Jim Larranaga shares what close Drake win does for Miami

Jim Larranaga has faith that Miami learned some valuable lessons from their close victory over Drake in the Round of 64 on Friday.

It was an impressive showing for the Hurricanes, one where they held Bulldogs’ star Tucker DeVries to three points on the day. Speaking with the media prior to their Round of 32 showdown, Larranaga elaborated on why he believes the closeness of their win over Drake will help them make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

“I hope really good,” stated Larranaga. “I hope that makes our guys feel like I’ve told them that all these games are close, every team is really good. They checked out all the scores. You see what FDU did and FAU did, and what Furman did to Virginia. Those crazy things happen, but they happen because the games are so closely contested. The game is close, and every possession has a lot of value.

“You’ve got to play great defense and great offense to finish out a really close game. We were able to do that last night, and hopefully we’ll be able to do that tomorrow.”

Now, the Hurricanes will move on from Drake to a date with Indiana that awaits them on Sunday, and it won’t be an easy game for them.

The Hoosiers are coming off a 71-60 victory over Kent State, absolutely taking care of business in their Round of 64 showdown. Both Miami and Indiana believe they have what it takes to make a run, but only one is going to move forward.

Nevertheless, Larranaga’s squad has what it takes to make a nice run into the Sweet 16 at the least, possessing the veteran leadership, great coaching and defensive ability that many believe it takes to win some games at the NCAA Tournament. Still, the Hoosiers are no easy nut to crack, and Mike Woodson’s squad will be ready, willing and able to play.

Jim Larranaga and the Hurricanes have respect for Drake, but they’re moving their focus onto Indiana now. Miami will attempt to keep their run going at 8:40 p.m. EST on Sunday night.