This past season was an unparalleled turnaround for the Hurricanes in every way under first-year head coach Jai Lucas. Inheriting a team mired in brief struggles, Miami jumped from 7-24 in 2025 to a 26-win mark last season, including a return to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Miami rebuilt the roster beautifully using the transfer portal and finished 3rd place in the ACC in the process.
It will look different
Building on that strong season will look at a bit different with these offseason departures. Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau both put up more than 16 points a game but were seniors, while Ernest Udeh is also gone after great rebounding work in the frontcourt. Beyond them, the Hurricanes will notably get both Dante Allen and Shelton Henderson back after brilliant showings as freshmen, with Henderson in particular a star to watch in the ACC.
There are a few notable freshmen coming to Miami again but it’s the transfer portal where Lucas and his staff truly thrived. One of the biggest headlines was landing Georgia center Somto Cyril heading into his junior year, while former Robert Morris forward DeSean Goode also bolsters this frontcourt. There’s great potential in players like Brent Bland from Saint Peter’s and Nick Dorn from Indiana but another guard has our attention.
Welcome to the U
A new shiny toy for the Hurricanes, Acaden Lewis is a 6-2 point guard from Washington DC who was considered a top 40 freshman recruit last offseason. He played brilliantly as a full-time starter for Villanova, putting up 12.2 points and 5.3 assists per game while helping the Wildcats to a 24-win campaign and a trip back to the NCAA Tournament.
A talented left-handed point guard, Lewis’s decision to enter the transfer portal was certainly a surprise to many but he’s landed in a pretty great place with the Hurricanes. He’s certainly got pro potential and was a fantastic facilitator for the Wildcats even as a true freshman last season. In the ACC he’ll look to take his game to the next level and will be one of the focal pieces for Miami as they look to contend for even more national relevance.
The sophomore threesome of Allen, Henderson, and Lewis gives the Hurricanes quite the potential for greatness this season. Any of those three could take a massive step forward into this upcoming year, and if they all live up to that hype it could be a truly special year for a program that was just in the Final Four only three years ago. Throw in Cyril and a few other key pieces and Miami actually looks pretty good if everything comes together.
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