Trying to build a basketball program at a school with little tradition can be like running a political campaign. At Miami, former George Mason coach Jim Larranaga has taken a grass-roots approach.
All the coaches live in the vicinity of campus, and the team often conducts clinics and makes public appearances. But getting college basketball to catch on has been difficult. Averaging 3,763 fans per game, the Hurricanes have the lowest attendance in the ACC. Since joining the league in 2005, Miami has finished last in the league in that category every year.
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Maybe the best way to draw fans is to win. On Sunday in Durham, N.C., the Hurricanes (14-7) upset Duke for their fourth straight victory. When they returned home, they received a warm and surprising reception from students.
“The greatest thing for us is to get our students to rally behind our program and to get the students excited about coming to the Bank United Center and filling up our arena,” Larranaga said.
It will be interesting to see how many turn out for Thursday’s home game against Virginia Tech.
