UM plays FSU at home Wednesday as both teams try to overcome off-court distractions
The stakes are always higher and Watsco Center extra energized when the Miami Hurricanes play the Florida State Seminoles, no matter the teams’ records.
That surely will be the case Wednesday night at 7, when the cross-state rivals play for the first time this season. Both teams have been dealing with off-court distractions over the past few weeks.
Legendary UM coach Jim Larranaga unexpectedly retired the day after Christmas, leaving the Hurricanes to regroup under interim coach Bill Courtney.
Four days later, six former FSU players announced they were suing longtime coach Leonard Hamilton over NIL compensation they claim that they were promised and never received. Players Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam’Ron Fletcher, De’Ante Green and Jalen Warley claim they were supposed to receive $250,000 each from Hamilton’s “business partners.”
FSU released a statement about the lawsuit that read, in part: “Upon learning recently of the allegations made by former men’s basketball athletes, the University has worked diligently to determine what transpired last season. Though our inquiry is not yet complete, at this point we know of no unfulfilled commitments by FSU in terms of scholarships or other appropriate benefits or the Rising Spear Collective relative to NIL payments owed to the athletes.
“We support Coach Hamilton’s right to defend himself against these allegations and look forward to an expeditious resolution of this matter.”
Hamilton did not comment on the lawsuit during Monday’s ACC coaches’ teleconference, and reporters were told he would not discuss it.
The Seminoles have played one game since the news broke, a 90-74 victory over Syracuse that bettered their record to 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. Jamir Watkins leads FSU with 21.6 points per game in ACC play, which ranks second in the league. Malique Ewin is averaging 18 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have lost all three ACC games so far to fall to last place and have a 4-10 record overall. But Courtney said he has seen signs of progress. The Canes are coming off a heartbreaking one-point loss on the road at Virginia Tech. Freshman guards Jalil Bethea and Divine Ugochukwu started and played well.
Bethea went 6-of-9 for 15 points. Ugochukwu had seven assists. Freshman Austin Swartz added 12 points off the bench.
“The kids have responded incredibly well to all the changes,” Courtney said. “They were caught off guard, and obviously surprised when Coach (Larranaga) retired, but they’ve come with energy every day. They’ve worked really, really hard and they’ve grown closer together.”
Courtney added that he saw signs of players bonding during the road trips to Boston College and Virginia Tech.
With Nijel Pack out indefinitely with an unspecified foot injury, Courtney challenged Matthew Cleveland to take on more of a leadership role. Cleveland, who transferred from FSU before the 2023-24 season, was one of just three holdovers heading into this season.
“I asked Matthew to be more of a leader; days when he wasn’t shooting well, he tended to hang his head and get down, so I challenged him to be a great defender first and then everything will fall into place,” Courtney said.
“I think he’s done that. He’s really locked in. He’s helping the young guys and defending his tail off. I think that gets him going offensively. If he does that, get rebounds and get in transition, that’s when he’s at his best.”
Cleveland was held to single digits in six games earlier this season and was inconsistent on both ends of the court, but he has come on strong the past four games. He led the Hurricanes with 21 points in back-to-back games against Boston College and Virginia Tech, following a 19-point performance against Mount St. Mary’s and 24 points against Presbyterian.
Cleveland, eager to play well against his former team, had an off night when UM and FSU last played at the Watsco Center a little over a year ago. He had scored 20-plus points in three of the four previous games but went 1-of-8 for two points against FSU and the Seminoles won 84-75.
It was the sixth time in a row FSU beat Miami as the visiting team. The taller, deeper Seminoles used a suffocating full-court press to throw the Hurricanes off their game early and then switched to zone and half-court man-to-man defense to fend off Miami’s second-half rallies.
“It’s like a chess match and Leonard got me in checkmate,” Larranaga said at the time.
Cleveland played much better the second time the teams met in the regular season finale in Tallahassee. He scored 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds, but Miami lost 83-75.
“Last year, Matthew really struggled in our home game against them, he was emotionally a little off balance playing his former team,” Courtney said. “But then we went there, and he played terrific. I think that is out of his system now, so I expect him to play the way he’s been playing the last few games.”
Hamilton expects a tough game from the Canes, despite their record.
“I watched the last two games, and it looked like they’re playing better…more in sync,” Hamilton said. “They ought to be commended for making the adjustment and finding a way to re-energize themselves, in spite of, I’m sure, their disappointment from losing their head coach. They are extremely young and very, very talented.”
Hamilton also expressed deep respect for Larranaga.
“He’s a class act, a guy who thinks things through, I am sure the decision came after a lot of thought over a long period of time,” he said. “For him to have the courage to stick to his convictions and what he believed what was the best thing to do for his team and for the university is to be tremendously respected. I talk to very few coaches who don’t feel some of the similar things that have been on Jim’s mind. It’s just where we are.”