Greg Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Saving Miami Hurricanes hoops, Dolphins, Messi health, Marchand & more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (MARCH 9): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Our Sunday Hot Button Top 10 notes column brings you what’s on our minds, locally and nationally but from a Miami perspective and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or otherwise worth needling, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. Welcome to the 97th edition of your HB10:
1. CANES BASKETBALL: Miami makes prize-hire Lucas official as worst season ends: Miami’s consolation home win Saturday over N.C. State mercifully ended the Canes season at 7-24, one of the worst in the 63-year history of the men’s program. But the cavalry is coming! UM this week finally made official its long-rumored hire of Duke assistant coach and ace recruiter Jai Lucas to replace Jim Larranaga, who quit mid-season. Minus the Canes, of course, but including No. 2-ranked Duke, Selection Sunday one week from today will set the field for the NCAA Tournament and March Madness.
2. DOLPHINS: Two big questions for Miami as NFL free agency set to begin: The free agency window opens Wednesday, with landing spots for QBs Aaron Rodgers and Sam Darnold atop the national marquee. In Miami, the big unknowns are 1) whether the Fins will spend big to retain safety Jevon Holland, the club’s highest rated F.A. by a lot, and 2) whether Miami target its weakness at the guard position now -- with eight OG’s among the Top 100-ranked free agents -- or wait until the draft to address that need.
3. INTER MIAMI: Analyst suggests team is hiding a Messi injury: ESPN soccer analyst Shaka Hislop said on-air Friday he thinks there is more than load management to Lionel Messi missing so many games. Messi watched from a luxury suite as his teammates handled Jamaica’s Cavalier FC in a home 2-0 win to open round-of-16 play in CONCACAF Champions Cup tourney. Coach Javier Mascherano said Messi has no injury but cites “fatigue” from having recently played three matches in seven days, juggling both start of MLS season and outside competition. Miami, 1-0-1 in league play, hosts Charlotte this afternoon, and plays Champs Cup leg two vs. the kids of Cavalier (average age 20.2) in Kingston Thursday night. Mascherano said he’s “hopeful” Messi will play Sunday. If he doesn’t ... was Hislop’s hunch on target?
4. PANTHERS: Marchand trade declares Cats’ intent on Cup repeat: Florida acquiring Bruins veteran wing Brad Marchand at NHL trade deadline is further declaration of Cats’ intent on Stanley Cup repeat. Team sends Bruins second-round pick that could become a first. Marchand (like Matthew Tkachuk) is injured but expected back for the playoffs. FLA earlier beefed up its D by adding 6-4 veteran defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago for young backup goalie Spencer Knight. Meantime hot Cats sizzle at 40-24 with six straight wins after Saturday’s 4-0 home W over Buffalo behind a net shutout from newcomer Vitek Vanacek. Team sets out now on season-long six-game roadie Tuesday in Boston.
5. HEAT: Miami still blowing more leads than a bad detective: Heat is 29-34 and deeper in play-in purgatory after yet another blown late lead in a Saturday home loss to an ostensibly even-worse Chicago, a third straight defeat. But the summer could be more exciting than the season for Miami, with Kevin Durant trade speculation not going away. ESPN has the Heat, Dallas, Houston and the Knicks as frontrunners should Phoenix trade K.D. as expected, guessing the Rockets with the edge. ESPN imagines Miami’s offer in a three-way deal sending Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic and a first-round pick to Phoenix, and Duncan Robinson and Keshad Johnson to Brooklyn.
6. MARLINS: Fish offseason graded ‘D’ as payroll gutting worsened: ESPN ranks every MLB team’s offseason and in NL East the Mets got an A, the Phillies a B and Nationals and Braves also both outscored the D-grade Marlins, whose already sad payroll fell by another $36 million. Said ESPN’s analysis: “The Marlins merely focused on purging payroll. Sandy Alcantara is the only player making more than $5 million, and he’s probably gone as soon as he makes three or four starts and shows he’s healthy.” Sad Fish are a Grapefruit League-worst 3-8 (with three 3 ties) this spring entering Sunday.
