KAMERON MCGUSTY

After seasons that will go down in history, the players and coaches set their intentions for the offseason and shared their hopes for the future of Hurricanes basketball. With both Harden and Miller returning to UM’s roster in the fall, new recruits are not the only excitement on the horizon. “She knows how she can be a very special player and she knows she can do it,” Meier said. During Williams’ post-season meetings with Meier, she was fully aware of what the coaching staff wanted of her. Harden, meanwhile, is going into the offseason with no intentions of letting up in her work ethic and play style.

Miraculously, the team rode its season as high as a second-half lead in their first-ever Elite Eight. NCAA Tournament blue-blood team Kansas defeated the Hurricanes 76-50 in the Elite Eight last Sunday in Chicago, ending the 2021-22 campaign. I told them I was very proud of them and that I loved them,” Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said. On the recruitment side, Miami currently holds a fifth-ranked class in the ACC according to 247Sports. If this doesn’t transpire, Miami may need a couple of years to rebuild back into real ACC contention.

But in Miami’s most prominent season in school history, the triumphs and points of adversity live on. They’ll be sharing these stories with their grandchildren,” Larrañaga said. We had so much support throughout the season and especially in the NCAA Tournament,” Larrañaga said. “A lot of times, those guys have a mindset of their own and it’s not normally about the team,” Larrañaga said. The University of Miami is a great school academically, a top-50 school in the country,” Larrañaga said.

The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team traveled to Chicago, Illinois this past weekend for the NCAA Tournament regional playoffs. On Friday, the Hurricanes took on Iowa State in the Sweet 16. Behind Kameron McGusty’s 27 points and four steals, the Canes came through with a 70-56 victory which propelled the program to its first ever Elite Eight. The Canes went on to face the No. Here are some of the best photos from the weekend taken by photo editor Josh Halper.

Those numbers fell to 21.4% and 0% in the second half. When Kansas went on a 10-0 run just four minutes into the second half, the arena was deafening with a majority Kansas fan-base in attendance. “We took some ill-advised shots and the starters began to turn the ball over, which is so uncharacteristic of us.”Meanwhile Kansas’ shots started to fall in the second half. “We talked about what we were going to need to do in the second half, but Kansas came out in the second half and hit us with a knockout punch. “They did a good job in the second half of denying me,” McGusty said of Kansas’ defense in the second half.

For the first time ever in program history, the Miami Hurricanes are dancing on to the Elite Eight. “To reach the first Elite Eight in program history, that’s amazing,” senior guard Kameron McGusty said after the game. “Iowa State is one heck of a basketball team,” Larrañaga said. But after a timeout, Iowa State came storming back with an 8-0 run of their own to take the lead at 8-7. From there the game unraveled for Iowa State and the Canes held a double digit lead for the remainder of the game.

Kameron McGusty scored 27 points and Miami advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time, beating Iowa State 70-56 in the NCAA Tournament.

2 seed Auburn in a 79-61 upset victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. Auburn (28-6) never trailed by less than eight points thereafter, ending its season in shambles after beginning the season 22-1. Fourteen team assists in the second half kept the Hurricanes rolling for 46 points. A 9-for-38 shooting display in the second half and 22 allowed fastbreak points didn’t help the SEC regular season champions, either. Miami held Auburn to 17 points under its scoring average.

Miami has yet to face off against a player quite like Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. The superstar freshman and second-team All-America has led the Tigers to their first regular-season conference championship since 2018, averaging 17.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this year. Smith is considered by many to be a top prospect in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. “He’s a very talented player, but we’re going to have a game plan for him,” Miami veteran forward Sam Waardenburg said. In contrast to the Tigers, Miami prefers to attack teams with its backcourt.

Charlie Moore made two free throws with three seconds left and finished with 16 points to lift 10th-seeded Miami to a 68-66 win over No. 7 seed Southern California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA Tournament's South Carolina site for opening-round games is filled with postseason-tested coaches.

A valiant 24-point scoring effort from sixth-year guard Kameron McGusty was not enough, as Miami was defeated in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament against Duke, 76-80. “They got perhaps the most talent in the country,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said regarding Duke. “Teams go on runs and they make adjustments.”Forward AJ Griffin led Duke in scoring with 21 points, 15 of which were in the opening half. This was very uncharacteristic of a Miami team that ranks third in the ACC in efficiency from the line. Miami’s postseason fate will be announced Sunday, when the 68-team bracket for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be revealed at 6 p.m.

