Steve Mitchell-USA Today Sports
If Miami (FL) was going to take over the top spot in the ACC on Wednesday night, then the Hurricanes were going to need two things to happen.
First, they needed North Carolina State to fall on the road at Maryland and then they needed a victory over their own on the road at Boston College.
Well, the Hurricanes took care of business themselves and got a little help from the Terps, moving to 4-0 within the conference on the season. With N.C. State’s loss, Miami (FL) currently owns the first place spot in the ACC for the time being.
The hype surrounding this Miami (FL) squad is nothing that ACC opponents should take lightly, especially given the fact that the Hurricanes are doing it all without star forward Reggie Johnson.
Durand Scott led the way with 15 points in their win over the Eagles on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t pretty. A slow-paced game in which both teams shot over 40% on the evening, Miami (FL) simply toughed out the victory by a final score of 60-59. The Hurricanes turned the ball over only six times in their road win.
Scott converted on four free throws late and took a charge among the closing possessions to help solidifying the victory. The team effort around head coach Jim Larranaga has been incredible to watch without Johnson. The thought of this team’s potential once their big man returns is quite astonishing.
Sure, it’s easy to think who the top dogs in the ACC are in terms of looking at the bigger picture, but the Hurricanes have done more than enough to stake their claim. Tests against other title contenders will ultimately showcase their potential in terms of winning the league and that starts when Duke comes to town next Wednesday.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
