Their coach was plenty proud, too.
And he made sure his players – and everyone else watching that game – knew it.
“They got the message that I was so proud of them, that I loved them, and that I’d really just been on a magic carpet ride with these young men,” Larrañaga said. “They’re so much fun to be around, on the court and off the court…They’ll have great memories of the entire season and some of the great wins we have had. I told them all along these memories last a lifetime. You’ll be telling your grandchildren about it one day.”
Among the stories the Hurricanes can share from the season that was is how they dazzled through most of the NCAA Tournament.
Just last week, as a five seed, Miami rallied from a second-half, double-digit deficit to stun second-seeded Texas and advance to the Final Four. In that game, Miller put together one of the greatest individual performances in program history, scoring 27 points while shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and 13-of-13 from the free throw line.
Another story the Hurricanes can share? How before knocking Texas out of the tournament, they eliminated top-seeded, second-ranked Houston out, too – in dominant fashion, to boot.
The Canes can also recount tournament wins over Indiana and Drake. And before that, there were regular-season victories over the likes of Duke, Virginia, North Carolina and Syracuse.
Some of the veterans who were members of last year’s team will even be able to share the story of how they made program history then, too, by advancing to Miami’s first Elite Eight.
But as most of the Hurricanes noted in the tough minutes immediately after the loss to UConn, it wasn’t just the wins and program-defining milestones that made the season so special.
It was the laughs they shared on road trips. The hours they spent together in the weight room and in the practice facility. The work they put in with their coaches and the bonds they built that brought them closer together off the court and helped them perform better on it.
“I’m going to think about just how much I love the guys,” said fourth-year junior guard Harlond Beverly. “This is such a really close team, the closest I’ve been on in college. The love between everybody was really genuine and that was the part I appreciated most, I enjoyed the most. The road trips were great because we got to spend so much time together and I know I really appreciate the friendships over the past…
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