Paolo Banchero had 18 points and 11 rebounds and No. 7 Duke held off Miami with free throws in the final minute as the Blue Devils and retiring coach Mike Krzyzewski advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship with a 80-76 victory.

A marathon of a regular season to remember is over and a new opportunity for success awaits. Miami men’s basketball will open its Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament slate against the Boston College Eagles Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Fourth-seeded Miami is set to play 13th-seeded Boston College, which took down Pittsburgh and Wake Forest through the tournament’s first two rounds. The Hurricanes enjoyed a successful 2021-22 regular season under Larrañaga, but understand that they are playing for much more than just a successful regular season. UM and Boston College are tied at 27 in the all-time matchup and are 1-1 in the conference tournament.

“Losing is disappointing, it’s very painful,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said Saturday. “And, the way we lost today was even more painful because we certainly were in position. Moore is tasked with a high-octane point guard matchup against Boston College’s leading scorer and assist man, senior Makai Ashton-Langford. “We’ve just got to keep on being positive, and rebound the way we have been throughout the season when we’ve had adversity,” Waardenburg said. With the postseason quickly approaching, the Hurricanes will hope to turn the adversity from the Virginia Tech loss into momentum they can carry forward.

It was a heartbreaking senior game for the Miami Hurricanes (19-9, 11-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), losing to Virginia Tech (18-11, 10-8 ACC) 71-70 on Saturday at the Watsco Center. Virginia Tech sophomore guard Darius Maddox was able to make a very difficult 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to give the Hokies the win. The scoring began to pick up for both sides, with Miami and Virginia Tech going back and forth with physical shots from the paint and midrange. Although Miami had the lead, Virginia Tech had shot 61% from the field, compared to Miami, who shot 48% in the game’s opening period. Virginia Tech, however, still put up a fight.

Five seniors will be honored on Saturday afternoon as the Miami Hurricanes play their final game in the friendly confines of the Watsco Center for the 2021-22 season. Sixth-year seniors Kameron McGusty, Rodney Miller Jr., Charlie Moore and Sam Waardenburg, as well as fifth-year redshirt junior Deng Gak, are in line to be celebrated before the Hurricanes (20-8, 12-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) square off against the Virginia Tech Hokies (17-11, 9-8 ACC). “Virginia Tech’s a great team, so we just have to lock in defensively and limit their 3-point shots; they’re a great 3-point shooting team,” Moore said. Virginia Tech sits at sixth in Division I basketball in 3-point shooting percentage at 39%, and its 50% clip from beyond the arc in the previous meeting between the two teams played a large role in keeping the game close. “Ever since I’ve been here we’ve been in dogfights every time we’ve played them,” McGusty said on the recent history between the two teams.

The 85-64 win over the Panthers brought the Canes to 20 wins this season, the first time they have had a 20-win season since 2018. This victory also brought Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga to his 220th win as head coach of the Hurricanes and his 690th in his career. He is now tied for the most wins in program history with former Hurricanes basketball head coach Bruce Hale, who served from 1954 to 1967. Four players were in double figures tonight for UM, including senior guards Charlie Moore and Kameron McGusty, who led the Hurricanes with 19 points each. The Panthers have had a rocky season but have seen success against ACC foes such as Florida State and North Carolina.

Kameron McGusty led Miami with 20 points.

Fourth–year guard Jordan Miller scored 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting for Miami, including eight points in the second half. Third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong was almost non–existent in the second half, making only one shot. Both teams also performed similarly in rebounding, with Virginia edging Miami on the boards, 36-33. UM had the home crowd going ballistic towards the end of the opening period, going on a 13–2 scoring run to close out the half. The second half started out as a complete opposite to the end of the first period, as Virginia went on a 23-6 scoring run to start off the half.

The win was the Hurricanes’ first-ever road victory against the Cardinals.

After Saturday’s win at Wake Forest, Louisville is now the only Atlantic Coast Conference team that Miami coach Jim Larrañaga has yet to beat on the road. The Miami men’s basketball team is in Louisville, Kentucky, to take on the Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m. With the win Saturday, Miami earned a 5-0 record against programs in the state of North Carolina. Veteran guards Kameron McGusty and Isaiah Wong, who combined for 42 of the team’s 76 points in the win versus the Demon Deacons, lead the Canes’ offensive attack. Regardless of strategy on Wednesday, Miami will strive to dominate as it strives for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament and return home Saturday with a win versus a respectable opponent.

