A year ago, Jai Lucas walked into a Miami program that had just gone 7-24 and had to start from scratch. No returning players.
A brand-new roster. Plenty of uncertainty.
Now the situation looks very different.
Lucas turned that first season into a 26-9 finish, a third-place result in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a return trip to March Madness. It was a major leap forward, even if it stopped short of the Sweet 16. But the next step may be harder, because the Hurricanes won’t be flying under the radar anymore.
That’s the tradeoff after a turnaround. Miami is no longer the overlooked team. It’s the team opponents circle on the schedule.
“Last season was last season,” he said in Monday’s media availability. “It’s a completely different team.
There’s nothing that is the same. What they did was great, but it’s in the past.
I don’t know what this team is and eventually we’ll get there - what we can be - but I like who we have in the building.”
That new group is still taking shape. Lucas is trying to piece together a roster built around two freshmen, eight transfers and two returners, which means the identity of this team is still being formed as the 2026-27 season approaches.
The challenge is not just talent. It’s the nightly stress of being the hunted instead of the hunter.
Every opponent, in non-conference play or in the ACC, is going to bring extra energy against Miami. There’s less margin for mistakes, especially when the competition gets elite.
Lucas has seen that kind of spotlight before during his time as an assistant at Duke, where the Blue Devils are used to getting everyone’s best shot. He knows exactly what that feels like, and now he’s trying to prepare Miami for the same reality.
For that to work, the Hurricanes will need a player like Shelton Henderson to take another step. The sophomore is expected to be one of the team’s biggest breakout candidates, and he sounds ready for the added attention.
“Just a little added pressure,” he said. “Makes it a lot more fun knowing that a lot more people are watching us.”
Henderson’s freshman season gave Miami a strong foundation. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 56.7 percent from the field in 35 games, all starts.
At 6-6 and 240 pounds, he already does real damage in the paint. If he can add more from the outside, Miami’s offense can open up even more.
That’s the bigger mission for Lucas now: not just to keep Miami good, but to make it dangerous on a national level. The Hurricanes have tests ahead, including the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, and they’ll have to handle all of them with the same edge they showed in last season’s surprise rise.
In Other News...
Miami Has Bigger ACC Stakes Than Fans Might Realize This Week
Miamis focus this week is about more than just getting through the calendar. The Hurricanes are dealing with injuries to Marty Brown and Josh Moore, and that puts a premium on staying healthy while also finding ways to get backups and underclassmen real game action. For a team trying to manage the long season ahead, those are the kinds of details that can shape the bigger picture just as much as the headline matchups.
Around the ACC, there is plenty for Miami fans to keep an eye on because the league schedule has a way of moving the standings and the conversation at the same time. Games involving Clemson, Louisville, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Florida State, Duke, Virginia and NC State all carry some kind of ripple effect, whether it is helping or hurting the Hurricanes path. Miami does not need every result to break a certain way, but this is one of those weeks when a handful of conference outcomes could matter a lot more than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]
No. 6 Miami Faces An Offense Question Fans Can't Ignore
Central Michigan coach Matt Drinkall made clear this week that he respects what Miami has built, even as his team heads into South Florida trying to spring an upset. For the Hurricanes, the bigger storyline is less about the opponent and more about how they manage an offense that has already been hit by multiple injuries to key players, forcing the staff to weigh personnel choices as the schedule moves forward.
Darian Mensah has given Miami a strong early platform, opening the season with passing numbers that have already reached school and conference record territory. The question now is whether the Hurricanes can keep that momentum intact if the roster around him is not at full strength, because the answer could shape how comfortable Miami looks going into a game it is expected to control. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Have Plenty To Watch Beyond Central Michigan Saturday
While Miami gets Central Michigan on Saturday evening, there is still plenty around Week 4 to keep Hurricanes fans busy. The schedule is dotted with ACC matchups and a handful of nationally ranked non-ACC games, giving observers a wider look at the teams that could shape the conference race and the playoff picture down the line.
For Miami, those games are more than just filler on the calendar. They offer scouting chances, a chance to compare the Hurricanes against potential standings competition, and a better sense of how the broader field is developing as the season moves along. Even with a home game in front of them, the rest of the weekend should give plenty of context for where Miami fits. [Read more 🡒]