OXFORD - Miami is fortunate that it is March Madness and not January Jollies.
Because midway through January the Redskins would have had almost no chance of beating Clemson, the team they face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City on Thursday.
This is then: Clemson was 16-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country.
This is now: Clemson is 21-9 and ranked No. 13 in the country.
The rigors of the Atlantic Coast Conference will do that to a team. The Tigers have lost 4-of-5 and 8-of-12.
''They're a good team,'' MU coach Charlie Coles said. ''(Coach) Rick Barnes has done a great job there. They play in a great conference.''
But a lot of teams have shown the Redskins how to beat Clemson lately.
Maryland ousted the Tigers from the ACC Tournament by keeping the ball out of 5-foot-9 point guard Terrell McIntyre's hands. McIntyre, who averages 13.3 points, was held to two.
''They wouldn't let me catch the ball,'' he said. ''And, if I can't catch it, I can't run the offense.''
The leading scorer is Greg Buckner, a 6-4 forward. He averages 15.4 points per game.
Other starters are 6-2 guard Merl Code (10.8 ppg), 6-10 center Tom Wideman (4.1 ppg) and 6-7 forward Iker Iturbe (5.7 ppg).
The top bench player is Harold Jamison, a 6-7 forward. He averages 8.2 points and leads the with 5.7 rebounds a game.
Clemson had trouble offensively the whole ACC season. The Tigers only shot only 40 percent from the floor and 28 percent from three-point range.
MIAMI, CLEMSON OPPOSITES
MEN'S BRACKET
Tournament stories
MAY WE CUT IN? MIAMI JOINS DANCE March 9, 1997
MIAMI 84, WESTERN MICHIGAN 67 March 8, 1997
SEMIFINALS NOT KIND TO MIAMI March 7, 1997
MIAMI 75, KENT 65 March 5, 1997
SULLIVAN COLUMN March 5, 1997
HOT REDSKINS HOPE TO BEAT KENT THIRD TIME March 4, 1997
