The Miami Hurricanes enter their 2025 season with high hopes on their mind after completely revamping the program following a disappointing 7-24 (3-17 ACC) season that ended the 13 season Jim Larrañaga era in Coral Gables.

After bringing in newly hired Head Coach Jai Lucas, a former assistant at Duke, the ‘Canes hope to lean on his transfers and portal additions to speed up the Miami rebuild. Lucas’s identity of fast-paced defensive basketball is something that the Hurricanes are looking to take on having desperately lacked since their Final Four run in 2023. 

Jai Lucas and his staff have done an impressive job in reshaping nearly the entire roster, bringing in six notable transfers and flipping 5-star standout freshman forward Shelton Henderson from the Blue Devils, giving Miami one of the ACC’s most improved rosters on paper.  Notable names the Canes brought via the transfer portal that are looking to make an impact also include point guard Tre Donaldson from Michigan (ranked #61 via 247Sports), forward Malik Reneau (ranked #48 via 247Sports), among others.  

Despite finishing in last place in the ACC standings last season, Miami has been projected to finish #8 in the ACC standings in the 2025-26 Preseason ACC Poll & Honors, with Duke coming in at #1, who the Canes won’t face during the 2025-26 season for the first time since 2003. 

Miami opens their season on Monday, November 3rd, where they will host the Jacksonville University Dolphins at 8:00 PM from the Watsco Center. They’ll face a favorable first 3 games at home before travelling to Jacksonville on November 16th to take on the defending national champion and in-state rival the #3 ranked Florida Gators.  

Other notable games on the Hurricanes schedule include them making the trip to Orlando on Thanksgiving to take on AP preseason ranked #8 BYU, along with heading to Oxford, Mississippi to take on an Ole Miss team fresh off a trip to the Sweet 16 as a part of the ACC/SEC challenge in December.  

Just two years removed from the program’s historic Final Four run in 2023, Coach Lucas and his newly built culture in Coral Gables look to bring back that familiar success and put the Hurricanes back on notice in the world of college basketball starting Monday.

Cover Photo Credits: Christian Proscia, NewEraPrep