Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Miami-Virginia Tech Preview (Feb 27, 2017)

Published Feb. 27, 2017 1:34 p.m. ET

Miami started its climb off the bubble and into the field of 68 in its final game of January, thumping a North Carolina team that could well be a No. 1 seed next month.

As they finish February, the Hurricanes are moving closer toward being a lock themselves.

After beating two ranked opponents last week, No. 25 Miami won't get much of a breather Monday night with a visit to a Virginia Tech team that's trying to work its way off the bubble.

The Hurricanes (20-8, 10-6 ACC) looked like they might be headed for a second NIT appearance in three seasons in late January after losing four of five, but they've won eight of 10 since - highlighted by a 77-62 rout of the Tar Heels on Jan. 28.

Miami held one of the best offensive teams in the nation to 35 percent shooting and its lowest point total of the season in that win, but what it did last week on the defensive end may have been even more impressive. Jim Larranaga's team rallied from 11 down with 12 minutes to play to beat then-No. 18 Virginia 54-48 in overtime last Monday, then clamped down on then-No. 10 Duke with a 55-50 win Saturday.

Both the Cavaliers and Blue Devils were held under 32 percent as the Hurricanes stretched their winning streak to four.

''We've had some serious growing pains,'' Larranaga said. ''We've had some adversity. But they're finding a way to overcome whatever the obstacles are, especially on the defensive end.''

The Hurricanes had been 0-7 when failing to score 67 points, but now they're in position to potentially get a double-bye in the ACC Tournament. That'll take some help, though, and road games at Virginia Tech and No. 15 Florida State to close the regular season are hardly givens.

A few more performances from Bruce Brown like Saturday's could go a long way toward making the Hurricanes even more dangerous in March. The freshman poured in 25 against Duke - he was the only Miami player in double figures - and he's now the lone player in the ACC averaging 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

"He's not caught up in hype," Larranaga said. "What he is all about is doing the best he can do on the court and off the court. People who meet him embrace him, because he smiles. He's happy and that's the way his teammates feel about him."

Brown was hardly at his best earlier this month against the Hokies (20-8, 9-7), going 1 for 12 and finishing with two points. But Davon Reed and Ja'Quan Newton combined for 34 to rescue Miami in a 74-68 win, the Hurricanes' seventh in the series' last eight.

That was Virginia Tech's third loss in four games, but it's since won four of five with its lone loss coming at then-No. 8 Louisville. The first three wins in that stretch were by a total of six points, but there was little tension in Saturday's 91-75 win at Boston College.

The Hokies shot 67.4 percent, the best single-game field-goal percentage by any ACC team in a conference game in more than six years. They lead the conference in both field-goal percentage (49.1) and 3-point percentage (40.6).

It's been the Hokies' seventh-leading scorer who's been perhaps their hottest lately. Ty Outlaw averages just 5 points, but he's totaled 43 in the past three games while knocking down 12 of 16 from 3-point range.

Outlaw played 10 scoreless minutes off the bench against the Hurricanes earlier this month.