Miami Vice

Miami coach Jim Larranaga is a strong believer in using statistical analysis to shape and guide his teams. One of his favorite stats, a measure we rarely hear discussed, is 3-point field goal percentage defense.

Now in his seventh year at Coral Gables, Larranaga has crafted his best squad to date at suppressing opponents’ bonusphere accuracy. The Hurricanes paced the ACC in this defensive category until the other day, when Duke came to town.

The Blue Devils fell behind by 13 points in the second half, only to rally to victory. The key, surely a matter of especial dismay to Miami’s coaching staff, was Duke’s hitting 11 of 21 shots from long distance. Leading the way was freshman shooting guard Gary Trent, Jr., who was six of nine on 3-pointers.

The game dropped Miami’s 3-point defense to .300 efficiency, still second-best in the ACC through mid-January and tops during Larranaga’s tenure.

Note that the greatest gap between the Canes’ 3-point accuracy and their opponents’ came in 2013, when they finished first in the ACC. The next season, when UM finished 10^th, was the only time under Larranaga that opponents were better at converting threes than his squad.