The Miami Hurricanes just delivered a statement win - and it couldn’t have come at a better time for both their NCAA Tournament hopes and the ACC’s national perception.
On Tuesday night, Miami took down No. 11 North Carolina, 75-66, in a game that wasn’t just their biggest win of the season - it might’ve been the one that changes the direction of their entire year.
The Hurricanes never trailed, outplayed the Tar Heels from the jump, and dominated the interior, outscoring UNC 46-28 in the paint. Against a team with the size and pedigree of North Carolina, that’s no small feat.
Big men Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh Jr. were the driving force behind that paint dominance. Both notched double-doubles - Reneau with 16 points and 10 boards, Udeh Jr. adding 15 and 10 - and they did it with a physical edge that UNC simply couldn’t match. The Tar Heels had no answer for Miami’s frontcourt duo, and that physicality set the tone for the entire game.
Defensively, the Hurricanes were just as impressive. North Carolina’s standout freshman Caleb Wilson came into the night averaging 20.9 points on a scorching 62.2% shooting clip in ACC play.
But Miami made him work for everything. Wilson finished with just 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting - a testament to the Hurricanes’ defensive game plan and execution.
They didn’t just slow him down; they made him uncomfortable.
For Miami, this win could be a turning point. Heading into the night, the Hurricanes were sitting at No. 37 in the NET rankings and No. 41 in KenPom - respectable, but not exactly lock-status for the NCAA Tournament.
According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, they were among the last four teams in the projected field. But now, with a signature win over a top-15 team, Miami might’ve just played its way off the bubble - or at the very least, given itself some breathing room.
Before Tuesday, their best win in terms of NET value was a road victory over Wake Forest. Solid, but not the kind of win that jumps off the page.
This one does. And with a challenging schedule still ahead - including matchups against NC State, No.
15 Virginia, SMU, and No. 24 Louisville - Miami has more chances to solidify its at-large bid if it doesn’t run the table in the ACC Tournament.
And let’s not overlook what this means for the ACC. The conference has taken some hits in recent years, sending just four teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
But this season, the league is trending in the right direction. Lunardi currently projects eight ACC teams in the field - which would be the most since 2019.
Miami’s win over a top-tier opponent only strengthens the league’s case that it’s deeper and more competitive than it’s been in a while.
It’s also a win that highlights the remarkable turnaround under first-year head coach Jai Lucas. After a disastrous 7-24 campaign last season - the worst in program history by win percentage - and the retirement of longtime head coach Jim Larrañaga in December, expectations were tempered. Lucas, who came over from Duke after three seasons as an assistant under Jon Scheyer, has quickly injected new life into the program.
Now, the Hurricanes are 19-5 overall and 8-3 in the ACC, and they’re playing with a confidence and cohesion that simply wasn’t there a year ago. This isn’t just a team trying to make the tournament - it’s a team that believes it belongs there.
Tuesday’s win was more than just a boost in the standings. It was a reminder that Miami basketball is back in the mix - and that the ACC might just be, too.