the earthquake, the best organizations to give to are those that (1) already have an extensive network on the ground and (2) have a rock-solid reputation (as disasters like this earthquake unfortunately cause fly-by-night scams to crop up).  To that end, your moderating team suggests the American Red Cross (donate to the International Response Fund if you want your donation to go to Haiti) and Doctors Without Borders.  Alternatively, if you’d like to give to a religiously oriented organization that will play a big role in Haiti’s recovery, the overwhelmingly Catholic population of Haiti will very likely be looking to Catholic Relief Services for help.  All three of these organizations put nearly all of the donations they receive toward aid on the ground, not toward overhead, executive salaries, and the like—your donations will go a long way, and they’ll help out as quickly as possible.

Thanks in advance, and if any of you have other suggestions for donations, please feel free to post them.

--Chuck, on behalf of the Mods

Starters

Dwight Thorne II, 6'3" 185 Sr.  8 pts, 2 reb.  48% FG, 43% 3PFG, 93% FT

Cory Higgins, 6'5" 190 Jr.  19 pts, 4 reb, 3 ass.  50% FG, 41% 3PFG, 87% FT

Alec Burks, 6'6" 185 Fr.  16 pts, 5 reb.  55% FG, 27% 3PFG, 79% FT

Marcus Relphorde, 6'7" 220 Jr.  9 pts, 3 reb.  36% FG, 31% 3PFG, 78% FT

Austin Dufault, 6'9" 230 So.  8 pts, 4 reb.  52% FG, 37% 3PFG, 64% FT

Off the Bench

Nate Tomlinson, 6'3" 185 So.  7 pts, 4 ass.  53% FG, 48% 3PFG, 77% FT

Keegan Hornbuckle, 6'7" 205 Fr.  3 pts, 2 reb.  44% FG, 50% 3PFG, 50% FT

Casey Crawford, 6'9" 245 Jr.  3 pts, 2 reb.  37% FG, 39% 3PFG, 70% FT

Shane Harris-Tunks, 6'11" 225 Fr.  3 pts, 2 reb.  83% FG, 50% FT

I didn't get to watch a lot of Colorado and most of what I was able to watch featured Colorado playing a matchup zone defense and against a zone defense.  At Air Force, Coach Bzdelik liked to spread the floor, let his guards have the freedom and space to make plays with forwards who could step out and make outside shots.  This Colorado team is definitely guard-oriented with Higgins and Burks, who clearly are Colorado's 2 best players.  Higgins has it all, a quick 1st step, pullup mid-range game and deep range.  He's smart with the ball and is always under control.  Burks is more of a slasher who's looking to get to the basket.  He displays good body control and gets to the foul line frequently.  Thorne and Tomlinson like to push the ball and are good shooters for lead guards.  Relphorde has the potential to be a very good player.  Colorado's bigs are clear weaknesses.  They're slow to respond defensively and they don't play very big.  The Buffs don't rebound well at either end, relying on jump shots offensively and are vulnerable to 2nd chance points defensively.  When they handle the ball, as they do in Bzdelik's offense to help out the guards, that is when you have to force them away from the basket and make Colorado run their offense 35 feet away.

Which Miami team is going to show up?  We should be ready to play since we haven't seen action since Dec. 23rd.  But are we going to be interested or thinking ahead to conference play?  On the ball defense will be vital so we don't have to help and recover.  Colorado wants to move the ball and find the open shooter because all of their perimeter players can shoot the ball.  If they don't have an open shot, they'll gladly make the extra pass (15 assists/game) or drive and get to the foul line where they are 1st nationally in foul shooting at 79%.  Defensively, Colorado does a good job of putting pressure on the ball and forcing turnovers (16).  So we have to take care of the ball, get good shots, and go after offensive rebounds though we have to be careful because of Colorado's ability to finish in transition.  Colorado is 7-0 at home, but haven't been tested at home yet.  And will they be looking ahead to a road trip to Kansas this weekend?  This game could come down to who's the more focused team.