These old (but Tournament-untested) Hurricanes are the perfect match for Jim Larranaga
Kameron McGusty can remember back to when he was in high school — and, at this point, it’s a long time ago for the sixth-year redshirt senior — and he used to see those videos of Jim Larranaga dancing in the locker room after a big win for the Miami Hurricanes.
Back then, he wasn’t thinking much about Miami as a destination or Larranaga as a future coach — the Hurricanes didn’t really recruit McGusty and the Texan committed to the Oklahoma Sooners. How could anyone see how Larranaga handles himself with his players and not smile?
Imagine how McGusty felt, then, to be in the locker room Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, when Larranaga started shuffling from side to side and shimmying his shoulders to celebrate No. 10-seed Miami’s 79-61 upset of the No. 2-seed Auburn Tigers. The Hurricanes burst into laughter and celebration, and were still smiling when they were leaving the Watsco Center on Wednesday to fly to Chicago for their Sweet 16.
“To actually be a part of that and be right there feels crazy,” McGusty said. “He’s one of the most fun coaches.”
The dance moves were only one part of Larranaga’s post-upset tour de force.
Larranaga began his postgame press conference at Bon Secours Wellness Arena by saying he really wanted to beat Auburn so TNT analyst Charles Barkley wouldn’t take off his shirt, as he promised he’d do if his alma mater survived won. He finished practice Wednesday at the Fieldhouse by asking his players whey they were going to Chicago, then shouted “Sweet 16!” when they tried to answer by saying it was a business trip. As he loaded onto the bus for the airport, Larranaga told the Miami fans gathered in Coral Gables he’d be listening for them when the Hurricanes face the No. 11-seed Iowa State Cyclones on Friday.
“There’s a reason this is called the ‘Big Dance,’ because it should be fun,” said Larranaga, 72. “We’re dancing to Chicago.”
It’s all part of the Larranaga postseason experience and, if you ask his players, it’s why his teams always tend to do so well in the NCAA Tournament. Larranaga has now guided Miami to the Tournament five times in 11 seasons and reached three Sweet 16s. Throw in his unlikely Final Four run with the George Mason Patriots in 2006 and Larranaga’s Tourney track record is undeniable.
When the stage is at its biggest and the pressure its highest, Larranaga’s teams are at their best.
“Every time he leads a team to the ‘Dance,’ they do special things,” McGusty said. “Most of it comes from not only his experience, but his coaching style. He’s not a coach that’s going to be yelling at us or screaming at us, or making us do all this extra practicing and he’s not going to stress us out or anything. He keeps us relaxed. He’s the one who tells us we need to have fun and he’s been the one who’s been preaching to us to just enjoy the moment.
“If you’re not having fun, we’re not going to play to the best of our ability, so I just try to take all that in.”
Of course, Larranaga’s last two trips to the Tournament ended quickly. In 2017, the Hurricanes were a No. 8 seed and got blown out by the Michigan State Spartans in the first round. In 2018, they were a No. 6 seed and got upset by the Loyola (Chicago) Ramblers, who went on to reach the Final Four. They then had three straight losing seasons before this unlikely group got Miami back to the second weekend.
In this old-but-untested group of players, Larranaga found a perfect counterpoint.
“Experience goes a long way,” fourth-year junior guard Jordan Miller said. “We’ve been in this position before.”
By “this position,” Miller just means any of the hundreds and hundreds of hypothetical in-game situations the Hurricanes might encounter. McGusty and fellow guard Charlie Moore are both 24, and in their sixth seasons of college basketball and forward Sam Waardenburg is 23. Miller has played 103 games and fellow guard Isaiah Wong has played 93.
Those five starters had only combined for three games of Tourney experience before this year, though, and none past the first weekend. Miller agreed their age and experience brings “emotional maturity,” but Larranaga, 72, still had plenty to teach them.
Miami never looked like a fresh-faced Tournament team. Even when the Hurricanes nearly collapsed in the first round, Moore calmly hit a game-winning pair of free throws with three seconds left to fend off the No. 7-seed USC Trojans. In the second round, Miami dismantled Auburn by goading the young Tigers into 13 turnovers and committing just four of its own.
“I hate to sound like a broken record, but the experience,” Miller said, trying to explain what makes Larranaga’s teams so good in March. “He’s coached a lot of basketball. Seeing each situation and how a game can turn from being down 10 with a minute left to coming back, it really helps you stay optimistic. He’s ready for every situation.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 3:46 PM.
