From empty roster to top 25. Discover how Coach Lucas built a winning culture with portal talent, sparking a historic Miami Hurricanes turnaround.
The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball program underwent a historic turnaround season. They finished with a 26-9 overall record, finished third in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2023 “Final Four” run. Despite going unranked for a majority of the season, they made the top-25 list in two polls following the National Championship game:
Associated Press: No. 24
USA Today: No. 22
The team managed to surpass expectations, especially under first-year head coach Jai Lucas. He inherited a program that went 7-24 overall before taking over. After taking the job, all the players entered the transfer portal, leaving him an empty roster. However, the former Kentucky Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils assistant took the challenge head-on.
Coach Lucas recruited several impactful players through the transfer portal, including seniors Tre Donaldson, Malik Reneau, Ernest Udeh Jr., and junior Tru Washington. Along with them came a couple of talented freshmen in five-star forward Shelton Henderson and four-star guard Dante Allen.
After filling the rest of the roster, coach Lucas managed to take a team with no chemistry into a competitive unit.
Reneau led the team with 18.9 points on 54 percent shooting, 39 percent from three-point range, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 35 games played. The Miami native earned All-ACC First Team honors. Donaldson followed with 16.4 points on 45.4 percent shooting, 35.9 percent from three-point range, 3.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.4 steals in 35 games played. The 22-year-old earned All-ACC Second Team honors.
In a regular-season matchup against the Virginia Tech Hokies, Donaldson scored a career-high 32 points, which led the team to a 67-66 victory.
Despite falling short of a “Sweet 16” appearance after a 79-69 outing against the Purdue Boilermakers in the Round of 32, the program established a new winning culture, foundation, and standard.
As the transfer portal officially opened on Tuesday, April 7, Henderson and Allen committed to returning to the Hurricanes for next season. Also, the program has an incoming five-star freshman and Miami native forward Galeb Gaskins.
As coach Lucas looks to revamp the roster again, the Hurricanes are expected to remain competitive. They will likely enter the top-25 list when it is released during the preseason.
It’s a new chapter within the program, looking to reach new heights. Coach Lucas will have an opportunity to keep the trajectory going up, especially by bringing in the right players.
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: