Larranaga: Expectations Are Always to Compete With Best Teams in The Country And Win Championships
Season ticket sales are booming, with less than 500 remaining for Miami Hurricanes basketball this season. How has the heightened interest in Canes hoops affected coach Jim Larranaga?
"When my staff and I got here five years ago, there were several goals that we had," Larranaga on Hochman, Crowder and Krantz. "One was we wanted to beat the perennial powerhouses -- Duke and Carolina -- and we've done that. We've won twice in Cameron Indoor Stadium. We've won twice in Chapel Hill, North Carolina against the Tar Heels. We have winning records against both of those programs.
"One of the other goals was to win a regular season championship or an ACC tournament championship and we've done both of those. One of the other goals that was gonna take a little longer -- and we knew -- was to create the kind of excitement here in Coral Gables and in Miami to get the fans behind this program from the start of the season to the end of the season and now with less than 500, close to 400 season tickets left -- and we're selling 50 a day -- we expect that before the end of the month we will be totally sold out at the Bank United Center for every home game this season... That's something that everybody told me was impossible. No one could imagine that we could do that but with the help of a great coaching staff and a terrific group of young men -- players who really have elevated this program -- we're gonna do something for the first time in school history and we're really proud of that."
What are the goals on the season?
"Our goals are always high, our expectations are always to compete with the best teams in the country and in the ACC and win championships. We're all about excellence."
The Canes open the regular season tomorrow night, hosting UT-Rio Grande. Listen to the game only on Miami Sports Radio 560-WQAM.
