Live Game Thread and Preview: Miami Basketball Vs. Syracuse

DATE: Wednesday, January 20, 2024

WHERE: Syracuse, NY, JMA Wireless Dome

TIME/TV: NOON EST/ESPN2

LIVE AUDIO: 560 WQAM

MIAMI: Official Website | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter

SYRACUSE: Official Website | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter

LINE: SYRACUSE -3.5

Miami (12-5, 3-3 ACC) lost to Florida State 84-75 in its last game.

Syracuse (12-5, 3-3 ACC) defeated Pitt 69-58 in its last contest.

Series History

Miami and Syracuse are familiar foes, dating back to their days in the BIG EAST. Overall, Syracuse holds the 20-12 advantage in the all-time series and leads 10-4 when playing in Syracuse.

However, Miami has won four of the last five meetings, including the last game between the teams, an 82-78 victory for the Hurricanes in Coral Gables. Forward Norchad Omier posted an impressive 16-point, 16-rebound outing against the Orange, while guard Nijel Pack joined him in double figures with 15 points, all of which came from beyond the arc.

Last Game

Miami faced an 84-75 setback against the Florida State Seminoles Wednesday night at the Watsco Center. The Hurricanes rallied from down 16 in the second half to cut the deficit to two with five minutes to play, but ultimately could not complete the comeback.

Fourth-year junior Pack led the Hurricanes in scoring, pouring in 19 points for his 11th double-digit outing of the season. Fifteen of Pack’s 19 points came in the second half as the guard was 6-of-11 from the field.

Notable Miami Statistics

Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Miami is 19-2 in the next game after a loss and holds a 3-1 mark this season.

Pack is just three points away from 1,500 career points, making him one of 77 active Division I players to eclipse the 1,500-point mark. When he reaches the milestone, Miami will be one of 13 teams with two active 1,500-point scorers, as Omier sits at 1,587 career points. Pack is just five assists away from the 300-assist mark in his career.

Omier tallied his league-best (tied with Armando Bacot) eighth double-double of the season on Wednesday, totaling 15 points and 15 rebounds against Florida State. Omier is one of 14 Division I players with multiple games with 15+ points and 15+ rebounds this season.

Omier is currently one of three ACC players (Kyle Filipowski & Quinten Post) in the top 10 in the conference in scoring (eighth) and rebounding (third).

The forward is one of three Division I players to average 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and shoot 60 percent from the field this season (Zach Edey, Purdue; Hunter Dickinson, Kansas).

The Hurricanes are 21-3 (.875) when Omier has a double-double since he joined the team (2022-23).

Only two Division I teams have four players averaging 14.0 points or more this season, and Miami is one of those two teams (Omier, Pack, Wooga Poplar, and Matthew Cleveland). The other school is ACC team, Wake Forest.

Freshman Kyshawn George continues to provide key minutes off the bench for Miami, averaging 7.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game as a reserve player. The guard has scored in double-figures on five occasions this season and is shooting 42.6 percent from 3-point range, good for second on the team (tied with Cleveland).

Miami is one of two DI teams (SIU) to rank in the top 20 in both 3-point FG % and 3-point FG % defense.

Connecting on 3-point baskets is crucial to Miami’s success this season, as the Hurricanes are 7-2 when shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range. In wins, the Hurricanes are shooting 42.2 percent from distance, while in losses, that number falls to 33.3

Miami is seeking its second true road win of the season at Syracuse having defeated Virginia Tech a week ago on Saturday. Miami is 1-2 on the road this year, falling at No. 12 Kentucky and in overtime at Wake Forest.

Under Coach Jim Larranaga, Miami holds a 71-70 record on the road.

The Opponent

Notable Syracuse Statistics

Three Orange are averaging double-figures this season, paced by Judah Mintz at 18.4 points per game.

Syracuse is led on the boards by Maliq Brown, averaging 5.9 boards per contest. Brown is averaging 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds over four January contests.

Syracuse has won 10-of-12 meetings with Miami in the Dome.

Over the last three games, the Orange’s Chris Bell has made 9-of-15 (.600) 3-point attempts. Seven different players made 3-point shots for the Orange at Pittsburgh.

Miami Athletics and Syracuse Athletics Contributed to this report

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