Jim Larrañaga’s seat was heating up after three straight losing seasons in Coral Gables, Fla., but he persuaded talented guard Isaiah Wong, Kameron McGusty and Sam Waardenburg to return. When Larrañaga landed former DePaul point guard Charlie Moore from the transfer portal, it turned the Hurricanes into a contender in the ACC (they finished fourth). All four players average more than 30 minutes, and the Hurricanes have committed just seven turnovers in two NCAA Tournament games. After squeezing out of a first-round nail-biter against USC, the Hurricanes weren’t intimidated when drawn into a second-round matchup against future lottery pick Jabari Smith and No. 2 seed Auburn in the Round of 32, earning a 79-61 win.
