Lykes, McGusty questionable as UM basketball team prepares for NC State on Wednesday
It is February, the most critical part of the conference season, and the University of Miami men’s basketball team is struggling and plagued by injuries.
Sound familiar? For the second year in a row, UM coach Jim Larranaga is fielding questions about his team’s depleted roster.
The Hurricanes, who play at home against North Carolina State on Wednesday (8:30 p.m., ACCN) are tied for last place in the ACC at 3-8 and have played the past three games without leading scorer and point guard Chris Lykes.
Kam McGusty, another key starter, missed two of the past three games and played only sparingly in the other one.
“In February, you want to be at your best and right now we’re just undermanned,” Larranaga said Monday on the ACC conference call. “We’re basically playing three freshmen and three upperclassmen. We’re very short-handed and playing without our two leading scorers.”
Lykes has a groin injury and missed games against Duke, Virginia Tech and Pitt. McGusty has been battling back spasms since the overtime loss to Florida State on Jan. 18. Freshmen Harlond Beverly, Isaiah Wong and Anthony Walker have stepped up to fill the gaps.
“He hasn’t been the same for a couple of weeks,” Larranaga said of McGusty. “Our trainers have kept a close eye on him. After the Virginia Tech game, he clearly was hobbled. I don’t know when we’ll get him or Chris back. Against Pitt, our three guards played 38-plus minutes. Two of them are freshmen. We have no subs for them, and we’re going to be pressured by NC State. If we don’t have Chris or Kam, we have to figure out how do we get those guards some needed rest.”
The Canes’ three ACC wins are over Clemson, Pitt, and Virginia Tech. They are coming off a 62-57 road loss at Pitt on Sunday. Miami trailed by just one with 16 seconds to go against the Panthers, but Pitt hung on for the win. Center Rodney Miller tied a career high with 16 points, Wong scored 15 and Beverly 11.
“[Sunday] against Pitt we played well, put ourselves in position to win the game, but Pittsburgh did a great job of making a couple of clutch free throws and closing us out,” Larranaga said.
Wednesday night, the Hurricanes (11-10) will face an NC State team that beat them on the road 80-63 on Jan. 15. Lykes scored 20 points in that game, but the Wolfpack (14-8, 5-6 ACC) dominated the paint and shot well from the perimeter.
Ellis to Speak: Former U.S. Women’s World Cup champion soccer coach Jill Ellis will speak at UM’s Celebration of Women’s Athletics banquet on Sunday, following the Hurricanes women’s team’s 2 p.m. game against Duke. The dinner will honor UM student-athletes from all sports for excellence on and off the field. Tickets to the day’s events, including the game, are $50. For information, call 305-284-6699.