Newly appointed University of Miami men’s basketball coach Jai Lucas promised sweeping changes to the program — and he’s making good on that vow. Lucas secured the commitment of a five-star small forward, a top-25 national recruit out of Houston who initially pledged to Duke. He played at Bellaire High School — Lucas’ alma mater—and decided to follow the former Duke assistant to Coral Gables instead.
Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 220 pounds, he is rated the No. 21 overall prospect and fourth-best small forward in the 2025 class by 247Sports. Lucas, who had been his lead recruiter at Duke, expressed excitement about adding a player he’s long known and respected. “He has a relentless work ethic and plays with fearlessness, but I’m most excited about the leadership and presence he’ll bring to our locker room,” Lucas said.
He had a standout senior year, earning All-Greater Player of the Year and the prestigious Guy V. Lewis Award. He averaged 22.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, four assists, and three steals per game while shooting 69% from the field and leading his team to the 6A Division I state finals. He also captured a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup last summer and delivered strong performances in both the EYBL circuit and Nike Peach Jam.
He was part of Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class, alongside Miami Columbus High twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer. After requesting a release from his letter of intent, he chose Miami over other suitors, including Houston.
He’s the second top-50 prospect to commit to the Hurricanes under Lucas, joining No. 41-ranked Dante Allen, a four-star guard from Miami and son of Heat assistant Malik Allen. Allen initially committed to Villanova before flipping to UM, becoming Lucas’ first high school signee. Allen, who transferred to Montverde Academy for his senior year, previously led Riviera Prep to consecutive state titles and twice earned Miami Herald 4A-2A Player of the Year honors.
Lucas has also added international talent like Slovakian wing Timotej Malovec and brought in four transfers: Tre Donaldson (Michigan), Malik Reneau (Indiana), Ernest Udeh (TCU), and Tru Washington (New Mexico).
In his transition from longtime coach Jim Larrañaga, who led the Hurricanes to the 2022 Elite Eight and 2023 Final Four before the team bottomed out last season, Lucas has also restructured the coaching staff. He hired Andrew Moran — Allen’s former AAU coach and Columbus High’s head coach — as an assistant and director of player development.
Other hires with South Florida ties include Charlton “C.Y.” Young (associate head coach), Georgia assistant Erik Pastrana (associate coach), and LJ Rose (director of player personnel), formerly with the Houston Rockets and Bahamian national team. Riley Welch joins as a special assistant after coaching in the NBA G League, and Jeff Dyer will remain as director of operations.
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