After a two-game skid with losses against Notre Dame and Virginia, Miami men’s basketball was able to bounce back in a major way, defeating Georgia Tech, 79-70. Waardenburg provided that jolt, connecting on a 25-foot 3-pointer that ignited a 16-4 UM scoring run to cut Georgia Tech’s lead to only two points heading into halftime. “[Georgia Tech] was a little comfortable on offense, so we just had to play a little bit tougher and just defend more.”Miami’s defense improved in the second half, limiting the Yellow Jackets (10-13, 3-9 ACC) to only 34 points as well as forcing eight Georgia Tech turnovers in the final period of play. Sixth-year guard Kameron McGusty led the Hurricanes’ second half offensive charge, scoring all 17 of his points after halftime. “I thought Kam’s passing in the second half was critical,” Larrañaga said.

With less than three minutes remaining, Georgia Tech had cut the lead to six. To solidify the win, McGusty made a clutch layup, and the Canes drained their free throws down the stretch. They had 21 makes and shot 84% from the line, which proved to be the difference in a game that Miami shot the ball poorly from the field. When Miami went on a 7-0 scoring run to start the game, Georgia Tech responded with an 8-0 run of their own. This was the first game that Miami outrebounded an opponent since their contest against Stetson on Dec. 20.

Sixth-year guard Kameron McGusty was prepared to inbound the ball just in front of the Virginia Tech (10-10, 2-7 ACC) bench with the game tied at 75-75 with 1.8 seconds left on the clock in Cassell Coliseum. All those years of experience paid off for Moore, who never seemed rattled on his way to 13 points and six assists in a tough road contest. “Kam McGusty is a sixth-year senior playing as consistently well, I think, as anybody in the ACC,” Larrañaga said. The Middleburg, Virginia native also added 18 points in a strong return to his home state, joining McGusty and three other Hurricanes in double figures. Miami will stay on the road and look to build on this gutsy team win when they travel to McCamish Pavilion for a 12 p.m. Saturday tip-off versus Georgia Tech.

The Miami Hurricanes stunned the college basketball world. 2 Duke 76-74 Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time since January 2015. I’m really, really proud of how my guys executed the game plan and stuck together,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. Less than nine minutes remained in the second half and Miami (13-3, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) held a six-point advantage over Duke (12-2, 2-1 ACC). Duke out-rebounded UM 44-30, but the Hurricanes scored 52 points in the paint and went 8-of-11 at the foul line.

Kameron McGusty hit a hanging layup in traffic with 22.8 seconds left and Miami survived a final-play shot for the win to stun No. 2 Duke 76-74 on Saturday night.

Miami trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half after 4-for-14 shooting from 3-point range.

Following dominant performances against North Carolina State and Wake Forest, Miami guard Kameron McGusty was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week for the week of January 3. McGusty is now the third Hurricane in program history to win ACC Player of the Week multiple times. The Hurricanes (11-3, 3-0 ACC) won each of their home games last week, defeating the Wolfpack 91-83, and the Demon Deacons 92-84. The redshirt senior sparked Miami over N.C. State with a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, also contributing five assists. In ACC games this season, McGusty is averaging 16.7 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds per contest.

One driving force behind Miami’s recent success has been the leadership of veteran guard Kameron McGusty, who has averaged 19.6 points per game over a five-game span. The redshirt senior is also coming off an efficient 27-point performance against Stetson, a performance in which he shot 75% from both the field and from deep. The redshirt senior guard added his name to the 2021 NBA Draft, concluding a successful 2020–21 season in which he averaged 13.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. “Kam has always been a great guard,” Miami guard Isaiah Wong said. These leadership qualities will be vital to the Hurricanes as they enter the thick of their conference schedule.

Even with a five-game winning streak, including two wins over Power Five opponents, the Miami Hurricanes (9-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) always have to be prepared for what’s around the corner. While UM enters the contest on its largest winning streak of the year, NC State comes into Florida on their worst losing streak of the year, winless in their last three. “One of the biggest challenges is when you bring in five new guys with the guys that are returning,” NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. NC State averages an astounding 12.8 offensive rebounds per game, the most of any ACC squad. Miami will tip-off against NC State at 9 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

The Miami Hurricanes delivered 14 3-pointers on Monday night, part of an 82-72 win over Stetson at the Watsco Center. The performance was the most amongst its current five-game win streak, and it all came through a newfound movement of the basketball. For reference, in each of his first two seasons at Miami, McGusty had only scored over 20 points seven times. The Oklahoma transfer is averaging 19.2 points during the win streak, and has shot at least 42% from the field in each game. Miami concludes non-conference play riding its longest win streak of the season, heading into an eight-day rest period at second place in the ACC.

The Hurricanes (7-3) are riding a three-game win streak in December, a month no different than that of prior seasons under head coach Jim Larrañaga. UM stands at 47-15 all-time in December under Larrañaga, representing the most promising time of year over 11 years. While they have forced 141 turnovers, the Hurricanes have poured collective attention into something not printed on paper each contest. The program itself has logged an average of 71.4 points per game, placing fourth in the ACC behind North Carolina. I think on the court, they really trust each other … But I think also it’s the way we’re playing,” Larrañaga said.

The Oklahoma transfer turned it on against Lipscomb in the second half, shooting 60% from the floor and sinking a trio of 3-pointers. Lipscomb opened the game making just one of its first six shots, while turning the ball over twice inside the opening five minutes. The finish to the first half was all Miami, building its deficit out to nine points. Miami came into the contest forcing an average of exactly 14 turnovers per game against its opposition. McGusty and Wong each drilled shots from beyond the arch within two minutes to stretch the lead back out to 11.

The Hurricanes outscored North Texas 41-23 after halftime behind 14 second-half points from third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong. We did a fantastic job in the second half holding them to 23 points after giving them 40 in the first half. Guard Tylor Perry and forward Thomas Bell then drilled back-to-back 3-point field goals to alleviate the Mean Green scoring drought, putting North Texas back ahead by two. North Texas nailed nine 3-pointers in the first half and out-rebounded Miami 14-7. Without forcing 12 North Texas turnovers, the Hurricanes may have not garnered their first win of the multi-day event.

Guard Kameron McGusty produced 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, forward Anthony Walker added 14 points and three blocks off the bench, and Miami beat Canisius, 77-67, on Tuesday night in its season opener. Walker drove down the lane for a 3-point play and capped off the scoring threat on a baseline feed from forward Sam Waardenburg. Canisius has a real veteran team,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. Sixth-year redshirt senior Rodney Miller, Jr., opened with six quick points, yet Miami (1-0) veered toward guard-based scoring as the evening progressed. “We’ve got to get as much inside scoring as we can,” McGusty said.

Third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong scored a game-high 40 points, redshirt senior guards Kameron McGusty and Charlie Moore combined for 47 points, and the Miami Hurricanes defeated Division II school Nova Southeastern 106-95 on Wednesday. The second half opened with the Sharks exploding out of the gate. Preseason All-ACC guard Isaiah Wong was fifth in the conference in points per game and electrified in the second half. “We will watch the video and learn from it.”Sylla, in addition to NSU guards Eddie Puisis and Kobe Rodgers, fouled out down the stretch of the second half. Puisis tallied 20 points, 14 of which came in the second half to keep the Sharks alive.

Miami Hurricanes guard Kameron McGusty will return to the team for the 2021-2022 season instead of entering the NBA Draft process, the team announced Tuesday. McGusty, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard, submitted his name to the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee for the 2021 NBA Draft upon the season’s end, but withdrew and will use his sixth year of collegiate eligibility. McGusty was not invited to the NBA Draft Combine which began last week. “Going through the NBA pre-draft process was a beneficial experience for Kam,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga, said. Miami awaits the decision from guard Isaiah Wong — the program’s leading scorer last season — after the sophomore also submitted his name.

The Hurricanes’ magical 2021 ACC tournament run has finally come to an end after a 70-66 loss to the No. Miami fought hard until the end, holding a seven-point lead early in the second half but were unable to pull off its second upset in two days. Georgia Tech (16-8, 11-6 ACC) was able to score 16 points off those turnovers, something Larrañaga feels hurt the Canes’ chances to secure the victory. “What killed us were the turnovers in the second half,” Larrañaga said. Coming into the game, Wong had led Miami in scoring in each of its first two tournament games.

