Miami Basketball Walks into the 'Hardest Place to Play in the Conference'
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami head coach Jai Lucas knows a thing or two about hostile envirments.
Coaching against teams like North Carolina, at Duke, and other places around the country, he has seen crowds big and small. However, none compared to William Neal Reynolds Coliseum home of the NC State Wolfpack.
"It is to me; it is the hardest place to play in a conference," Lucas said ahead of the Canes' road trip to Raleigh. "And I say that with all respect to the dude in Carolina and everybody, but North Carolina State is a different animal. Just their environment, the fans are, like, right behind the bench. They're right on top of you.
"Their fan base has a tradition of winning a National Championship, but they also have this kind of edge and a chip on their shoulder, being in the middle of Carolina and Duke, where they feel like they're not as respected, so it adds to the building. It's one of the hardest places to play."
Lucas has coached the Hurricanes to win four of their last five games and now owns a signature victory over No. 11 North Carolina.
However, that is not enough for the youthful head coach. He wants to make the NCAA Tournament, and a victory over the Wolfpack would only boost their resume.
Moreover, the Wolfpack are looking for a bounce back against after getting dismantled by No. 24 Louisville on the road. Lucas knows that they are going to try and hit them with their best shot while also looking to get one back at home.
INCOMING!
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"I mean, we're gonna get their best punch, and we're gonna get the best punched, and go right away because their team that if they jump on you, they smell a little blood in the water, they're attacking," Lucas said. "So we have to do our job initially, just playing with heart. You know, they're really good, they're really explosive. On both ends, defensively, they kind of pressure you; they can turn you over, and offensively, and you know, they lead the country, not the country, but the conference. They're high in the country and make and take percentage from behind the arc. So we have to do a good job of not helping them get into those situations.
NC State's offense is one of controlled chaos. Shots are flying from all over, but it's also led by the direction of head coach Will Wade. Lucas knows him well enough to know that this game is going to come down to who wants it more.
"As I said earlier, I think one of the greatest things he does is that he instills confidence and believes in his team and in his players," Lucas said. You know, they're always going to be really good at defending. They're gonna pressure, they're gonna give you a bunch of different looks, and then offensively, he kind of gives them that freedom to kind of play, but also it's like controlled chaos.
"You know, it may look like there's just playing, but there's a method behind this play. I think that's one of the best things he does, which is kind of makes them feel like they're getting coached without getting coached. And you can tell he holds them to a high standard. He's won everywhere he's been, and it's not going to be any different at NC State."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.