7. SOCCER: ‘26 World Cup nears as FIFA weighs dubious ‘30 expansion: Quietly last month the countdown whittled below 500 days to start of 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup tri-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico -- with Miami among host cities. That will be the first 48-nation field, up from 32. Now FIFA reportedly is considering a one-time 64-team field for its centenary tournament in 2030. Here’s predicting that should not and will not happen. A logistical nightmare for a WC already hosted by six countries on three continents. Plus, 64 teams would include more than a quarter of FIFA’s member nations, diluting overall quality and rendering qualifying competitions all but superfluous.
8. MEDIA: ESPN locks up Stephen A., cancels ‘Around the Horn’: Stephen A. Smith and ESPN agreed to a five-year contract extension worth more than $100 million as he weighs (no, seriously?) a 2028 presidential run. Meanwhile ESPN -- always The Worldwide Leader just as Cowboys remain still are America’s Team -- announced ‘Around the Horn’ would end May 23 after a near-23-year run. Tony Reali has been the discussion ‘n debate show’s main host since 2004. Denver columnist Woody Paige will leave with record for most appearances. Congrats to a great franchise that should’ve continued.
9. WNBA: Unrivaled sets playoff field for inaugural season Monday: The dominant Lunar Owls at 12-1 are way on top, while the 7-6 Rose and 7-7 Lace also have clinched playoff spots in Unrivaled, the six-team offseason women’s basketball league made of WNBA stars and winding down its inaugural season in Miami. Mist or Vinyl will win the fourth an final spot on Monday. Playoffs are March 16-17.
10. COLLEGE HOOPS: Props to overlooked ‘little giant’ Nova Southeastern: They don’t get enough attention, but the little giant of the super-crowded South Florida sports market is Fort Lauderdale’s Nova Southeastern, a men’s basketball team ranked No. 2 nationally in Division II. The Sharks tied that division’s record with an 80th consecutive home win this week, and Coach Jim Crutchfield’s guys go for a record 81st in a row today/Sunday at home vs. Florida Southern in the Sunshine State Conference title game. Hidden gem.
THE LIST: NBA TOP 10 CAREER SCORERS: LeBron James this week became the first NBA player to surpass 50,000 career points in combined regular season and playoff scoring. The top 10, with asterisk indicating active players:
1. 50,086 LeBron James-*
2. 44,149 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. 41,689 Karl Malone
4. 39,283 Kobe Bryant
5. 38,279 Michael Jordan
6. 35,254 Kevin Durant-*
7. 35,223 Dirk Nowitzki
8. 35,026 Wilt Chamberlain
9. 33,846 Shaquille O’Neal
10. 31,668 Tim Duncan
Note: Active players’ totals are through Saturday. Next highest-ranking active players are James Harden (13th), Steph Curry (21st) and Russell Westbrook (22nd).
Other most recent stuff from me: Bravo Trump for sparking momentum to lift ban on late Pete Rose and get him in Hall // A tribute to Miami sports legend Jimmy Johnson as he retires from Fox TV // Previous HB10 // Spoiled Miami Heat fans should embrace struggle of rare down season and cheer the fight // Heat is on McDaniel, Grier as Miami Dolphins enter what could be year of massive change // Must-win MLS season for Messi, Inter Miami a tough climb, as opening 2-2 home draw shows // 15 years later, Dolphins Cancer Challenge is the life-saving legacy of Jim Mandich // Rivalry! Politics! Power shift? NHL is ice on fire with U.S.-Canada in 4 Nations final // Young, low-budget Marlins open spring as biggest underdogs in Miami sports history // Colleges to pros, a revolution in sports is all around us // What Eagles win tells teams like Dolphins, plus Super Bowl winners & losers // Dolphins trading for Browns defensive star Myles Garrett would be boldness Miami needs // Unprofessional Jimmy Butler quit on Heat, ruined his legacy in Miami // Hurricanes bank on QB Carson Beck to lead ‘monster jump’ to 6th national title // Our Top 10 biggest Miami/South Florida sports stories of 2024 // And my latest podcast:
