Miami Hurricanes at Watsco Center
Coral Gables, Florida, is home to one of the most competitive teams in ACC men's basketball. The Hurricanes play out of the on-campus Watsco Center, which first opened in 2003 as the University of Miami Convocation Center, and currently seats 8,000. They are coached by Jim Larrañaga, who previously led George Mason University to the 2006 Final Four before joining the Hurricanes in 2011.
Miami Hurricanes Men's Basketball History
Miami Hurricanes basketball has several distinct beginnings. The original University of Miami basketball team first took the court in 1926, but went dormant for the 1929-30 season, from 1932 to 1938, and from 1942 to 1945. In 1960, the Hurricanes made an incredible run to the Elite Eight under coach Bruce Hale. The legendary Rick Barry starred for the Hurricanes in the mid '60s, before a Hall of Fame career in the pros, and also before marrying coach Hale's daughter. However, the Hurricanes lacked a permanent on-campus arena, and had to play at the Miami Beach Convention Center 15 miles away. This contributed to low attendance and, in 1971, the "temporary" discontinuation of the men's program.
In 1983, a drive began to raise funds to restart the program, and on November 22, 1985, Miami defeated The Citadel 85-77 for their first victory in 14 years, en route to a .500 record against a tough schedule. Miami's second act included an initial three seasons at the James L. Knight Center, which was more of an auditorium than a field house, followed by a decade and a half at Miami Arena, before their first on-campus facility opened in 2003. In coach Leonard Hamilton's second season, in 1991, Miami joined the Big East, winning their first regular-season conference title during Hamilton's final season in 2000. In 2013, the Hurricanes won both the ACC regular season and conference tournament championship, on their way to a Sweet 16 appearance behind the play of sophomore guard and Lute Olson National Player of the Year recipient Shane Larkin.
