Miami Hurricanes forward Malik Reneau (5) reacts after making a basket during the first half of a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Alie Skowronski
askowronski@miamiherald.com
The University of Miami men’s basketball team is awaiting news that would instantly elevate the Hurricanes’ profile entering the 2026-27 season.
Malik Reneau, the 6-9 All-ACC forward who averaged 19 points and started all 35 games last season, is seeking another year of college eligibility in hopes of returning to UM. A decision was expected as early as Monday afternoon, and multiple sources indicated that he would return.
Reneau signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Orlando Magic in June after going undrafted but preferred returning to college.
His return would be a huge boost for a Hurricanes team that made a dramatic turnaround under first-year coach Jai Lucas last season. He would join Shelton Henderson and Dante Allen as returning starters. With the additions of Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis at point guard, Georgia transfer Somto Cyril at center and five-star Miami Columbus High recruit Caleb Gaskins, the Hurricanes will surely be a preseason top-20 team.
Reneau is one of more than 50 players from the high school Class of 2022 named in a lawsuit filed against the NCAA, seeking reinstatement of college eligibility for the 2026–27 season following a Colorado court ruling a few weeks ago that granted an extra year for certain 2022 recruits.
Former FIU guard Brit Harris is also among the plaintiffs.
Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a class-wide preliminary injunction on July 31 that said all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring would be eligible for a fifth season in 2026-27.
The NCAA filed an emergency motion in hopes of overturning the injunction, and that is still pending. The lawsuit, and others that have sprung up since, were triggered by the NCAA switching to a “Five-for-Five” age-based eligibility model this spring that gives student-athletes five years to compete in up to five seasons of college sports.
Reneau and the others in the lawsuit are attempting to get grandfathered in, as they were limited to four years of eligibility.
Lucas said during an appearance on the Dan LeBatard Show Friday that the Hurricanes are monitoring the Reneau situation and holding open a roster spot.
“He’s in a court case. That’s all I can kind of tell you. And we’re still trying to figure out, like everybody,” Lucas said. “You see people signing these, but everybody’s signing and picking these players without them being completely eligible, they’re saying they’re eligible, but they don’t know. And I think Monday, after everything closes out, we’ll have a better feel of exactly what this looks like. But we do have an open roster spot. We have one more spot that we have open that we can do something with. So we’re just kind of just waiting and see what happens.”
Reneau was born in Miami and played at Mater Academy in Hialeah before transferring to Montverde Academy in Central Florida. He transferred to UM from Indiana University last season. He learned the game from his mother, Melanie, a star center at Cheyney University in Pennsylvania who spent 27 years as Hallandale Beach Superintendent of Parks and Recreation before retiring last winter.
This story was originally published August 17, 2026 at 3:19 PM.
Miami Herald
Miami Herald sportswriter Michelle Kaufman has covered 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, NCAA Basketball Tournaments, NBA Playoffs, Super Bowls and has been the soccer writer and University of Miami basketball beat writer for 25 years. She was born in Frederick, Md., and grew up in Miami.