Lykes, McGusty 'Questionable' For State Rematch

Miami could be without two of its key players against the Wolfpack on Wednesday in Coral Gables

Jasen Vinlove/USAToday sports

According to a report in the Miami Herald, Miami starters Chris Lykes and Kameron McGusty are both listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against NC State at Watsco Center in Coral Gables.

Lykes, the team's leading scorer at 15.7 points per game, is dealing with a hip flexor that has forced him to miss the Hurricanes' past three games. McGusty, also in double figures at 13.9 ppg, has missed two of the past three games with back spasms.

As injury riddled as the Wolfpack has been over the past month, having played only two full games since the start of January with all nine of its eligible schoarship players available, Miami's situation has been even worse.

All five of its starters played at least 33 minutes in Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh.  

"We're basically playing three freshmen and three underclassmen. We're just very shorthanded," Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said Monday on the ACC's weekly coaches teleconference. "We're playing without our two leading scorers. In February, you want to be at your best. Now we're just undermanned."

Lykes, a 5-foot-7 point guard, led Miami with 20 points in State's 80-63 win at PNC Arena in the first meeting of the season between the teams on Jan. 15. McGusty, a 6-5 redshirt junior wing, was held to just two points on 1 of 9 shooting.

Despite its depleted bench, Miami (11-10, 3-8 ACC) has played well in its two most recent games -- beating Virginia Tech 71-61 at home and losing 62-57 on the road at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Those results aside, Larrañaga is concerned about his team's stamina against a Wolfpack team that will try its best to turn Wednesday's game into an uptempo affair.

"We've got to find out if Chris Lykes and Kam McGusty are going to be able to suit up and play," Larrañaga said. "Against Pittsburgh, our three guards all played 38 minutes or more and it's very challenging when two of those guards are freshmen and we have no subs for them. And we're going to be pressured by NC State for almost the entire 40 minutes.

"So we've got to figure out who's going to be on our roster and available to play and then if we don't have Chris or Kam, how do we get those guards some needed rest?"