Basketball season is near, and ahead of the scrimmage against Vanderbilt, the Miami Hurricanes are pushing in the right direction after being projected to finish in the middle of the pack last season in the ACC.
Jai Lucas and his first season proved everyone wrong, flipping the program around in a historic turnaround. This year, he has a better roster on paper. Moreover, others are starting to notice.
The ACC Preseason Poll is out; the Hurricanes are projected to finish fourth, while one person believes that the Canes will finish the regular season on top of the conference.
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) defends Miami Hurricanes forward Shelton Henderson (7) as he looks to pass during a NCAA Tournament second round game Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Purdue defeated Miami 79-69. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Moreover, the Hurricanes land two players on the All-ACC preseason team, and one finishes second in the ACC Freshman of the Year poll.
Shelton Henderson has been voted in the first team, while last season’s first-team finishing forward Malik Reneau is listed on the preseason second team. Five-star freshman Caleb Gaskins is projected to finish second in the freshman of the year vote.
These polls won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The Hurricanes have many opponents to face this season, starting with Florida in the opening game of the year.
2026 ACC Preseason PollSchool, Points
1. Duke (45), 861
2. Virginia (1), 778
3. Louisville (1), 758
4. Miami (1), 753
5. North Carolina, 658
6. Clemson, 623
7. Florida State, 519
8. NC State, 502
9. Virginia Tech, 489
10. SMU, 443
11. Syracuse, 353
12. Pitt, 323
13. Stanford, 267
14. Wake Forest, 234
15. California, 225
16. Notre Dame, 153
17. Boston College, 150
18. Georgia Tech, 119
First-place votes in parentheses; 48 total voters
2026-27 Preseason All-ACC Team
First Team
Name, School, Votes
Thijs De Ridder, Virginia, 48
Flory Bidunga, Louisville, 47
John Blackwell, Duke, 44
Shelton Henderson, Miami, 44
Patrick Ngongba II, Duke, 42
Second Team
Malik Reneau, Miami, 30
Jackson Shelstad, Louisville, 24
Chance Mallory, Virginia, 23
Amani Hansberry, Virginia Tech, 21
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke, 21
ACC Preseason Player of the Year
Thijs De Ridder, Virginia, 30 votes
John Blackwell, Duke, 12
Flory Bidunga, Louisville, 3
Malik Reneau, Miami, 2
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke, 1
Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke, 34 votes
Caleb Gaskins, Miami, 5
Cameron Williams, Duke, 4
Maximo Adams, North Carolina, 3
Harris Reynolds, Clemson, 1
Deron Rippey, Duke, 1
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