Basketball

In their first Elite Eight appearance in program history, the Miami Hurricanes face a tall opponent: the only No. 1 seed left in the...

There are only eight teams left in the NCAA Tournament and the Miami Hurricanes are one of them, despite being projected to finish 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“To reach the first Elite Eight in program history, that's amazing,” senior guard Kameron McGusty said after the game.

Back in October, if you had told any college basketball fan that Miami and Iowa State would be playing in the Sweet Sixteen of the Big Dance, they’d probably tell you you’re crazy.

“I can't be happier for my guys. They did such a fantastic job of executing the game plan,” Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said. “These guys were able to make plays, get into the open court. Auburn is a very high, up-tempo team, but we feel very, very comfortable in that environment as well. So, these guys ran for layups and made a lot of really good decisions in the open court.”

“If you didn't understand the grit and the character of our team, I think we proved that today,” Miami coach Katie Meier said. “You know, [South Carolina] didn't have a great offensive day, but I think Miami got frustrated before South Carolina did, and that was the difference.”

“[Auburn’s] a big team. They have a lot of size. They can switch. They’re versatile, athletic, they play fast. They’re a good team,” McGusty said. “They definitely give teams a challenge, their scoring, their defense. It’s going to be a good game. I feel like we can match up with them … If we just stick to our game plan and do what we’re supposed to do, we can definitely give them a run for their money.”

The Canes took down in-state opponent South Florida for Miami coach Katie Meier’s 400th of her career, and will take on South Carolina, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, on Sunday in the second round.

“Heck of a game. Welcome to March Madness,” Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said.

“I think the biggest thing is for your players to really embrace the atmosphere, not to put a lot of pressure on themselves, but to really have fun playing basketball,” Larrañaga said ahead of Miami’s first-round matchup. “This is the culmination for them of all the hard work, all the dreams that they’ve had and the goals they’ve set for themselves and for the team.”

“It was an affirmation for us,” Miami coach Katie Meier said. “We had a solid resume, so we felt pretty good about our chances. When our name was called, it was such a happy moment with the team.”

“The U is back … back in the big dance,” men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga said after the team’s viewing of the NCAA’s Selection Sunday show.