Three years ago Miami made the first Final Four run in program history, a real punctuation mark on the fantastic coaching career of Jim Larranaga. What followed were two underwhelming seasons for the Hurricanes as they fell far out of contention in the ACC. Not knowing where exactly to turn, the program put its future in the hands of Jai Lucas.
The history behind the coach
A former point guard at Florida, Texas, and a few professional teams, Lucas wasn’t exactly an impending force at 5-10 but has turned into quite the force on the recruiting trails as a coach. He spent nearly a decade leading recruiting efforts on the staffs of Texas, Kentucky, and Duke, three of the most prominent programs in the nation. Last offseason Miami finally gave him his chance to run his own show.
His Hurricanes used the transfer portal beautifully right off the bat, bringing in some experienced talent and producing a 26-win season and a trip to the second round of the Big Dance. Coming off a 7-24 season, this was unquestionably a monumental step forward and a positive indictment on Lucas’s role with this program, a step he hopes is only the beginning.
Strong in the portal
Miami has outdone themselves once again in the transfer portal and it was necessary after losing most of the talent from last season. Star freshman Shelton Henderson is back after averaging nearly 14 points a game last season, but the Hurricanes needed to replace the production of outgoing stars Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau among others.
Enter a stacked transfer class led by former Villanova point guard Acaden Lewis and 6-11 Georgia center Somto Cyril. Those two both have a chance to be monumental playmakers for the Hurricanes, with Cyril immediately becoming a figurehead around the rim while Lewis runs the point. Returning piece Dante Allen looked great as a freshman but isn’t the only notable guard we’re thinking about.
The transfer class additions included three more backcourt pieces and the most notable is probably Brent Bland, who scored nearly 14 points a game at Saint Peter’s and brings a veteran presence. Throw in Indiana’s Nick Dorn and Bucknell’s Quin Berger and there’s a lot of experience and raw talent across the board. We didn’t even mention that big boost from DeSean Goode, a former Robert Morris forward who put up big numbers and likely finds significant minutes as a junior.
Long standing in the game
Involved in college basketball for nearly two decades, Lucas is making his presence felt everywhere he goes. He was a great piece in Austin, both as a Texas guard and on Shaka Smart’s coaching staff. He helped John Calipari’s recruiting for two seasons and was the first non-Blue Devil player on Duke’s coaching staff in many years. Now he’s gotten Miami into ACC contention off the jump and should have another team that can win important games if everything comes together.
Not including Jon Scheyer and his early work with the Blue Devils, is there a coach you’d rather have at any ACC program than Jai Lucas? Time will tell just what his own legacy will be but at just 37 years old he has plenty of time to write those chapters.
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