ESPN Men's Basketball

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(Information in this team report is as of October 1.)

Frank Haith was a spectator in the Orange Bowl on Labor Day to watch the Miami football team take on Florida State. He saw an athletic event played at the highest level by great players in front of a huge, passionate crowd and a national television audience.

In short, he saw everything that he wants for the Miami basketball team.

Haith, who came to Coral Gables three years after helping Rick Barnes build a Final Four team at Texas, is hoping to follow the same model at Miami.

"We used our football program at Texas," Haith said. "The basketball program was struggling when we got there. Football gave us recognition. We were able to build on that. I think we can do the same thing here."

Haith's first two seasons at Miami have been promising, but he understands that the Hurricanes have to take some giant steps to reach the level of Miami football & or the top basketball teams in the ACC. But after back-to-back 7-9 conference finishes, Haith thinks the 'Canes have proved they belong in the nation's most passionate basketball conference.

"Our first year, nobody knew where Miami would fit in the ACC," Haith said. "Almost everybody picked us to finish last that year, but we finished near the middle. Now, going into our third year, we're a part of this thing."

If Miami is going to emerge from the middle of the ACC pack, Haith will have to replace two guards who have been at the center of what success the Hurricanes have enjoyed the last two seasons. Robert Hite and Guillermo Diaz combined to average more than 33 points last season. The two accomplished wing players teamed with 6-2 senior point guard Anthony Harris (9.5 ppg, 3.1 apg) to give the 'Canes one of the nation's most potent three-guard alignments.

"We're losing two outstanding players who have been a big part of what we've done here," Haith said. "When teams played us, their focus was on stopping them. We have to figure out where our scoring is going to come from. We can't ask any two guys to replace what they gave us. We'll have to spread it around."

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