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Miami team report
Big East report | NCAA Tournament report
Report: Tyler will miss 15 gamesElton Tyler, the team's top returning scorer, was not permitted to enroll in fall classes, meaning he can't practice with the team and will miss at least the first 15 games of the season, according to The Palm Beach Post. Tyler, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 10.1 points and 5.5 rebounds last season, will not be permitted to practice until he re-enrolls and spring semester classes start on Jan. 15. He had been suspended for the fall semester for undisclosed academic reasons. He would miss more than half his senior season, meaning a redshirt year is a possibility, but coach Perry Clark said he has made no decision on the redshirt status of Tyler. Tyler is one of two returning starters for the Hurricanes, who are coming off a 23-11 season that saw them win the Big East and reach the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. He blocked 34 shots last year. A glance at 2001Replacing the Big Three of Mario Bland, Johnny Hemsley and Vernon Jennings will be tough. But not as tough as replacing coach Leonard Hamilton. After signing a seven-year contract extension in April, Hamilton found himself negotiating a $1 million buyout with Miami in June to give him the freedom to accept a five-year pact to coach the Washington Wizards. Hamilton's departure could have come at a better time, but at least the school has an extra million dollars to pay a replacement. And the program is in much better shape than it was when he arrived in 1990. Hamilton received the contract extension after Miami went 23-11 for its sixth straight winning season and earned its third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. The Hurricanes made it to the NCAA's final 16 for the first time in school history. He had been pursued by other programs -- notably Georgia Tech -- but he responded by agreeing to the long-term deal with Miami ... which turned out to be an incredibly short-term deal. The coachAfter a search that took many twists and turns -- from Rick Barry campaigning for the job to Rick Pitino's flirtations -- the Miami Hurricanes finally landed their man. And after all the rumors (what was that about Denny Crum?) athletic director Paul Dee made a sensible decision, plucking Perry Clark from Tulane, where he had turned the Green Wave into consistent winners in his 11-year stay. The former Georgia Tech assistant was also a finalist for jobs at Georgia Tech and Illinois and beat out finalists Gary Waters of Kent, Seth Greenberg of South Florida and Miami interim coach Dwight Freeman. Clark, who has close ties to the man he is replacing, new Washington Wizards coach Leonard Hamilton, knows there is pressure to win immediately. Hamilton built the once-moribund Hurricane into an annual Big East contender and earned two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Clark led the Wave to its only three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1992, 1993 and 1995. Since then, however, the team has struggled to make it back, and was ignored last season despite posting 20 wins. Clark had a nice 11 years in Tulane and comes into Miami expected to win immediately. He built Tulane from the ground up, so he knows a thing or two about pressure. Who'll be backMiami will look to forwards John Salmons and Elton Tyler (if he plays at all) to continue their development and become prime-time players. They will get help from this year's crop of reserves. James Jones played some inspired ball late in the season, while Joao Paulo Coelho showed he could be lethal if he gets untracked. Leroy Hurd is a nice all-around talent. And Dwayne Wimbley does all the dirty work down low. Who's goneLosing Bland, Hemsley and Jennings means that Miami is losing 12 seasons of experience and 40 points per game. Their departures will be difficult to overcome. Key newcomersHamilton did a commendable job recruiting the past few seasons, and he's left the Hurricanes in tremendous shape. Here are some of the top finds for next season:
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