Nijel Pack went one by one, hugging every teammate and coach on Miami’s bench in the final moments of the ‘Canes’ 72-59 loss to UConn on Saturday night in the Final Four.
“This season is really special, and only being here a year, being able to call these guys my brothers and somebody I’ll be able to talk to the rest of my life, it’s something really special,” the Kansas State transfer said.
It may not have been the Hurricanes’ night, but it was certainly their year.
Fifth-seeded Miami, unranked at the start of the season, overcame all odds to reach its first-ever NCAA tournament semifinals. Houston’s 72,000-seat NRG Stadium was packed to the brim with thousands of Hurricanes’ fans from far and wide, ready to witness a piece of history.
Miami’s pep band blared its horns while the Hurricanes’ cheerleaders backflipped across the court, pumping up the crowd. Everyone was just happy to be on college basketball’s biggest stage.
All year the Hurricanes proved doubters wrong, so they did not quit when facing a 20-point second-half deficit. Miami hit seven straight shots to cut the Huskies’ lead to single digits, including a 7-0 run in 49 seconds that led to a UConn timeout.
Hurricanes’ fans rose to their feet, remembering what got them to this moment — a 13-point comeback win over No. 2 seed Texas in the Elite Eight. But this time, Miami could not recreate the magic. Its 59 points were a season low.
“But quite honestly, we were never in sync offensively. We struggled,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “Guys were playing hard. Trying their best. But it wasn’t the script we were looking for … Being in the Final Four for the first time in school history, the guys being a little bit anxious, and we really never were able to just relax and play our game.”
The Huskies’ 6-foot-9 Adama Sanogo was unstoppable, netting a game-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting along with 10 rebounds. Guard Jordan Hawkins had 13 points after missing Friday’s practice with a non-covid illness.
ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong paced Miami with 15 points, and guard Jordan Miller was the only other Hurricane in double figures with 11.
Miami knew it would have its hands full against a superb Huskies team peaking at the right time. Yet the ‘Canes were confident, knowing they had knocked off the top two seeds in the Midwest Region to make the Final Four.
But the Huskies were a different animal.
UConn blazed through the West Region, downing their previous four opponents by a combined 90 points. That included a 28-point win over Gonzaga — the most lopsided Elite Eight game since 1992.
The Huskies showed why early on, as a trio of three-pointers from Hawkins and Sanogo gave UConn a quick 9-0 lead. The Hurricanes managed only four points through seven minutes of action.
Miami’s reserves brought it back, featuring an acrobatic up and under layup by Bensley Joseph and a fastbreak slam dunk from Harlond Beverly. Then Pack drilled one of his patented 3-pointers to tie it at 19.
A scoring drought followed for the ‘Canes, which missed layups and open shots on their way to a 37-24 halftime deficit. Miami never got within eight points after the break.
UConn’s bigs — especially Sanogo and 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan — dominated the paint. The Huskies won the rebound battle 41-32 and registered five blocks to Miami’s one. Without getting to the rim, the Hurricanes did not stand a chance.
Miami’s only advantage was its speed, which it used to force 15 UConn turnovers and score eight fastbreak points. It was not enough.
“All season long we’ve been so well-connected, offensively, sharing the ball, being one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country … We were just out of character [today],” Larrañaga said. “And I think the stage that we were playing on was so huge that every guy wanted to play so hard that they forgot how we play, which is really smart.”
Still, Hurricane fans and players alike will have a lifetime of memories from the five months that Miami played basketball this season.
Larrañaga won his 700th game in November, the ‘Canes won a share of the ACC regular season title for the first time since 2013 and then made the furthest NCAA tournament run in program history.
All that success came on the heels of a spectacular 2021 season that saw the ‘Canes make their first-ever Elite Eight.
“We just tried to build what every Miami basketball team should try to reach each season,” Miller said. “I think we did a good job of laying down that foundation. Obviously it didn’t end out the way we wanted it to, but regardless, at the end of the day, if you make history, school history, you’re a winner in some shape or form.”
Miami’s rise to national prominence is one of the unlikeliest stories in college basketball. The men’s basketball team was dropped by the university from 1971-85 due to a lack of support, and the ‘Canes had won just eight NCAA tournament games before these last two seasons.
Miami has now won seven in the past two years. It’s been quite the turnaround.
“You’ll be telling your grandchildren about it one day,” Larrañaga said.