{"id":64311,"date":"2025-08-07T05:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T05:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/64311\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T05:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T05:00:09","slug":"the-jai-lucas-era-a-breakdown-of-miami-basketballs-revamped-starting-five","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/64311\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jai Lucas era: A breakdown of Miami Basketball\u2019s revamped starting five"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis stands with the student section to cheer during Miami\u2019s game against FSU on Jan. 17, 2024, at the Watsco Center Photo credit: Alexandra Fisher<\/p>\n

On Dec. 26, 2024, Miami basketball turned the page on a historic era.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jim Larra\u00f1aga, the architect behind the Hurricanes\u2019 rise to national relevance, stepped down just two years after leading the program to its first ever Final Four appearance. In 13 seasons, he became Miami\u2019s all-time winningest coach, guiding the Hurricanes to six NCAA tournament appearances and four Sweet Sixteens while transforming UM into a respectable force in college basketball.<\/p>\n

Following Larranaga\u2019s departure amid the disappointing season, the Hurricanes turned towards a different direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On March 6, 2025, Duke assistant coach Jai Lucas was named the 13th head coach in program history. At just 36 years old, Lucas inherits the challenge of steering Miami into a new era.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s game where NIL deals and the transfer portal dominate roster building, chemistry can be hard to find. Lucas has worked to bridge the gap by building a roster with strong Florida ties, and is bringing in transfer players who already share a connection to the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the season draws near, here\u2019s a first look at Miami\u2019s retooled starting five.<\/p>\n

Point Guard \u2013 Tre Donaldson<\/p>\n

A standout point guard and safety in high school, Donaldson committed to Auburn to play both basketball and football. With the Tigers, Donaldson shifted his focus solely to basketball, playing 25 games off the bench as a freshman.<\/p>\n

After two seasons at Auburn, the Tallahassee native transferred to Michigan in search of more playing time. With the Wolverines, Donaldson flourished, becoming a key piece of Michigan\u2019s Big Ten championship team. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 11.5 points per game and 4.1 assists per game, while shooting 37.5% from three.<\/p>\n

Donaldson combines an ability to attack the paint with consistent shooting from deep as the senior guard is expected to be a vital piece for the Hurricanes offense.<\/p>\n

Shooting Guard \u2013 Tru Washington<\/p>\n

One of the Mountain West\u2019s top defensive guards, Washington consistently guarded opponents\u2019 best backcourt players\u00a0 \u2014 and thrived. In his second season at New Mexico, he averaged 2.1 steals per game, ranking third in the conference.<\/p>\n

A 6-foot-4 guard from Chandler, Arizona, Washington was also the team\u2019s third-leading scorer for the Lobos, averaging 11.1 points on 33% shooting from deep. He displayed his two-way skills in a win over Utah State last season, when he recorded 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks in an 82-79 victory.<\/p>\n

In Coral Gables, Washington should fill a similar role as a reliable two-way contributor.<\/p>\n

Small Forward \u2013 Shelton Henderson<\/p>\n

A 6-foot-6 small forward with a 6-foot-10 wingspan from Bellaire, Texas, Henderson committed to Duke in November 2024. Ranked No. 25 in the 2025 class, the five-star forward was heavily recruited by Lucas, a fellow Bellaire native.<\/p>\n

At Bellaire High School, Henderson averaged 21 points per game and seven rebounds per game, while getting 2.6 steals and 1.1 blocks in high school.<\/p>\n

After Lucas took the Miami job, Henderson decommitted from Duke and followed him to Coral Gables in April 2025.<\/p>\n

According to 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finklestein, Henderson is considered to be \u201cone of the most physically imposing players in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHenderson can really change the game on the defensive end of the floor where his length, physicality, and motor are all major assets,\u201d Finklestein says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, he has an overlap of extreme physical gifts, feel for the game, intangibles, and two-way versatility that is unique in this class, and there\u2019s still plenty of upside left to discover as he continues to develop and polish his skill-set.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0The true freshman is expected to start immediately and be a key contributor in Year 1.<\/p>\n

Power Forward \u2013 Malik Reneau<\/p>\n

A Hialeah native who attended Montverde Academy in central Florida, Reneau was ranked the No. 4 power forward in the 2022 class before committing to Indiana.<\/p>\n

As a sophomore with the Hoosiers, Reneau was the team\u2019s second-leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points, six rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Known for his size and playmaking ability, he excelled at making the right pass, hitting timely shots and cleaning up the glass.<\/p>\n

In 2024, a knee injury limited his production during a disappointing season in Bloomington. He averaged 13.3 points while shooting 12.5% from 3-point range.<\/p>\n

Reneau transferred back home to Miami in April, hoping improved health and a fresh start will help him return to form as a versatile forward.<\/p>\n

Center \u2013 Ernest Udeh Jr.<\/p>\n

A former McDonald\u2019s All-American, Udeh is considered one of the nation\u2019s top rim protectors. Before arriving at Miami, the Orlando native spent one season at Kansas and two at TCU.<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound center averaged 5.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in his two seasons with the Horned Frogs. He thieves as a rebounder and efficient finisher around the rim. While he\u2019s not a primary scoring option, his presence in the paint makes him a defensive anchor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lucas praised Udeh as a \u201cculture driver.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cErnest not only has a significant presence and physicality on the court, but also a personality that is really important for us as we start to build a culture here at Miami,\u201d Lucas said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cErnest is a culture driver who will be an extension of the coaching staff on the court. As a player, he is one of the best rebounders in the country and has the ability to be one of the nation\u2019s elite defenders, as well, so we are excited to have him be a part of the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, Lucas and his revamped roster aim to return Miami basketball to the heights Larra\u00f1aga once reached.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Head coach Jim Larra\u00f1aga shouts during the second half of Miami\u2019s Final Four matchup against the University of Connecticut in NRG Stadium in Houston on April 1, 2023. Photo credit: Jared Lennon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis stands with the student section to cheer during Miami\u2019s game against FSU on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":64312,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[402,398,400,401,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-64311","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-basketball","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-basketball","11":"tag-ncaabasketball","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}