Miami Hurricanes stars dominate ACC honors. Reneau, Donaldson, and Udeh Jr. earn prestigious accolades, showcasing their individual brilliance on the court.
The Miami Hurricanes men's basketball squad finished the regular season with a 24-7 overall record, 13-5 in ACC play. Despite falling in a 92–89 loss against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, March 7, the program found success under first-year coach Jai Lucas.
The team was led by multiple seniors, such as guard Tre Donaldson, forward Malik Reneau, and center Ernest Udeh Jr. They were key additions through the transfer portal. Each of them brought leadership and production on the court, which resulted in individual American Coast Conference accolades.
Reneau was the only senior to make First Team All-ACC; the rest were freshmen, such as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson, Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer, Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie, and Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder. He averaged 19 points on 55.9 percent shooting, 36.5 percent from three-point range, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, starting in all 31 games.
The 22-year-old was the Hurricanes’ leading scorer as the offense ran through him. He primarily operated near the rim, but shot a new career-high from behind the arc. Reneau averaged the sixth-most points among ACC players. Also, he recorded nine double-doubles, which is the most in a single season of his career.
Alongside Reneau was Donaldson, who made Second Team All-ACC. He averaged 16.8 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 35.4 percent from three-point range, 3.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals, playing in all 31 games. The 22-year-old developed into a pass-first point guard who can still score at will.
Donaldson averaged a new career-high in assists, third most among ACC players. He finished with the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio, 2.7, in the ACC.
Udeh Jr. was relied on as an enforcer in the paint on both sides of the court, whether as a lob threat or rim protector. The 22-year-old’s impact went beyond the stat sheet. He averaged 1.4 blocks, which tied for fourth best in the ACC.
In three of the last four games of the regular season, Udeh Jr. recorded at least three blocks.
Blue Devils senior forward Maliq Brown won the ACC Sixth Man of the Year award. Junior guard Tru Washington fell in third place, nine votes behind. The 21-year-old was a primary starter to begin the season, but came off the bench in the final seven games of the regular season. He averaged 11.9 points on 44.6 percent shooting, 54.5 percent from three-point range, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 assists in that span.
It’s the sixth time in program history that the Hurricanes finished with at least two All-ACC players.
Even as veterans, Donaldson, Reneau, and Udeh Jr. reached new heights.
The Hurricanes will next take the court on March 12 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. They’ll await an official opponent after securing a double-bye.
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