Should Frank Haith Be Fired? An Educated Analysis of Miami Hurricanes Basketball Program

The buzzer sounded the end of an agonizing affair between the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes. The half-filled arena emptied out, with many of those in attendance wearing maroon and gold shirts and caps. The noise that had just reached epic loudness for an athletic event in Goral Gables died, only to reemerge in the halls of the Bank United Center as stunned 'Canes fans decided to chant **** you Seminoles, Seminoles **** you while filing out of the arena.

What is wrong with this picture? Plenty. When the 'Canes were up by one with 7-8 minutes left in the game, some sweet ball movement found Reggie Johnson wide open under the basket for an easy lay up. After the play, Grant implored the crowd to get into it, waving his arms. But nothing happened. Nobody moved. Nobody made noise. Not until the last 50 seconds of the game did the arena get really loud, after Grant hit a three.

Pathetic.

Even the later years of the Hamilton era (when I was an undergraduate student) people didn't show up to game. My friends and I went to EVERY game we were in the city for, even though the team was fairly crappy. My first year at UM was the first year of Tim James - when the program started to come to life a bit. I had never been to a college basketball game before and I love the atmosphere and how the players really hustled. I remember watching Clifton Clark put up 20+ against Seton Hall in 1995. Later that night we were getting some beer from the Circle K just off campus and ran into Kevin Norris and Tim James. We asked them about Clifton Clark and Norris replied: "He's okay, but this is the man!" - indicating Tim James. Norris was right.

During that time we always sat in the front row, even though our 'Cane cards put us squarely in the empty student section, even though the 'Canes were ranked at times and had some impressive runs in the tourney. Even at the Bank United Center, 95% of the time we move down to the front few rows. This is pathetic. Most basketball schools worth their salt sell out every game, or at least have respectable attendance numbers. The 'Canes also report tickets sold - not actual attendance - so it's even worse than it looks.

It was like this through the years of James Jones, John Salmons and (ugh) Darius Rice. It was the same way through Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite - through Jack McClinton and Dwayne Collins and now with Durand Scott, Malcolm Grant and Reggie Johnson.

Ask Duke and North Carolina players if their crowd helps them at all. Even better, ask players that have to go into those environments what their assessment is. Did you know that Clemson hasn't beaten North Carolina on the road in 80 years? Ask Drew Brees if it was difficult to play that first-round playoff game in Seattle. Why did the Miami Heat, after aggregating 3 of the best players in the world, have to put out commercials that asked fans to come on time and not leave early? In 1998 I went to a Marlins game down the stretch - they were in the hunt for the playoffs and it was nitty-gritty time.

The 6th man is real, and we don't have one.

That being said, this article is about Frank Haith. To be able to honestly assess his ability to succeed at Miami, we have to look at a ton of factors.

The John Wall Problem. The above examples have obviously been written to defend Haith. Here's my point: #1 recruit and #1 selection in the NBA, John Wall, narrowed his school choices to Miami and Kentucky. Haith couldn't have Wall visit during the season, because the games are pathetic from a fan standpoint. And they always have been, even through 3-5 really good years under Hamilton, years most realistic 'Cane basketball fans would kill for again.

Do any of you think for a moment, had Haith gotten Wall, that Miami wouldn't have made the tournament last year? Despite every 'Canes fan's love of the U, we have to realize that until basketball becomes a priority for the fans, the players that come to the U will not be the type to raise the program into a consistent top 25 program. Heck, the best football player UM produced last year was from the basketball team.

Ask yourself this, and try to do so honestly...Would you want to play in front of 3,000 fans at Miami, or play in front of a packed house at Duke, Kentucky, Gonzaga, Butler, UConn, Kansas, etc? Even Durand Scott visited in the off-season - so in that regard it was a great signing.

Now, onto Haith specifically. It's easy to look like a good coach when you have the horses. Despite my normally over-reaching expectations for the basketball program, I don't think Miami is there talent-wise yet. They're young and probably one consistent player away from being more competitive. They're better this year than last, even with the horrific loss to FSU on January 20th.

