Miami Beats Providence For Coach Larranaga’s 700th Win

Nov 20, 2022 - 1:00 PM

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The Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball squad topped the Providence Friars, 74-64, Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The Canes advanced to 4-0 on the season.

Norchad Omier led Miami with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Isaiah Wong scored 18 points. Bryce Hopkins led Providence with 16 points and 8 rebounds.

Below are some random thoughts from the game.

Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Coach Larranaga gets his 700th win

Congrats to Coach L! Only 35 coaches have achieved 700 wins in college basketball. That is elite company for Miami’s legendary leader. He has 230 wins at Miami, with a .620 winning percentage. Coach L could have reached the 700-win milestone sooner, if not for the nonsensical Adidas investigation that derailed recruiting efforts for several years. Let’s keep it positive though. He has Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball in the best position they’ve been in in a long time. The way Coach L looks at 73, he could have another decade on the Miami bench.

Great first half play

Miami’s passing was crisp, the shots were methodical (except for another terrible Anthony Walker bricked three-pointer), and the defense was purposeful and full of effort. Providence is solid, and the Canes made them look slow at times. Bensley Joseph continues to impress off the bench. I love his energy, and he doesn’t take bad shots. What a relief! I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I really like this team and am excited to see what they can do in the ACC.

Playing poised in a hostile environment

Officially, today was a neutral site game. In reality, it was a home game for Providence. The crowd was raucous; it was cool to watch on TV. Miami handled the pressure with poise. They did not look nervous or flustered at any point in the game, and Providence made several runs in the second half. Jordan Miller and Wong are veterans who have played A LOT of college basketball. The pair seem to have a calming presence on this team. A less experienced roster would’ve let the crowd effect them. This year’s Canes team wasn’t phased in the least. The poise was great to see so early in the season against a quality opponent.

Again, the Miami Hurricanes face the Maryland Terrapins today, 11/20, at 1 PM EST on ESPN.

What are your thoughts on this matchup between the two former ACC foes? Let us know in the comments below.

GO CANES!