Miami will look to secure its first win under interim coach Bill Courtney when it visits Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va.
The Hurricanes (4-9, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were probably surprised by the sudden departure of coach Jim Larranaga, who stepped down Dec. 26 after leading the program to six NCAA championships in his 13 full seasons at the helm. .
Courtney, whose previous coaching experience came at Cornell from 2010-16, said his players responded well to the sudden change in leadership.
“They did a great job of closing in,” Courtney told the Miami Herald. “You think that sometimes when the assistant takes over, the pants or other things get in the way, but not this team. They are locked in and focused.”
Miami looked locked in a 32-13 lead over Boston College in Courtney’s first game on Wednesday. The Hurricanes, however, faded there and fell 78-68 for their ninth loss in 10 games.
Leading scorer Nijel Pack (13.9 points per game) has missed Miami’s last three games with a foot injury, and his status for Saturday remains unknown. Matthew Cleveland has stepped up with the Pack sidelined, averaging 21.3 points over his last three contests.
Former Virginia Tech center Lynn Kidd paces the Hurricanes with 7.3 rebounds per game to go along with his 11.6 scoring average.
The Hokies (5-8, 0-2) will get their first crack at non-conference competition after losing to No. 18 Pittsburgh 64-59 on Dec. 7 and No. 4 Duke 88-65 on Tuesday.
Virginia Tech got off to an 0-2 start in ACC play in the 2021-22 campaign but recovered to finish 11-9 and win the conference championship in Mike Young’s second season as coach.
“I’ve seen enough of this league now. … Keep fighting. Keep playing together. Keep improving,” Young said. “We’re going to win our fair share of games.”
Virginia Commonwealth transfer Tobi Lawal seems to have settled in with the Hokies, as he leads the team with 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 forward boasts a 49 1/2-inch vertical leap that helps him play above the rim on both ends of the court.
Lawal had 19 points and five boards against the Blue Devils and hit a season-high three-pointer in four attempts.
–Field Level Media