Miami has been in a free fall in the ACC, playing with a short-handed roster.

The Hurricanes (11-10 overall, 3-8 ACC) have lost seven out of nine games in the ACC. The three league wins have come at Clemson, and home games against Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.

NC State cruised to a 80-63 home win against Miami on Jan. 15. That was the start of losing five out of six contests. Redshirt junior post player D.J. Funderburk led the Wolfpack with 19 points and eight boards. Junior point guard Chris Lykes paced the Hurricanes with 20 points.

NC State (14-8 overall, 5-6 ACC) plays at Miami at 8:30 p.m. tonight on the ACC Network.

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Miami has been playing without two players from its “Big Three” — Lykes and redshirt junior wing Kameron McGusty. Lykes hasn’t played since Jan. 21 due to a groin injury and McGusty missed Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh with a back injury (he’s sat out two of last three games).

Senior wing Dejan Vasiljevic is the third player and is averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and shooting 39.0 percent from the field. Miami has welcomed back Florida graduate transfer Keith Stone, who is the third post player for the Hurricanes.

Rankings

In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, Miami is ranked No. 104 in the country this season.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has Miami ranked No. 104, and KenPom.com has the Hurricanes at No. 114.

Miami is ranked No. 54 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com.

Shooting

Miami is eighth in the league with 71.0 points per game, sixth at 44.0 percent from the field and eighth at 33.6 percent on three-pointers this season. The Hurricanes are tough at the free-throw line, making 74.8 percent, which is second in the league. However, the Hurricanes’ 345 free-throw attempts ranks 12th.

Vasiljevic will let it fly from deep and is 53 of 136 on three-pointers for 39.0 percent. Freshman guard Isaiah Wong is 9 of 23 for 39.1 percent, but but the Hurricanes will need Lykes and McGusty for long-range shooting.

Rebounding

The Hurricanes are last in the ACC in rebounding (33.2 per game) and 14th in rebounding margin (minus-5.2). Miami did grab 17 offensive rebounds and had 40 for the game in the first meeting against NC State.

Junior power forward Sam Waardenburg is averaging a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game, and redshirt junior center Rodney Miller chips in 5.8 boards a game. The 6-10, 216-pound Waardenburg has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in five contests.

Defense

Miami has the worst defense in the ACC in allowing 73.9 points per game, and the Hurricanes are also poor in the percentages. Miami ranks 15th in the league in allowing 45.3 percent from the field, and 14th in three-point field-goal percentage at 34.0 percent.

Waardenburg leads Miami with 23 blocks and Miller has 15. Seven players have at least 10 steals with Lykes leading the way with 21.

Depth

The injuries to Lykes and McGusty caused Miami to move freshmen guards Isaiah Wong and Harland Beverly into the starting lineup. If both Lykes and McGusty are back tonight, the Hurricanes will be able to play eight players.

Freshman power forward Anthony Walker didn’t play in the first game due to a “dnp-cd” but has rejoined the rotation. The 6-9, 210-pounder has played at least 13 minutes in four of the last five games, and had 14 points in the 94-71 loss at North Carolina on Jan. 25. The 6-8, 244-pound Stone has appeared in eight game this season, including the last two.

Senior wing Dejan Vasiljevic might have felt like the last guy standing Sunday at Pittsburgh.

The 6-3, 184-pounder from Melbourne, Australia, is averaging a career-high 14.2 points per game, and shooting 39.0 percent on three-pointers and 91.5 percent at the free-throw line. His first miss of the season at the line came against NC State, but he finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

Vasiljevic has cracked 20-plus points in three games this season, with a season-high 25 points in a 74-70 win over Missouri State on Nov. 21. He had 20 points and went 6 of 9 on three-pointers in the 81-79 win at Illinois on Dec. 2.

Vasiljevic has been cold of late from three-point land, which might be due in part to playing without junior point guard Chris Lykes. He’s 6 of 27 on three-pointers over his last four games. He has picked up his rebounding of late, nine rebounds against Pittsburgh and he had seven boards in the win over Virginia Tech.

NC State done a good job against Vasiljevic in the past, with him combining for 15 points in four games his first three year. He went just 1 of 5 for six points in a 87-82 Wolfpack victory last year. He was 2 of 7 for six points in 15 minutes played in a win over NC State his sophomore year.

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 12.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.4 apg, 2.0 spg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 13.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.5 spg)

G — 24 Devon Daniels (6-5, 205, R-Jr., 11.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.7 spg)

F — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205, Soph., 9.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 apg)

C — 0 D.J. Funderburk (6-10, 225, R-Jr., 13.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.4 apg)

Miami

PG — 2 Isaiah Wong (6-3, 170, Fr., 4.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg)

SG — 1 Dejan Vasiljevic (6-3, 184, Sr., 14.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.0 apg)

G — 5 Harlond Beverly (6-4, 185, Fr., 7.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.4 apg)

PF — 21 Sam Waardenburg (6-10, 216, Jr., 6.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 bpg)

C — 14 Rodney Miller (7-0, 255, Jr., 7.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.4 apg)

2: Starting lineups Miami has used this season. The recent injuries broke up a 18-game streak of the same starting five players (8-10 record).

14.7: Points per game for Miami freshman guard Isaiah Wong in three starts while filling in for the injured Chris Lykes.

$9,500: Money raised by senior wing Dejan Vasiljevic on his GoFundMe account for New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia. He is donating $5 for every three-pointer he makes in ACC play.

A redshirt season has really made a huge difference for Rodney Miller.

The 7-0, 255-pounder has always been at the right kind of colleges and playing with powerful traveling teams, but he wasn’t really getting an active role.

Miller started his prep career at Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict’s and then made his way to Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy. Miller, who is from Laurelton, N.Y., also played with the New York Lightning in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. Attention came his way early due to his terrific size.

Miller picked Miami but managed just 32 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks his first two years. He was the epitome of a “project.” He redshirted and probably wasn’t expected to have such a large role this season, but injuries to Deng Gak and Keith Stone have led to Miller averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 25.0 minutes per game. He had 16 points and seven boards in the first meeting against NC State, and has proven that isn’t a fluke.

Miller has reached double figures in five of his last six games, including going for 13 points and 13 rebounds in the 89-59 loss at Duke on Jan. 21. He also just had 16 points in the loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

NC State will have redshirt junior D.J. Funderburk and redshirt freshman Manny Bates to combat Miller tonight. The 6-10, 225-pound Funderburk is averaging 13.0 points and 6.1 rebounds this season, and he had 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Louisville on Saturday.

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