HISTORY
Program History Miami advanced to the
SWEET 16 for the first time in 2000.
Bethune-Cookman to become the 22nd player in UM history to record 1,000 career points. • January 22, 2000 — Mario Bland scores 24 points against Boston College to become the 23rd player in UM history to record 1,000-career points. • February 19, 2000 — UM defeats No. 18 UConn, 63-57, becoming the first school in BIG EAST history to win consecutive games at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. • February 29, 2000 — Vernon Jennings hands out 10 assists against Pittsburgh to break his own UM single-season assists record. Jennings would end the season with 218 assists. • March 5, 2000 — Miami defeats No. 18 St. John’s, 74-70, in overtime to capture the BIG EAST regular-season championship. The win also marks UM’s second-straight 20-win season. • March 6, 2000 — Miami returns to the Associated Press poll with a No. 23 national ranking. • March 7, 2000 — Johnny Hemsley is named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team while Mario Bland earns third-team honors. • March 10, 2000 — Vernon Jennings hands out eight assists against St. John’s to move into first place on UM’s career assists list. Jennings would end his career with 520 assists. • March 12, 2000 — UM receives its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid and is the No. 6 seed in the South Region. • March 13, 2000 — UM returns to the USA Today/ESPN poll with a No. 25 ranking. • March 19, 2000 — Miami defeats No. 18 Ohio State, 75-62, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The win is UM’s 23rd of the season, tying the school record for wins in a season. • March 24, 2000 — Tulsa defeats Miami, 80-71, in the South Regional semifinal to end the Hurricanes’ season and finish with a 23-11 record. • April 4, 2000 — Miami ends the season ranked 23rd by the Associated Press and No. 20 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. • June 15, 2000 — Leonard Hamilton steps down as head coach to accept the head coaching job with the NBA’s Washington Wizards. • July 6, 2000 — After a nationwide search, Athletic Director Paul Dee names Perry Clark, formerly of Tulane, as the ninth head basketball coach at the University of Miami.
JOHN SALMONS
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celebrates after Miami defeats St. John’s, 74-70 in overtime, to win the 1999-2000 BIG EAST regular-season championship.
2010-11 | UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MEN’S BASKETBALL | HURRICANESPORTS.COM
THE PERRY CLARK ERA BEGINS • November 18, 2000 — UM defeats Florida Atlantic, 76-59, marking head coach Perry Clark’s first win at Miami. Darius Rice scores 26 points, establishing a UM freshman record for most points scored in a season opener. • December 9, 2000 — Darius Rice scores a UM freshman record 35 points in the Hurricanes’ 83-72 win over UCF. • January 10, 2001 — Darius Rice establishes a UM freshman record with seven three-point baskets in an 85-74 loss at Virginia Tech. Rice scores 31 points becoming the first freshman in UM history to record two 30-point games in a season. • January 20, 2001 — Miami defeats 15th-ranked Connecticut, 77-74, marking the seventh-straight season in which the Hurricanes have defeated a ranked opponent at Miami Arena. • January 22, 2001 — Freshman Marcus Barnes is named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after averaging 22 points in UM wins over Providence and Connecticut. Barnes becomes the first Hurricane since Tim James in 1996 to earn Rookie of the Week honors. • February 13, 2001 — Miami defeats its third-straight ranked opponent with a 68-57 win versus No. 10 Syracuse at theCarrier Dome. • February 19, 2001 — Darius Rice earns BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors after averaging 21 points per game in wins against Syracuse and Villanova. • February 28, 2001 — The Hurricanes defeat West Virginia, 73-66, at Miami Arena to clinch their seventh consecutive winning season. The win also marks head coach Perry Clark’s 200th career victory. • March 4, 2001 — John Salmons is named the BIG EAST Player of the Week after averaging 26.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in UM wins against West Virginia and Villanova. • March 6, 2001 — John Salmons is named to the AllBIG EAST Third Team and Darius Rice is named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team by a vote of the league’s coaches. • March 11, 2001 — Miami receives a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. The postseason berth is the fifth straight for Miami and sixth VERNON JENNINGS in the last seven seasons. dished out eight assists versus • March 14, 2001 — The Hurricanes’ seaSt. John’s on March 10, 2000, son ends with a heartbreaking 60-58 loss at to become Miami’s all-time Auburn in the opening round of the NIT. leader in career assists.
2001-02: MIAMI ENJOYS RECORD-BREAKING SEASON • November 20, 2001 — Miami defeats Clemson, 67-65, in the championship game of the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The tournament championship is the Hurricanes’ first since the 1988 Eastern Airlines Palm Beach Classic. Senior John Salmons is named the tournament’s MVP, while sophomore Darius Rice was named to the all-tournament team. • December 3, 2001 — Junior James Jones ties the UM single-game record with eight blocked shots in a 77-59 win over FIU. • December 15, 2001 — Miami defeats No. 21 Indiana, 58-53, in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. James Jones is named the game’s MVP after recording 13 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Indiana would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game. • December 18, 2001 — Miami improves to 10-0 on the season, setting a school-record for consecutive wins to open a season following a 90-62 win against Florida A&M.