In spring 1990, however, Miami made the first step in its college basketball turn-around by hiring Leonard Hamilton, then coach at Oklahoma State. Hamilton had rebuilt the Cowboy program to respectable levels, and had also assisted on some of the great Kentucky teams in the 1970's.

What lay ahead was the unenviable task of building a program from scratch. But with an incredible work ethic and an unmatched interest for each individual athlete, Hamilton began to lure some solid talent to Miami.

The Hurricanes still struggled to compete--especially after joining the basketball-rich Big East conference--continually finishing under .500. They were still thirsting for a bona fide star to take a chance and join the team.

Then, in 1994, Hamilton and the Hurricanes found the answer to its prayers--local high school star Tim James.

Upon graduating from Miami's Northwestern High School, the 6'7 James was one of the most sought after athletes in the nation. He was a First Team All-State selection in Florida, as well as a "Parade Magazine" Third Team All-American, finishing as the school's all-time leader in points (2,358), rebounds (1170) and blocked shots (714).

James' exploits were not limited to the basketball court, however. This super talent also earned First Team All-State honors in track with a high jump performance of 6'10 his senior year. James also jumped a state record 7'2 during his junior year.

Despite receiving numerous scholarship offers from schools rich with basketball tradition such as Connecticut and Syracuse, James surprised everyone by deciding to stay at home and join a UM team that had just completed an 0-18 Big East season.

Little did anyone know this 18-year-old's decision would be the catalyst for the program's stunning ascent to its spot among the college basketball elite.