Miami basketball has done most of what it needed to do this offseason.
Jai Lucas rebuilt the roster with one of the better portal classes in the country. He added a high-major point guard, brought in frontcourt size, found shooting and kept enough young talent to make the Hurricanes interesting again in the ACC.
But Miami will need to define who the clear No. 1 option is when the game slows down.
Jai Lucas has Miami in prime position heading into next season
Miami is welcoming transfers Acaden Lewis, DeSean Goode, Somto Cyril, Nick Dorn, Quin Berger and Brent Bland, plus returning pieces such as Shelton Henderson and Dante Allen. The Hurricanes also added freshmen Caleb Gaskins and Christopher Birden Jr.
On3 ranks Miami's 2026 transfer class No. 7 nationally, with six incoming transfers.
Lewis is the most important piece of the retooling. The former Villanova point guard averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals as a freshman.
Goode averaged 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds at Robert Morris while shooting 62.9% from the field and 57.1% from 3-point range.
Cyril gives Miami a true center, Dorn and Bland give the Hurricanes bigger guards who can shoot and space the floor, and Berger gives the backcourt another experienced ball handler. On paper, Miami covered most of the offseason checklist.
Miami basketball's biggest offseason question is still about the closer
The old team had obvious late-game answers, but this squad will need to find out who that is for them.
Shelton Henderson seems like he could the choice.
Henderson returns after averaging 13.8 points. Last year he showed flashes of being more than a complementary player. He scored 22 points at Clemson in January, his third straight game with at least 17 points at the time. He had 18 points and nine rebounds in Miami's road win at Ole Miss. He also had 18 points in the NCAA Tournament loss to Purdue, shooting 9 of 11 from the floor.
Lewis and Goode could be the top options late
Lewis could also become Miami's closer because the ball will be in his hands. He is the best pure playmaker on the roster and gives Lucas a point guard who can create for himself and others. But he might still need time to grow into a leadership role at Miami.
Goode has the strongest scoring average of any newcomer, but translating 15.2 points per game from the Horizon League to the ACC might take a little time. His efficiency is great, and his rebounding should translate, but Miami still has to find out whether he can be a late-game scoring option against longer, more athletic frontcourts.
The best version of this team is probably rotating between some of those guys at the end of the game and seeing who rises to the occasion. But, for now, the hierarchy is not settled.
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