1 <?xml version=
"1.0" standalone=
"no" ?>
2 <!DOCTYPE message PUBLIC
"-//TSN//DTD Preview 1.0/EN" "cbaskpreviewxml.dtd">
4 <XML_File_ID>6796809</XML_File_ID>
5 <heading>AEV!PREVIEW-MIAFLA-MISSST
</heading>
6 <game_id>32991</game_id>
7 <schedule_id>32991</schedule_id>
8 <category>Previews
</category>
10 <Game_Date>12/
13/
2007</Game_Date>
11 <Game_Time>08:
00 PM
</Game_Time>
12 <vteam>Miami-Florida
</vteam>
13 <hteam>Miss State
</hteam>
14 <title>Miami-Florida (
8-
0) at Mississippi State (
5-
3)
</title>
15 <date_time> Thursday, December
13th,
8:
00 p.m. (et)
</date_time>
17 FACTS
& STATS: Site: Humphrey Coliseum (
10,
500) -- Starkville, Mississippi.
18 Television: FSN. Home Record: Miami
4-
0, Mississippi State
4-
1. Away Record:
19 Miami
1-
0, Mississippi State
0-
0. Neutral Record: Miami
3-
0, Mississippi State
20 1-
2. Conference Record: Miami
0-
0, Mississippi State
0-
0. Series Record:
21 Mississippi State leads,
2-
1.
26 GAME NOTES: The Miami Hurricanes are
8-
0 under fourth-year head coach Frank
27 Haith, and they figure to be tested on the road tonight by the Mississippi
28 State Bulldogs in a non-league contest. Miami is one of just
15 teams out of
29 328 Division I programs that began the week undefeated. The Hurricanes are
30 coming off a
67-
53 decision over Florida International, and while the schedule
31 has been a bit soft thus far, they did knock off Providence and VCU along with
32 St. John's. Mississippi State enters tonight's game with a
5-
3 record,
33 including a
4-
1 mark at home. The Bulldogs have won their last two games,
34 including an
84-
59 romp over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. Mississippi
35 State owns a
2-
1 series lead over Miami, and the Bulldogs crushed the 'Canes a
36 year ago in Coral Gables.
40 Miami has achieved outstanding balance at the offensive end of the floor, as
41 five players are scoring at least
9.0 ppg. Jack McClinton leads the squad with
42 12.2 ppg, and he is shooting a blistering
55.2 percent from three-point range.
43 James Dews is close behind with
11.4 ppg on
51.5 percent accuracy from behind
44 the arc, and Anthony King is contributing
10.8 ppg and
9.1 rpg. Strong defense
45 has been key to the success of the Hurricanes, as they are limiting foes to
46 58.5 ppg on
36.2 percent shooting from the field. In Saturday's
14-point
47 victory over Florida International, Dews and Dwayne Collins scored
14 points
48 apiece, while Jimmy Graham added
10 points. The Hurricanes limited the Golden
49 Panthers to
32.3 percent overall shooting in that clash.
53 Mississippi State swingman Jamont Gordon is one of the most underrated players
54 in all of college basketball. Overshadowed in the past by more high profile
55 players in the SEC, Gordon continues to fill the stat sheet on the strength of
56 his tremendous versatility. Averaging
18.4 ppg this season, Gordon is also
57 pulling down
6.0 rpg to go along with
30 assists. He gets some help from
58 Charles Rhodes, who is scoring
15.9 ppg on
56.4 percent shooting from the
59 field to complement his
7.1 rpg. Barry Stewart is posting
10.8 ppg, while Ben
60 Hansbrough rounds out a foursome of double-digit scorers with
10.0 ppg. The
61 Bulldogs are scoring
72.8 ppg, while allowing
62.8 ppg to the opposition. In
62 the romp over Southeastern Louisiana last time out, Gordon poured in
25
63 points. MSU offset
21 turnovers by shooting
52.5 percent from the field.
67 Expect Miami to lose its first game tonight, as MSU is a formidable opponent
68 that has the advantage of playing at home. The Bulldogs get another big effort
69 from Gordon, en route to the win.
73 <predicted_outcome>Mississippi State
68, Miami-Florida
63</predicted_outcome>
74 <time_stamp> December
13,
2007, at
01:
31 PM ET
</time_stamp>