If you thought year one of Jai Lucas was a great introduction, year two could skyrocket the Miami (Fla) basketball coach into the upper echelon of college hoops coaches.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Miami (Fla) basketball.
For how great Jim Larranaga was a coach for Miami hoops, he didn’t leave the Hurricanes in a great spot. Larranaga retired mid-season in 2024-25, setting up Bill Courtney for nothing but failure. Still, a 3-16 record to finish out the year was probably worse than expected.
But then came Jai Lucas, who hadn’t been the head coach at the Division I level before. It didn’t seem to faze him as the former Duke assistant came in and led the Hurricanes to 26 wins and a round of 32 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Now, Lucas returns for year two with a legitimate all-star roster at his disposal. Freshman sensation Shelton Henderson will have talent all around him, including fifth-year star Malik Renau, Georgia transfer and shot-blocking big man Somto Cyril, star rising sophomore guard Acaden Lewis, and National Championship-winning guard L.J. Cason. Together, they are clearly one of the best starting lineups in college basketball.
But it’s after that starting five that we can get even more excited about the Hurricanes. Dante Allen returns after averaging almost seven points per game a year ago. LSU big man Robert Miller III comes into a better situation and should serve as a key piece inside. Indiana’s Nick Dorn is yet another Power Five player who shouldn’t just fight for minutes, but will be called on to be a crucial rotation player.
And then further down the lineup are five-star forward Caleb Gaskins, talented Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode, and Saint Peter’s transfer guard Brent Bland. There are 11 players who can certainly make an impact on this Hurricanes squad and that type of depth and overall talent is hard to match, even in the transfer portal era.
Plus, with what Lucas accomplished last year, more talent should essentially mean more wins. Miami is a clear top 25 team and the ceiling is arguably as high as any team out there.
Head coach: Jai Lucas (2nd season overall, both at Miami)
2025-26 record: 26-9 (13-5)
2026 postseason finish: Lost to Purdue (79-69) in second round of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Tre Donaldson (16.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 35.9 3P%)
- Ernest Udeh Jr. (6.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 72.7 FG%)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Florida (Nov. 2) – Tampa, FL
- vs. TCU (Nov. 24) – Players Era
- vs. Michigan OR Creighton (Nov. 26) – Players Era
- TBD (Nov. 27) – Players Era
- TBD (Nov. 28) – Players Era
- vs. Alabama (Dec. 2)
- vs. Texas (Dec. 12) – Houston, TX
Projected Rotation
PG: Acaden Lewis (6-2, 187, So.)
2025-26 stats: 12.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.9 SPG (Villanova)
SG: L.J. Cason (6-2, 195, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 50.3 FG%, 40.2 3P% (Michigan)
SF: Shelton Henderson (6-6, 239, So.)
2025-26 stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 56.7 FG%
PF: Malik Reneau (6-9, 247, Gr.-Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 18.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 54.0 FG%
C: Somto Cyril (6-11, 263, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 9.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.6 APG, 2.2 BPG, 75.9 FG% (Georgia)
6: Dante Allen (6-4, 225, So.)
2025-26 stats: 6.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG
7: Robert Miller III (6-10, 226, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 65.7 FG% (LSU)
8: Nick Dorn (6-7, 222, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.3 APG, 38.0 3P% (Indiana)
9: Caleb Gaskins (6-8, 221, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 16 ranked recruit
10: DeSean Goode (6-8, 232, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 15.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 62.9 FG%, 57.1 3P% (Robert Morris)
11: Brent Bland (6-3, 229, Gr.-Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 36.9 3P% (Saint Peter’s)
12: Quin Berger (6-2, 194, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 3.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.7 APG (Bucknell)
Miami (Fla) basketball team MVP: Shelton Henderson
On a team with endless options to score the basketball, it’s still very clear that Henderson is the number one option.
At 6-6, 239, Henderson punishes smaller guards at his size and is still big and muscular enough to finish through the contact of most big men. He plays well above his height and is virtually Bonzi Colson as if he had more athleticism.
While Henderson’s three-point shot could use work, it didn’t seem to matter when it came to scoring buckets last year. So now that he steps into his sophomore season, it’ll be very fun to see just how much he improved his overall game. There’s a chance Henderson winds up winning the ACC Player of the Year award if he hits that next step.
Miami (Fla) basketball make-or-break player: Nick Dorn
What will Nick Dorn’s usage be like? Cason was a late add, and that surely moves Dorn down a bit on the depth chart. He’s certainly not a starter, and Dante Allen is more than likely the top option off the bench, with Robert Miller III to follow. It doesn’t mean Dorn can’t get minutes, but he’s definitely coming in from a good situation at Indiana with the potential of fewer minutes this season.
But there are two traits that could allow Dorn to shine in his role. He’s an athletic wing who can make a huge impact defensively, and he’s an above-average three-point shooter. When you’re trying to earn minutes off the bench in college, defense and shooting are two great ways to do so.
Key statistic: Body weight
When you look up and down this roster, you see players with length AND size. Cyril is a solid 6-foot-11 and over 260 pounds. Dorn is 6-foot-7 and over 220. Henderson is a beast at 6-foot-6 and nearly 240. Bland is a huge guard at 6-foot-3 and virtually 230 pounds.
This is a team that is built to both outphysical and stretch the limits of its opponents. That should translate to three-point defense and pretty much any other type of defense. You have to be in good physical shape to take down Miami.
Miami (Fla) basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 4th in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance