The way Kenny Kadji sees it, Miami's seed for the NCAA Tournament has never made a difference to the Hurricanes.
They were playing to get put in the best position to make a run in the tournament, but the number next to their name and where they were sent to play wasn't going to change their mindsets one bit.
"They could make us No. 1 on the planet and we're still going to play the way we play," Kadji said Sunday afternoon following the Hurricanes' victory over North Carolina to win the ACC championship.
Miami's near disregard about how it's perceived by pundits and observers across the nation is quite fascinating, and is an integral component to how the 'Canes play. That can be addressed two ways: Its approach on the floor; and its mental disposition.
The latter is what Kadji was talking about, and is a topic any Hurricane will gladly discuss. Long ago they embraced the idea of being the overlooked program, the disrespected one, the football school with no basketball tradition. And so on.
So their rallying point all season has been a gigantic chip on their collective shoulders, a chip that fell off for a couple of weeks only to return in Greensboro, NC, this past weekend. The key for the Canes moving forward is maintaining that must-show-the-world disposition as much as rebounding, shooting and general on-court execution.
"We're like a rag-doll team in some ways," said sixth-year senior center Julian Gamble before laughing. "What I mean is that some of us don't look like your typical players you see on (big-time) teams. The wording on our uniforms… We're different, and we like that.
"We love being who we are. We love being each other's teammates, and really being each other's brothers. We love our coach, and he's even different… And we're fine admitting we use it all as motivation."
Miami (27-6) earned the No. 2 seed in the East but must first square off with Pacific (22-12), the champions of the Big West. But the 'Canes can't overlook the Tigers. They must avoid carrying the same attitude into this game as they did when getting blown out at Wake Forest a month ago. Pacific is better than Wake, and the pressure will mount quickly if Miami doesn't take care of business.
Pacific has beaten Xavier, St. Mary's, Nevada and California, and the Tigers' top 13 scorers are junior or seniors, so they shouldn't be intimidated and should get Miami's full attention. How far the Hurricanes advance in this tournament, however, will depend on them.
No team is older, and while only Gamble has ever played in an NCAA Tournament game – he did that as a freshman in 2008 – Miami's experience and that it won the ACC regular season and tournament titles speaks volumes about this group.
And perhaps no club is better built to handle anything thrown its way. Wanna play a slow, grind-it-out game? The 'Canes will oblige. How about a fast, up-tempo style? Miami is comfortable doing that, too?
Miami can beat teams down low, on the perimeter, physically and cerebrally. There isn't any style the Hurricanes can't play.
"They are so diverse because they have no weaknesses," said North Carolina guard Dexter Strickland. "They are big but quick, they can rebound but will shoot the 3s… They're a great team."
Great has yet been attained, but they are certainly unappreciated nationally. Often ridiculed for losing in November at Florida Gulf Coast, but FGC has an RPI of 94 and is in the NCAA Tournament.
The 'Canes also struggled in losses to Arizona and Indiana State just before Christmas in Hawaii. Forward Reggie Johnson had just gotten broken his hand and the team was shocked and trying to adjust on the fly while also dealing with a major flu bug that had half the players getting sick instead of enjoying the Hawaiian sun.
No excuses, Durand Scott likes, to say, "It's just what happened."
And now Miami and its No. 2 seed in the East can change all of those minds with a simple run many of its player believe is their destiny.
