Miami's trip to the Final Four: How Hurricanes made it to the semifinals of NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament

The Miami Hurricanes have largely been recognized for their achievements on the gridiron, but come this weekend in Houston, the 'Canes will usher in a new chapter, and it's taking place on the court. With their loss in the Elite Eight last season still serving as a chip on their shoulder, Miami stormed their way through the NCAA Tournament to win the Midwest Region and set up a date to battle for a national championship.

Let's take a brief rewind and look back on how the Hurricanes punched their ticket to their first Final Four appearance in school history.

First Round

You could make the argument that the Hurricanes fended off their fiercest competitor back at the start of the tournament. Miami was on the ropes against No. 12 Drake, who led by five points at halftime and held a seven-point lead with 12 minutes to play. Nijel Pack put the Canes on his back as he scored 21 points to help Miami rally to a seven-point victory. Pack's heroics were highlighted by sinking the go-ahead jumper and a pair of free throws in the final minute to help his team advance to the second round.

Round of 32

No. 4 Indiana did not pose nearly as much of a threat in the second round, as Miami's core trio of Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller, and Pack combined for 58 points in an 85-69 thrashing of the Hoosiers. The Hurricanes shot 48.6 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from deep as they completely outworked Indiana on the glass. They would go on to outrebound the Hoosiers 48-to-31 in the win.

Sweet Sixteen

The Hurricanes saw the rest of the field dispatch the No. 1 seeds one-by-one and decided they wanted to join in on the fun themselves. All five starters for the Hurricanes scored in double figures while No. 1 seeded Houston saw their best offensive players struggle all night long to find the bottom of the net. The Cougars shot just 29 percent from deep as the Hurricanes sent them home to the tune of an 89-75 final score.

Elite Eight

The Hurricanes finally erased the ghosts of their past in advancing past the Elite Eight, with No. 2 seeded Texas serving at their expense. Miami would go on to win 88-81, but it took a heroic performance from Jordan Miller to cut down the nets. The Longhorns held a 13-point lead in the second half, but thanks to a literal perfect performance from Miller (27 points, 7-7 shooting, 13-13 free throws) the Hurricanes rallied to take the win, despite not making a single three-pointer in the second half comeback.

  
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