Miami, Xavier look to refocus after narrow 1st-round escapes
Xavier head coach Sean Miller reacts during the first half of a first-round college basketball game against Kennesaw State in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/John Bazemore]
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — If Miami’s Jim Larrañaga and Xavier’s Sean Miller didn’t have their players’ complete attention heading into the NCAA Tournament, they do now. Larrañaga’s Hurricanes and Miller’s Musketeers both needed huge second-half comebacks against lower-seeded opponents in the first round. Both coaches are pleading with their players to value every possession and avoid mental lapses. Xavier is the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and faces 11th-seeded Pittsburgh in the second round in Greensboro, North Carolina. Miami is the 5 seed and is preparing for fourth-seeded Indiana in Albany, New York.
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Miami head coach Jim Larranaga reacts to a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chuck Burton
Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) dunks against Kent State during the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament early Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Hans Pennink