No reward for University of Miami's big finish

The Hurricanes' run to the ACC tournament semifinals did not impress the NIT selection committee enough to extend an invitation

The University of Miami saved its best for last. But there will be no reward for the Hurricanes.

After finishing last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the regular season, UM (20-13) got two big wins in the ACC tournament during the past week. It just wasn't enough to earn one of the 32 spots in the National Invitational Tournament, something UM coach Frank Haith thought his team deserved after finishing with one more win than it did a year ago.

The snub means that for only the second time in six seasons under Haith, the Hurricanes won't be participating in a postseason tournament.

For now, the Hurricanes will have to settle for feeling good about what they accomplished in Greensboro, N.C.

With only three seniors set to depart and nine freshmen and sophomores returning, UM should have one of the most talented teams in the ACC next season.

Freshman point guard Durand Scott, who was named to the ACC all-tournament first team Sunday, will come back as the unquestioned leader -- especially after his strong finish to the season.

In UM's 70-65 win over Virginia Tech on Friday, the New York native scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in the final six minutes to push the Canes over the top. In Saturday's loss to Duke, Scott scored 21 points and was instrumental in rallying the team from double-digit deficits twice. Haith, who has been pushing Scott for months to take the reigns, said Saturday that the growth he has seen in the 6-3 freshman bodes well for the future.

``It's hard for a freshman to come in and take the reigns,'' Haith said. ``As the season progressed, you saw him become more aggressive and assertive. We needed that out of him.

``He has that ability, that quality to be the leader for this program for a long time.''

Scott wasn't the only young player to shine last week. Sophomore swingman DeQuan Jones, who played off the bench for most of the second half of the season, averaged 11.7 points over the three-game stretch at the ACC tournament and showed the athleticism that made him one of the most sought-after recruits in the country just two years ago.

Redshirt freshman power forward Reggie Johnson, who earned all-tournament second-team honors, scored a career-high 22 points in Thursday's 21-point blowout of Wake Forest, then provided clutch free throw shooting, rebounding and defense throughout the remainder of the tournament.

``I thought we grew as a basketball team. I thought we got better,'' Haith said. ``Obviously, the future is bright. It's hard to look out there and look at our basketball team and not think they have a bright future.

``Identity -- that's what we wanted to create in this team. There's always going to be a lot of fight in this team. We just have to play with toughness and I think we tried to establish that.''

Nevertheless, the Hurricanes will have to be content with no postseason basketball in 2010, something Haith said he was hoping for after Saturday's 77-74 loss to Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals.

``I hope we're playing next week and continuing to play and grow as a basketball team,'' Haith said Saturday. ``I was part of a team that won an NIT championship at Wake Forest. There's no greater feeling than getting to New York.

``There are only two winners at the end of the year: the national championship winner and the NIT winner.''