Sweet 16 Preview: Miami vs. Marquette, East Regional Semifinals

Tip-time (EST): 7:15 p.m. (CBS)

Location: Verizon Center, Washington D.C.

All-time series: 2-2. Each team has won twice on its home floor. When the two schools last hooked up in 1989, Miami upstaged Marquette in a 106-90 shootout.

Miami tournament history. This is just Miami’s second trip to the Sweet 16 in program history, last reaching the regional semifinals in 2000. The Hurricanes have never advanced past this round.

Sweet memories, Jim. Larranaga captained George Mason’s magic carpet ride to the Final Four seven years ago in the very building he returns to on Thursday. The former Patriots head coach led George Mason to the school’s first and only Final Four, knifing through Wichita State before clipping top-seeded Connecticut in an overtime thriller.

How Miami got here: The Hurricanes bludgeoned 15th-seed Pacific in the second round, but had to scrap and claw to escape Illinois on Sunday. Rion Brown’s five 3-pointers (21 points in all), buttressed by Shane Larkin’s go-ahead, step-back in the final minute propelled the Canes past the Illini in a 63-59 decision.

Marquette tournament history. The Golden Eagles are one of only four programs (Florida, Kansas, Ohio  State) making their third straight Sweet 16 appearance. Marquette has never advanced past this round under fifth-year head coach Buzz Williams, who has piloted the Eagles to the NCAA tournament in all five seasons in Milwaukee (as head coach). The Big East regular season co-champ has reached the Final Fours three times in program history, last accomplishing the feat in 2003 behind the stardom of Dwyane Wade. Current Indiana head coach Tom Crean was in charge at the time, and with a win, Marquette could face its former boss in the East regional finals.

How Marquette got here: Marquette survived its first two games by a combined three points, each with stomach-turning rallies triggered by scorching late shooting sprees. After missing 11 of its first 12 3-pointers in its second-round tilt against Davidson, Marquette canned three triples in the final minute to overcome a once nine-point deficit. The Golden Eagles then withstood a costly late turnover against Butler, avenging a buzzer-beating loss to the Bulldogs in Maui earlier this season.

What’s all the Buzz about? Williams is the only coach in the age of recruiting scouting services to guide a team to the NCAA tournament in his first five seasons on the job, reach three Sweet 16s in that span and do so without the benefit of a consensus 5-star prospect.

Key match-up: Shane Larkin vs. Vander Blue. While these two backcourt aces may not be matched up for the full 40 minutes — expect both coaches to mix in other guards on each assignment so as to not exhaust their star player — these two clutch assassins are the lifeblood of each team and will play a major role in Thursday’s outcome.

How Miami wins: Exploit its size advantage inside. Although the Canes will be without diminished backup center Reggie Johnson — the former Miami leader whose season has been beset by injury — Julian Gamble will have a healthy vertical advantage (height and leaping ability) over Davante Gardner. Gardner gets 38-percent of his points at the free throw line, the most of any player remaining in the tournament. If Gamble can defend without fouling, the Canes should have a decided paint advantage in this match-up. Larranaga’s team will also need one of its two role-playing sharpshooters — Trey McKinney-Jones or Rion Brown — to carry the hot hand. Brown did the heavy-lifting from downtown in the first two rounds (8-13 3FG). This week may just be McKinney-Jones’ turn at the plate. Above all, Miami must exploit the Junior Cadougan match-up. Whereas the Canes have two lethal guards, Marquette is limited with one. Between Larkin and Durand Scott, the player who draws Cadougan as his assignment must capitalize.

How Marquette wins: Lots and lots of Jamil Wilson. Although Blue is the team’s best player, Wilson will have the most favorable match-up on the floor, owning a two-inch height advantage over either Brown or Mc-Kinney Jones. The Golden Eagles must make shots early to have a chance to pull off the upset. The Hurricanes defends the 3-point line well. Opponents are shooting only 30-percent from long-distance against them this season. Unlike Davidson or Butler, Miami has the horsepower to step on Marquette’s throat if the Eagles get off to a similarly cold-shooting start. Marquette cannot rely upon its hero complex again to advance any deeper in this tournament. The magic is already wearing thin, and the remaining teams in the field are waiting to pounce on the Eagles the moment their trick falls through.