GREENVILLE, S.C. — If there’s one thing to be said about No. 9 Miami, it’s this: No team in the tournament has shown a better grasp of narrative structure.
The Hurricanes dug themselves into a 17-point hole in the first round against No. 8 Oklahoma State, requiring a comeback that left the game in question until the very last second. So, naturally, they never trailed at all in the second round against No. 1 Indiana—yet still never really broke away and escaped with the win by just two points. How best to follow that for the Sweet 16 against No. 4 Villanova? They already had the comeback win. They already had the steady, tremendous performance against a powerhouse, and any good storyteller knows better than to start recycling structures. It was time to introduce a new kind of drama.
So on Friday, Miami built a remarkable lead, coming out at its absolute best—fast and physical and seemingly unstoppable. The Canes were up by as much as 21 early in the third quarter. Then? They watched it all crumble, found themselves behind in the late, crucial minutes of the fourth quarter, and finally stepped it up to win, 70–65.
