Miami’s presence at this year’s ACC Tipoff will be front and center, with second-year head coach Jai Lucas set to bring two key pieces with him to Charlotte: sophomore point guard Acaden Lewis and small forward Shelton Henderson.
The annual conference event begins with the women’s media day on October 5 and runs through the morning of October 6. The men’s portion follows and continues through October 7, giving all 17 league programs their turn in the spotlight before the season gets rolling.
Lewis arrives with plenty of buzz after a strong freshman year at Villanova. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game, production that has him expected to be one of the better point guards in the conference this season.
Henderson is back in Miami after posting 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals. He was one of three players to return to the Hurricanes, giving Lucas another familiar face to feature at media day.
The full ACC Tipoff player and coach lineup includes Boston College with head coach Luke Murray, Jacob Furphy and Money Williams; California with head coach Mark Madsen, Lee Dort and Jordan Ross; Clemson with head coach Brad Brownell, Ace Buckner and Carter Welling; and Duke with head coach Jon Scheyer, Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr.
Florida State will be represented by head coach Luke Loucks, Sebastian Rancik and Anthony Robinson II. Georgia Tech’s group is head coach Scott Cross, Jackson Fields and Nasir Whitlock. Louisville is sending head coach Pat Kelsey, Flory Bidunga and Adrian Wooley.
North Carolina’s representatives are head coach Michael Malone, Neo Avdalas and Jarin Stevenson. NC State will send head coach Justin Gainey, Preston Edmead and Paul McNeil Jr. Notre Dame’s group features head coach Micah Shrewsberry, Ethan Roberts and Braeden Smith.
Pitt will be represented by head coach Jeff Capel, Naithan George and Baye Ndongo. SMU’s group includes head coach Andy Enfield, Rowan Brumbaugh and Jaden Toombs. Stanford will send head coach Kyle Smith, Aidan Cammann and Donavin Young.
Syracuse will be represented by head coach Gerry McNamara, Gavin Doty and Aiden Tobiason. Virginia’s contingent includes head coach Ryan Odom, Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grünloh, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory.
Virginia Tech will be there with head coach Mike Young, Ben Hammond, Amani Hansberry and Tyler Johnson. Wake Forest rounds out the list with head coach Steve Forbes, Isaac Carr and Jamari McDowell.
In Other News...
Miami Injury Report Just Raised Clemson's Biggest Game Week Question
Miamis first injury report ahead of Clemson offered a useful early snapshot of where the Hurricanes stand entering one of their biggest games of the season. Mario Cristobal said several players who have missed time recently are trending toward returning, and that matters for a roster still trying to get back to full strength at the right moment. The added depth should help Miami on both sides of the ball as the stakes rise and the margin for error shrinks.
The most watched name on the report is cornerback Lucas, who is listed as questionable but is making progress toward a return. For Miami, his status is the kind of late-week detail that can shape how the defense approaches Clemson, especially against a team that will test every available matchup. The Hurricanes have reason for optimism with the overall health picture improving, but the final answer on Lucas still leaves one of the weeks biggest questions hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Heads To Clemson With A Chance To Change The ACC Order
For much of the last decade, the ACC has run through Clemson, with the Tigers stacking conference championships, national titles and a reputation as the leagues standard-bearer. Miami, meanwhile, has spent years trying to climb back into that conversation, and under Mario Cristobal the Hurricanes have started to look more like a program ready to make the jump from promising to relevant again.
Now they head to Clemson with a chance to turn that progress into something bigger than one win. Miami has been more competitive in the series lately, including a recent victory, and this trip offers a real measuring stick for where the Hurricanes stand in the conference pecking order. If Miami can follow through in a game like this, the ACC hierarchy could start to look a lot different. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Heads To Clemson With Depth Suddenly Under Pressure
Miamis trip to Clemson is arriving with the kind of injury uncertainty that can quickly reshape a game plan. The Atlantic Coast Conferences first availability report lists several Hurricanes already ruled out, including tight ends Luka Gilbert and Owen Ruskavich, running back CharMar Brown and cornerbacks Romanas Frederique Jr. and JaBoree Antoine, a mix of absences that touches both the skill spots and the secondary.
The larger concern is how much more of the depth chart could still be in flux by kickoff. Cornerback Xavier Lucas and linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. are among the players tagged questionable, with game-time decisions expected, leaving Miami to manage a short week of preparation while waiting on final answers. For a road game at Clemson, where every available body matters, the uncertainty could end up being as important as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]