Amid a remarkable turnaround, Miami will be out to solidify its NCAA Tournament credentials when it plays host to Boston College in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday.
What seemed unlikely before the season began is within reach for the Hurricanes under first-year head coach Jai Lucas. A completely new roster has given Miami (22-6, 11-4 ACC) legitimate NCAA Tournament hopes.
After going 7-24 last season, and 3-17 in ACC play, the Hurricanes are currently in third place in the ACC behind No. 1 Duke and No. 11 Virginia. A top-four finish in the regular season would earn Miami a double-bye when the conference tournament begins March 10.
Seniors Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson have helped lead Miami to the impressive turnaround.
Reneau, who played his first three seasons at Indiana before returning to his native Miami to close his college career, leads the Hurricanes in scoring at 19.6 points per game and adds 6.6 rebounds. He had 23 points and 12 rebounds in Miami’s 83-73 win at Florida State on Tuesday.
“I’m always yelling and screaming at him, and I look up and he’s got 18 (points) and eight (rebounds),” Lucas said. “So then I have to check myself a bit and say, ‘He’s doing fine.’ For me, it’s hard to find too many people in the ACC better than him.”
Donaldson, a Michigan transfer who also played at Auburn, finished with 21 points and six assists against the Seminoles. The guard also went 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
“He’s been one of the guys that’s carried us all year,” Lucas said.
Boston College is one of two ACC teams Miami will face twice this season, along with Florida State. Miami won at Boston College 74-68 on Feb. 7 behind Reneau’s 23 points and eight rebounds.
While Miami targets additional games beyond the conference tournament, Boston College (10-18, 3-12) has watched its season veer off course. The Eagles’ 68-67 home victory against Wake Forest on Wednesday snapped an eight-game losing skid.
Aidan Shaw scored on a put-back basket with under a second remaining to win it and Fred Payne had a team-high 23 points for Boston College’s first win since Jan. 21.
“Everybody’s character gets tested when it ain’t going good,” Eagles coach Earl Grant said. “You see the most ugly side of people. I thought our players, the way they’ve handled the adversity we’ve been through, has been at a really high level, just with their energy, their spirit and their character.”
