5. Miami Hurricanes
Last season was a monumental leap in the right direction in Jai Lucas’s first year as head coach of the Hurricanes. The first-time head coach inherited a team that won just 7 games, leading the Hurricanes to a 26-9 mark and 3rd place in the ACC. It shouldn’t be surprising to hear that transfers like Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau played major roles in that turnaround but Lucas and his staff outdid themselves this time around with these additions.
The big gain here is Somto Cyril, the 6-11 center from Georgia who was already showing promise as a sophomore next season and could take a bigger step forward as an upperclassman. Another very significant new face in town is Acaden Lewis, who was a highly-touted prospect at Villanova as a freshman last year, putting up double figures while running the point.
DeSean Goode from Robert Morris averaged 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and adds even more depth and strength to the frontcourt. There’s a slew of other new guards as well, highlighted by Brent Bland, who averaged just a hair under 14 points a game at Saint Peter’s. Former Indiana guard Nick Dorn brings experience while Bucknell’s Quin Berger will fight for a shot at notable minutes.
It’s been a wild ride recently for Miami and they seem to be back on top of the roller coaster. Revered for his work as a recruiter, Lucas has been as advertised and got this program on the right track. How year two transpires will depend heavily on Cyril and Lewis and these other new faces, though that pair alone makes this a big winning offseason in Miami. Put everything together and this team could challenge for the ACC crown.
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