Haith does some good things. First, the team plays hard on defense. They don't look smooth most of the time, but they normally play hard. His recruiting is good - he's trying for top guys that maybe he doesn't have a shot at - but at least he's trying and not settling right away.

The past few seasons Miami never had a point guard. Eddie Rios was supposed to be that guy, but he decided that breaking the law was more important to him than basketball. Lance Hurdle wasn't that guy. Finally, this year, they have a few guys that handle the ball confidently (Scott, Grant and Adams)...and what do you know, turnovers have gone down. Haith didn't cause the turnovers. He simply got better players that could handle the ball. Problem addressed.

This would seem to be the same with rebounding and shooting as well. Until Miami hits another McClinton jackpot or consistently gets top-shelf talent, they will not win in the ACC. They can't get this talent with interest in the program being abysmal - at least not consistently.

Some more good about Haith. If you argue that Haith didn't develop Gentle-Giant Dwayne Collins (yes, that is what some scouts called him), you have to give Haith credit for developing Reggie Johnson. You want to say it was Haith's fault that DeQuan Jones couldn't dribble a basketball or shoot from outside before he got to UM, fine, then you have to give him credit for the improved play of Grant, Scott and for Jack McClinton, one of the greatest 'Cane basketball players ever. Did Graham come in tough, so his ability to transition into football was easy? Or did Haith make him tough?

Now onto some of the negative stuff about Haith - and there is some negative stuff.

Offensively they are not fluid. They miss a ton of looks right around the basket. Haith calls them 'chippies' which is annoying term to me. I'd like to see him more fired up in post-game interviews and during the game. Maybe he is, as some mention, "Shannon in a Suit" - but I could easily argue that Miami's basketball program has outperformed the football team during their respective terms. Furthermore, Haith puts out a competitive team that doesn't get blown-out that much. They tend to play up or down to their opponents (which is competitive, but not a recipe for winning consistently). Sometimes his use of time-outs is suspect, but it's always easier to judge that stuff after you see what happened after.

Player rotation. I tend to harp on this - and I'm curious to see what other people think. I am sure Adrian Thomas is a fine individual. I've read about him and his battling through injuries and working to change himself from a more physical player to a shooter. He's done that. Unfortunately, he can only shoot. He does not have the lateral quickness to pop out to cover threes. The result is usually a wide open look for the opposition or a foul by Thomas.

Thomas is also a liability when he is played at the 4. He gets demolished inside and cannot rebound in traffic. Most of the fouls Reggie Johnson picks up are due to him having to leave his man to help Thomas. He gets beaten on the glass for easy put-backs and three-point plays. On offense he is terrifying when he puts the ball on the floor and has a tendency (except for some really good moments against West Virginia and BC) to miss big shots. He could really help if he played sparingly: get him a few good looks each half on designed plays and take him out. This isn't Thomas' fault. He's being overused in lieu of younger guys that will have a chance to improve in the years ahead.

People want to fire Haith, as if firing the guy will be the cure for this basketball program which has ailed for the better part of 25 years. Remember that Perry Clark unraveled all the good work Hamilton did before Haith took over. It's not like football, where the intensity and the passion is shared by the entire region. 'Canes basketball games are cheap, good entertainment, and the parking is free (a rarity in Miami).

But to be fair, Haith has had some time and opportunity, I just don't want to pull the trigger yet, because I think the talent is improving. I think the play, for the most part, is improving as well. Unless he can recruit a Durant or a Wall, the instant publicity and praise isn't going to come. I'd say assess after the year is over. I'm partial to give him next year because the sophomores (Reggie and Scott) will be heading into their collegiate primes. Haith deserves that much after sticking with a job that most coaches wouldn't want to take. He's had plenty of interest (and probably for more money) from Alabama, Georgia and Wake Forest. He's also signed until 2013 - I think Miami would eat one year, not two.

All in all, Miami isn't going to be a basketball school until it acts like one. I figured when the Bank United Center was built, it would be packed every game. That, if anything, speaks volumes.