Major UM recruiting news; Heat news, including skinny on the Heat's 2012-13 schedule

A quick Monday update:

The Heat will play host to Oklahoma City in a Christmas Day NBA Finals rematch, according to several league sources that have seen the NBA’s tentative schedule due to be released this week.

That Heat-Thunder game is set for 5:30 p.m. on ABC.

Though the league has the right to change anything before the schedule is released Wednesday or Thursday, the schedule being circulated around the league has the Heat playing the first game of the NBA season, at home against the Boston Celtics, at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30. That game would be on TNT.

If they follow protocol of most NBA champions, the Heat will receive its championship rings that night. The game not only would be a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals, but also Heat guard Ray Allen’s first game against his former team.

The last time the Heat won the championship (2006), it lost its first game of the following season, 108-66, at home against Chicago.

The Heat’s opening-week schedule will have one other marquee game: Miami will visit the Knicks on Friday, Nov. 2, with ESPN televising.

Other tidbits: The Heat will play a New Year's Eve day game at Orlando, and the Lakers will visit Feb. 10.

UM NEWS

UM has landed its first oral commitment from a South Florida player in the top 100 of national prospects. Northwestern cornerback Artie Burns, ESPN's 69th best prospect in the nation, orally committed to UM today. 

University School defensive tackle Maquedius Bain, who de-committed from FSU recently, also is strongly considering UM. ESPN has him 41st among all prospects.

UM now has two oral commitments among the nation's 100 prospects. The others are New Jersey quarterback Kevin Olsen (67) and Tampa area receiver/tight end Travis Johnson (77).

Carol City assistant coach Dennis Alexander said UM informed him Monday that it has changed its mind and wants high-scoring combo guard DeAndre Burnett to enroll at UM in August instead of going to prep school for a year. “DeAndre is excited,” Alexander said. “It’s 95 percent set that he’s going to UM” this fall.

Burnett, who averaged 36.2 points and was third in the nation in scoring at one point, would fill the slot vacated by UM’s decision to part ways with New York guard Melvin Johnson, who was cut loose for academic reasons. The graduation of Malcolm Grant could create immediate playing time for Burnett, behind Durand Scott, Rion Brown and Shane Larkin.

### A close associate of Randy Shannon told us this morning he has taken the linebackers job at TCU.

TCU has refused to confirm it, but ESPN and other outlets are now saying a deal is being finalized.

### For lots of Dolphins and UM/NCAA news, see our last post.

Comments

[Home on the Herald]

Great Job exposing the Sun Sentinel at the scum they are

Omar Coconut Head Kelly is the worst at stealing other's material

Omar made a living stealing bloggers phrases and insight and putting his own name on it. lol

Omar is the worst evaluater of talent Home has ever witnessed
U would think this hypocrite Bible thumper one minute then Twittering he wants to punch someone else or lie and cheat on his wife the next would understand after his entire following left him that he is an arrogant pompous proven poor evaluator of talent and insight of the Dolphins

Could Omar be any more wrong? lol

Thank God for Barry, Armando, Ben and Ethan !

Go Phins!

[Nando]

Thanks for calling out Ira and the Sun Sentinel Barry. We, the readers appreciate your reporting of Heat (and other local sports) news. You are at the top of my list along with Tim and Ethan when it comes to the Heat. Ira's stories? no substance or background; only personal opinions in the form of facts.

[Home on the Herald]

Omar is a racist and there is no room for that in todays society

Ban the Sun Sentinel and Omar, The Braided Coconut who cannot report local sports but offer some twisted misinformation and tell us every year for 3 yrs in a row that now 105th ranked CB sean smith is going to the Pro Bowl, even though CB Smith NEVER even received one vote except in Omar's vicarious world where he is a former player, scout and GM

LMAO!

Be great when the racist Omar leaves town :)

[Home on the Herald]

Home wishes

Barry had a Miami Dolphin blog as well

Mando has good material, but Barry does seem to always get the scoop and has much more fresh info than his peers

and for the record
Regrettably
Home believes the Miami Dolphins will finish last in the AFC EAST this season

[omaximus]

Barry thanks for the constant updates and for providing more inside info than all other S. Fla "journalists' combined. As the Herald crumbles around you and the Sentinel is most useful for lining the bottom of birdcages, it is great to have you producing informative, interesting content. Your work really stands out.

Really shameful behavior by the Sun Sentinel but no surprise considering their reduced sports coverage. Its obvious to anyone with a brain that Ira Winderman has no interest in doing any real reporting. He is content to rest on his laurels of 20 years of heat coverage and fill his columns with regurgitated speculation and items "learned" (read stolen) from harder-working reporters.

[Home on the Herald]

Weeden is a far better NFL QB than TannyREACH who has already earned a spot on the bench for the next two or three years unless he is cut altogether from the NFL just like Ireland's other QB, Pat White that he drafted two years ago

Weeden beat Luck, RG3 and Tannehill in college, yet Ireland picked the guy that lost 6 out of 6 games his last year in college, anointed him to a 1st round pick at #8

What a REACH!

and now def a BUST as TanneREACH is NOT AN NFL QB

then LT Martin

lol

Did the Dolphin need a weak LT?

No
of course not they already have Jake Long

So how bout putting the weak LT at RT?

Well, prob is Martin cannot play RT and is getting tossed around by below avg defensive linemen

So why again did Jeffrey pick a QB who is a proven college loser that is slow & inaccurate and a
weak LT that we did not need?

and then trade B-Marsh for a rookie TE that cannot block?

So all u jaded Miami Dolphin fans,
Tell Home once again how Jefferey had a good draft!

and for the record
both of Jeffery's WR picks in the draft,
will not be playing WR for Miami this year

ROTFALMAO or just puke at the thought of Jeff Ireland being in charge or our HOME team

have a HAARPy day :(

[omaximus]

Forgot to mention that the quality of the Herald Dolphins blog is much higher when you are filling in. The contrast is not flattering for Armando. Speculation is no substitute for facts and sources and accurate information.

[Home on the Herald]

Celtics fans will be disappointed by not having their annual Christmas day game

However their time has come and gone and the Heat are the best team in the NBA

OKC will be a much better match up on X-mas day

Heat can start the year by beating Boston :)

Go Heat!
Go Barry!

[Home on the Herald]

Agree w omaximus

Barry somehow always finds relevant facts and in depth intriguing info on a regular basis

Other reporters are assuming, reaching or simply posting drivel

Not sure how he does it, but Barry's Got Game every week!

[David M.]

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[TheSergeantMajor]

Great updates Barry. Thanks and keep up he good work.

[TheSergeantMajor]

No edit button. Change "he" to read "the" above. My bad.

[OlSage]

Home on the Herald had a very unhappy life to make him/her so negative. Is your mother a prostitute?

[Home on the Herald]

only to my father ;)

Home is positive on the Miami Heat, the Patriots, the Eagles, the Bears, Tim Tebow, Chad Johnson, Matt Moore
and the future GM for the Miami Dolphinns

:)
and of course Barry Jackson bringin it to us FRESH!