The Hurricanes, led by arguably the nation’s best point guard in Shane Larkin, will face third-seeded Marquette. But it’s a host of supporting cast members who make Larranaga’s bunch dangerous.
Reserve guard Rion Brown, who entered Sunday averaging just six points per game, erupted for 21 on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Even with big man Reggie Johnson struggling off the bench ever since returning from an early-season injury, Miami hasn’t skipped a beat, riding the energy of Durand Scott, the ACC defensive player of the year, the wing play of Trey McKinney-Jones, the stretch-four presence of Kenny Kadji and the inside dominance of Julian Gamble.
Remember, this is the same Hurricanes team that lost to Florida Gulf Coast earlier this season, a loss consistently validated with each Eagles win. But Miami has its own agenda, one that includes scoring the program’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance with just one more win.
Oh, and photobombing postgame interviews too.
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