The University of Miami men’s basketball team scored 44 second-half points to comeback and defeat the Purdue Boilermakers, 58-54, Tuesday evening at the Watsco Center. Despite struggling to score in the first half without Preseason First-Team All-ACC player Chris Lykes, who missed the game due to injury, Miami’s huge second half helped the team erase an 18-point halftime deficit. “That was the tale of two halves,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said after the game. “We got on each other, we got in the locker room we challenged each other, and the coaches challenged us, and we came out in the second half,” McGusty said. Purdue was led by freshman center Zach Edey, who scored 15 points, junior guard Eric Hunter, who scored 11 points, and forward Gillis Mason, who also added nine points.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Kameron McGusty scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, and Miami rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Purdue 58-54 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Miami closed the game on a 31-10 run — after being down by as many as 32-12 late in the first half — for the Hurricanes’ largest halftime-comeback victory over the last 20 seasons, according to Elias Sports Bureau. McGusty hit two free throws with 1:36 left to give Miami its first lead since 1-0. He added a three-point play on the Hurricanes’ next possession for a four-point advantage.

Miami pulled off its 50th all-time win over the visitors from DeLand, Florida, despite senior guard Chris Lykes leaving the game with an ankle sprain in the second half. McGusty and freshman forward Matt Cross combined for 22 points as McGusty scored seven points and Cross tallied eight, both after the intermission. Cross tweaked his ankle and headed back to the locker room late in the second half, however, but has remained productive, nonetheless. Miami went nine minutes without a field goal in the second half. “I was very concerned in the second half,” Larrañaga said.

After having only two seniors on last year’s team, the University of Miami Men’s basketball team will enter the 2020-21 season with six seniors on the roster. After averaging 15.4 points per game last season, Lykes’ play earned him a spot on this year’s Preseason First-Team All-ACC. McGusty has played only one season with the Canes so far after transferring from the University of Oklahoma two seasons ago. His defense will also be another way Olaniyi will be able to help Miami this season. Waardenburg played in 30 out of the 31 games that Miami played last season.

With its two leading scorers forced to watch the game from the bench, Miami suffered yet another ACC loss after a late game comeback fell short. The freshman guard, who has played consistent minutes all season, has been forced into a much larger role in the absence of Lykes and McGusty. With the scoring output, he became the first Miami freshman with a 20-point game since Lonnie Walker IV did so in 2016. Isaiah Wong, Miamis other freshman guard, has also stepped up in the absence of Lykes and McGusty. I think they feel good about how hard they played, Miami head coach Jim Larraaga said.

After dropping their last four games, the Hurricanes desperately needed a win, and they managed to sneak away with one Tuesday night. DJ Vasiljevic lead Miami with 18 points, Harlond Beverly followed with 13, Rodney Miller had 11 and Isaiah Wong put up 10. Miami held Virginia Tech to a shooting percentage of 41 percent from field goal range and 36 percent three-point shooting percentage. Virginia Tech went on a 9-3 run midway through the second half to cut Miamis lead down to 11 before Miami called a timeout with eight minutes left in the game. I feel like that was a good game for us, especially after the UNC game where we did not play to our potential, Beverly said.

For the second time this week, the Hurricanes played a road game in North Carolina, this time against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Since then, the Tar Heels have only won three of their last 12 games. With 10:18 left in the first half, Miami had only managed to score four points, all coming from senior center Rodney Miller. Miami attempted 14 3-pointers, but only managed to score one, while the Tar Heels boasted a three-point percentage of 42.9 percent. However, considering UNC had dropped its last two games after leading by double digits going into the second half, Miami remained hopeful.

Last year, Kameron McGusty was forced to sit on the bench for the entire season. Thats probably the hardest part right there, not being able to suit up with the people that you practice with, McGusty said. McGusty still averaged eight points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent from the field in 32 appearances as a sophomore. My conditioning is a little better, I feel like Im a little stronger on the court, my decision making is better, McGusty said. Last year was a real good year for me to jell with my teammates, McGusty said.

The 2019-2020 season is officially underway for the Hurricanes mens basketball team, as Miami defeated Flagler 86-65 in an exhibition game Wednesday night at the Watsco Center. Miller led the Hurricanes with 10 points in the first half and finished the game with 16 points and five rebounds. Lykes was second in scoring in the ACC a year ago with 16.2 points per game. Flagler cut the deficit down to eight in the second half and Gedi Juozapaitis led the Saints with 14 points. The Hurricanes went on a 12-0 run to regain full control of the game starting at the six minute mark of the second half, led by McGusty.