Texas Basketball: 3 keys to victory vs. Miami
By Shane Black
After a 12-point thrashing of the Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet Sixteen, Texas basketball is into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008. With a win on Sunday, the Longhorns will make the program’s fourth Final Four appearance, and first since 2003.
Texas must get past a dangerous Miami team to advance to its first Final Four in 20 years.
As the No. 5 seed in the Midwest, the Hurricanes were down by eight with under five minutes to go in their first-round game against Drake. They ended the game on a 14-1 run, and it has been smooth sailing ever since. Miami took down four-seed Indiana 85-69 and one-seed Houston 89-75 to reach the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.
Keys to an Elite Eight win over Miami for Rodney Terry and Texas basketball
Coach Jim Larranaga leads this hard-nosed, talented bunch and is on the brink of reaching the Final Four for the first time since his magical run as the head coach of George Mason in 2006.
Coming off a wire-to-wire domination of the No. 1 seed in the Midwest, the Canes enter this Elite Eight matchup playing with a ton of confidence. They are paced by a terrific backcourt led by ACC Player of the Year, Isaiah Wong. The senior from New Jersey has come up huge all season long and always raises his level when it matters most.
Wong is surrounded by a bevy of talented players, including backcourt mate Nigel Pack. Averaging nearly 20 points per game this tournament, Pack can change the dynamic of a game with his lethal sharpshooting.
Miami is a very dangerous team that will be fearless of the moment when this Elite Eight matchup tips off at 4:05 p.m. CT on Sunday. Texas must play well to keep this magical run alive. Here is how they get it done.