Overcoming a tumultuous offseason, the Miami Hurricanes embark on March Madness, aiming to rewrite program history in their challenging opening-round matchup.
The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball squad has surpassed expectations all year. After an offseason without any returning players and hiring first-time head coach Jai Lucas, the program experienced a complete turnaround. They finished with a 24-7 regular season record, 13-5 in ACC play.
Despite falling short of the ACC Championship game after an 84–62 loss against the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers on Friday, March 13, the Hurricanes would have an opportunity to bounce back on a bigger stage. It was officially announced on Sunday that the Selection Committee placed them in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket, taking the seventh seed, facing the 10-seed Missouri Tigers in St. Louis, Missouri.
This marks the Hurricanes’ 12th appearance in the “March Madness” dance since the 1985 expansion to 64 teams. Tre Donaldson, Tru Washington, Malik Reneau, and Ernest Udeh Jr. have experience in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve delivered leadership and production throughout the season, which will be heavily relied upon entering a hostile environment.
Donaldson went the farthest, reaching the “Sweet 16” with the Big 10 champion Michigan Wolverines last season. He averaged 8.3 points on 33.3 percent shooting, 30.8 percent from three-point range, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 29.7 minutes, starting in all three games.
It’s not often that the lower seed gets home-court advantage.
The Tigers finished with a 20-11 overall regular-season record, 10-8 in SEC play. Despite a first-round bye in the tournament, they suffered a 78–72 loss against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round. The team averaged 79.7 points, the fifth-fewest in the Southerneaster Conference, but only allowed 75.3, fifth-best. The Tigers finished with the seventh-highest three-point percentage, 35, but gave up 36.5 percent, which tied for the worst in the SEC.
The Hurricanes thrive with points off turnovers, which could be an advantage against the Tigers, who averaged 12.38 a game, the worst in the SEC. Senior forward Mark Mitchell is statistically the team’s best player: 18.3 points on 55.1 percent shooting, 35.6 percent from three-point range, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He has experience in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the “Elite 8” during the 2023-24 season with the Duke Blue Devils. Mitchell averaged 6.3 points on 45 percent shooting from the field, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and a steal in four games.
Coach Lucas has led the Hurricanes to overcome the odds all season. A stunt past the first round of “March Madness” would establish a higher standard for the program moving forward.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our RoundTable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
More Miami Hurricanes News: