While this program did reach the Final Four back in 2023, the last few years under Jim Larranaga were quite dry for the Hurricanes. Fortunately, Jai Lucas has immediately captivated Miami back into notoriety in just his first season as a collegiate head coach and the elite recruiter has the program back in contention in the ACC once again.
Year one under Lucas’s leadership was a massive improvement and that’s putting it lighting. Fresh off a 7-win season, the Hurricanes engineered one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent memory, finishing 26-9 while nabbing 3rd place in the ACC. The Hurricanes were back in the Big Dance for the first time since that deep Tourney run, falling to Purdue in the second round.
As you’d expect in this era, Miami’s roster will look plenty different heading into this season. A few important pieces like Tre Donaldson and Ernest Udeh ended their careers while others like Tru Washington fled in the portal. Regardless, there are a few important young players coming back and a surprise return that’s pending an eligibility ruling.
Things went really well in the transfer portal as well as on the recruiting trail, though that’s not a big surprise for someone of Lucas’s pedigree. The expectations will certainly be higher for the Hurricanes heading into this new season and we’ll see how Miami handles that pressure. You’ll see just what this new talent entails, but this is certainly a team that can win the ACC.
Projected Starters
Guard – Acaden Lewis (Sophomore)
One of the major achievements of this offseason for Miami was landing Lewis, a former Top 40 prospect and a point guard with plenty of potential. He was Villanova’s starter at the point last year and was pretty good, averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 during his first taste of college ball. Lewis was a major factor on a talented Wildcats squad and should even more impressive with the Hurricanes, especially if he can improve his shooting ability.
Guard – Dante Allen (Sophomore)
Another young weapon to watch in the backcourt, Allen joined the Hurricanes last season and came highly revered. The Miami native put up 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds and worked his way into a bigger role later in the season. Expect even more explosiveness and playmaking ability out of Allen, who just might develop into an elite pure scorer by the end of his career.
Forward – Shelton Henderson (Sophomore)
Yet another rising name, Henderson was also a high ranking recruit from last season looking for a breakthrough in his sophomore season. Already a starter in this frontcourt as a freshman, Henderson averaged 13.8 points and 4.9 rebounds and is looking for even more. He’s a wing with great size and future potential and you’ll be hearing a lot more from him this season.
Forward – Caleb Gaskins (Freshman)
The latest major recruiting victory for the Hurricanes comes in the form of Gaskins, a 5-star small forward from Melbourne, Florida. During a standout high school career he emerged as an elite shooter with fantastic physical gifts and playmaking ability. While it’s uncertain if he’ll actually start, expect him to make himself known on both sides of the ball.
Center – Somto Cyril (Junior)
A 6-11 center originally from Nigeria, Cyril joins Miami this season after a pair of seasons over at Georgia in the SEC. He got a real opportunity as the Bulldogs’ starting center last year and didn’t waste it, averaging 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and an SEC-best 2.2 blocks per game. Cyril brings a monumental presence in the paint and an ability to affect the game on both ends, having also led the league with his 76% field goal mark.
Key Reserves
Forward – DeSean Goode (Junior)
He may fly under the radar a bit more than those previously mentioned transfers but Goode could play a major role in Miami this year. His first two seasons came in the Horizon League, with a fine start at IU Indy before exploding at Robert Morris. Goode put up 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds, becoming the Horizon League Player of the Year while leading the league in rebounding and field goal percentage. Don’t expect those same numbers in the ACC, but the same athleticism and hard work inside the arc.
Guard – Brent Bland (Senior)
Thanks to a redshirt and an injury, Bland gets another shot and heads to Miami after four years on the court with Saint Peter’s. The native New Yorker finally took a big step forward last season, contributing 13.9 points and 5.0 rebounds as a full-time starter for the Peacocks. We’re not expecting Bland to become a star in the ACC but he provides notable backcourt depth and did make 37% of his 3-pointers.
Guard – Nick Dorn (Senior)
Earlier in his career, Dorn averaged more than 15 points a game at Elon before putting up decent production at Indiana last season. With the Hoosiers, Dorn averaged 8.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and made 38% of his 3-pointers. Now a senior, he adds versatility, depth, and more veteran experience for this lineup, getting a former Big Ten player.
Forward – Malik Reneau (Senior)
If he’s ruled eligible, there’s no question that Reneau is the starter at the 4, but we’re still wondering if he’ll get that fifth year. After three years with Indiana, he exploded onto the scene with the Hurricanes last season by averaging 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds, becoming an important scorer and leader for that bounce back campaign. If Miami actually gets him for the full season, then this team might have more significant expectations.
Forward – Robert Miller III (Junior)
More frontcourt depth is always important, thus getting Miller over from LSU was another good move for Lucas and his staff. A 6-10 forward from Houston, he spent the last two seasons largely as a bench piece for the Tigers, including 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore last year. Miller is another former 4-star prospect who can certainly play a significant role on this team.
Schedule Outlook
If you’re hoping the Hurricanes will ease into the regular season, then you’re going to be disappointed because they’ll play Florida on opening night as part of the Tip-Off Classic in Tampa. The good news is that after that things calm down for a few weeks, with five straight games in Coral Gables against mid-major opposition.
The excitement ramps up right away again over the Thanksgiving weekend with Miami heading to Las Vegas for the Players Era 16. They’ll open that event against TCU, face off with either Creighton or Michigan, and then get a third and potentially fourth game in the event. We’ll learn plenty about the potential of this team during that trip to the desert.
It’s right back into the fire on December 2nd, hosting Alabama as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge. Sandwiched around a few more mid-major tune-ups is Houston Hoopfest, as Miami takes on Texas on December 12th. ACC play will then begin right before New Year’s and be quite the wild ride.
The schedule makers did the Hurricanes dirty this season, as they’ll only play Duke, Louisville, and North Carolina on the road. The unbalanced ACC schedule sees them get two looks each at Florida State and Pittsburgh while not facing Boston College at all. Miami will really have to dig deep in some of those hostile road environments and even have a west coast road trip at Stanford and California as well.
Season Outlook
There are a few different ways to look at Miami and we’ll do our best to consider both sides of the coin. The starting lineup we shared has great potential and none of those five players will even be seniors this season. You could easily argue that Lewis is among the top point guards in the ACC already as a sophomore while there are other rising stars in the lineup.
However, if Reneau is ruled eligible then things might look even more appetizing in Coral Gables. Getting back a player fresh off that kind of season while also a veteran presence for a lineup filled with younger players would be incredible. Miami has the raw talent to be a fantastic team if everything comes together, though it’d be interesting to see if its Gaskins or someone else picking up the scoring if Reneau is ineligible.
Getting Cyril as the anchor in the frontcourt was an underrated victory and he’ll sorely be missed by Georgia. It’s a Miami squad leaning heavily on players like Gaskins and Henderson to continue emerging and living up to high expectations, but it’s hard not to be excited by the potential here. If everything does come together, we just might be talking about this Miami team as a second or third weekend candidate.
A lot needs to go right and we’re still talking about a relatively youthful squad. Lucas and company didn’t bring in a bunch of seniors and fifth-year players with tons of experience but have the raw talent to compete with nearly anybody in the country. The plan succeeded last season with those 26 wins and there might be even more talent in Miami this year.
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