After three consecutive losing seasons under longtime coach Jim Larranaga, the Miami Hurricanes are dancing in March once again. With an overall record of 23-10, they received the 10th seed in the Midwest Region of this season's March Madness, set to face 7th-seeded USC in the first round this weekend.
Miami, which more than tripled its conference win total from last year, nearly upset top-seeded Duke during the ACC tournament semifinals last weekend. The Hurricanes will have to maintain that fight and intensity in their upcoming matchup, as USC (26-7 overall) finished No. 22 in the final AP top-25 poll and managed to reach the Elite Eight last spring.
"[USC coach] Andy Enfield and I go way back. He's very friendly with my staff. He plays an NBA style, and he's got an NBA roster," Larranaga explained to the JR SportBrief show on Monday. "They've got a two-guard who's 6-foot-9, and a point guard who's 6-3. Their frontcourt is like 6-9, 6-9, and 6-10. They're the fourth tallest team in the country. Compared to us, we're one of the smallest.
"It's going to be a contrast in styles. Their size versus our scramble defense, and trying to force some turnovers... You're always playing someone good -- USC is a very good team, we're a very good team. The biggest thing is, you need to play well that day... We know we have to play very well to advance."
Miami's leading scorer this season has been guard Kameron McGusty, who's averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 33 games. On offense, the Hurricanes' top-four scores are in the backcourt, and their offense ranks tied for 85th in the nation in average points (74.8). McGusty also earned ACC First-Team honors, and scored 24 points in the semifinal loss to Duke.
This year's edition of March Madness begins on Tuesday, with the traditional 'First Four' games in Dayton. The Hurricanes are scheduled to take the court against the Trojans on Friday, and according to FiveThirtyEight's projections, they currently have a 10-percent chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. In their previous two NCAA tournament appearances, they failed to advance past the opening round.
The entire Miami basketball conversation between Larranaga and JR can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.