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Isaiah Wong speaks on similarities from last year's Elite Eight trip

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•03/26/23•

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CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 15: Isaiah Wong #2 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes looks on during the first half against the Florida A&M Rattlers at Watsco Center on November 15, 2022 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Isaiah Wong and Miami have made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances for the first time in school history thus year. In fact, they are the program’s only two trips to the Elite Eight.

The team has a similar core to the one from last season but the starting lineup has two new faces in Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier. Both players transferred in this season from Kansas State and Arkansas State respectively.

While those guys are experiencing something new, Miami’s other starters in Wong, Jordan Miller and Wooga Poplar know what they are going to be dealing with.

“We’re in the Elite Eight again,” Wong said. “We have a lot of knowledge of like how it was. So I feel like with this team this year, we’re just going to play through it. We have me and Jordan and Wooga to show Nijel and Chad the experience and just help each other throughout the game tomorrow and just be the best version of each other.”

Wong is scoring 16.3 points per game with 3.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He was named ACC Player of the Year and first-team All-ACC at the conclusion of the regular season.

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Against No. 1 seed Houston in the Sweet 16, Wong dropped 20 points in the victory while Pack scored a game-high 26 points. Miami ran wild in the game to defeat the Cougars by 14 points book their spot in the Elite Eight.

All three wins for the team this NCAA Tournament have come by at least 13 points.

Last year’s team faced eventual national champion Kansas in the Elite Eight and lost 76-50. The Hurricanes get another Big 12 opponent Sunday in Texas.

Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry was very complimentary of his Miami counterpart Jim Larranaga ahead of the Elite Eight matchup.

“He’s brought that [swagger] to Miami. He’s obviously taking them to the top of the league in the ACC. It doesn’t get any better than that. A lot of great respect for him and his staff,” Terry said. “He has some of the same guys on his staff that he had when he was at George Mason and experienced a high level of success. So he’s had really good continuity over the years that have really helped him.”