Podcast: What the Hurricanes’ Elite Eight run means for the future of Miami basketball
The best season in the history of the Miami Hurricanes was also, in some ways, maybe the most unlikely.
After three straight losing seasons and external preseason expectations to finish near the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Miami made it to the Elite Eight for the first time and put its men’s basketball program back on the map.
For the third straight week, it’s an all-basketball episode of the Eye on the U podcast as David Wilson and Michelle Kaufman, the Hurricanes basketball beat writer for the Miami Herald, break down No. 10-seed Miami’s magical NCAA Tournament run, analyze what went wrong in the second half against the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks and discuss what this March meant for the program’s future.
Although a rebuild might lie ahead, coach Jim Larranaga has once again instilled full confidence he can take the Hurricanes to previously unseen heights and he did it by getting back to what he does best.
With three transfers in the starting lineup and three sixth-year redshirt seniors, Miami won by building up a core over the course of multiple seasons and finding players who fit Larranaga’s system. It can be hard to to make this system work every year, but Larranaga’s knack for reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Tourney every few seasons is a trade-off the Hurricanes should be willing to make.
Even if it’s going to be hard for Miami to put together a better season next year, this run should be a foundation for the next — and maybe final — stage of Larranaga’s career. The most important development to come out of this season might be the 72-year-old’s two-year extension, which will keep him in Coral Gables until at least 2026.
The March Madness run wasn’t bad, either. What’s most important is it didn’t feel like a fluke, with the Hurricanes blowing out the No. 2-seed Auburn Tigers in the second round and cruising past the No. 11-seed Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet 16. While there’s still a long way to go to compete with powerhouses like Kansas, Larranaga has Miami in as good a place as it has ever been and ready to rip off some more Tournament runs in the next few years.
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