The Miami Hurricanes men's basketball program has added three-star guard John Laboy II from Houston, Texas. Laboy, who previously committed to Columbia, flipped his decision and decided to commit to Miami. Since the appointment of head coach Jai Lucas to Miami, the Hurricanes have completely overhauled the roster.
Laboy, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from St. Francis Episcopal School, averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game during the 2024–25 season. He played a pivotal role in leading his team to the TAPPS 4A state championship. In addition to basketball, Laboy is also a two-sport athlete, also excelling in baseball as a shortstop and right-handed pitcher.
Head coach Jai Lucas expressed enthusiasm about Laboy's commitment, stating, "I have known John and his family a long time through our Houston roots, and I am very excited to welcome him to the Miami family. John has a high basketball IQ and is the ultimate teammate. He is someone I see growing with the program, and I know that he will positively impact the culture we want to build at The U."
Laboy joins a Miami roster undergoing significant transformation under Lucas's leadership. The projected roster looks like this for the upcoming season:
- PG: Tre Donaldson
- SG: Tru Washington
- SF: Shelton Henderson
- PF: Malik Reneau
- C: Ernest Udeh Jr.
- Dante Allen
- Marcus Allen
- Tomotej Malovec
- Jordyn Kee
- Salih Altuntas
- John Laboy II
Key bench players include a combination of transfers, high school commitments, and foreign players. In his introductory press conference, Lucas mentioned that he would likely need 13 new players for the 2025-26 season. With the addition of Laboy, he now has 11. The Hurricanes project to be a much improved squad in the upcoming season and with the addition of multiple young players to the roster, they also look to be a competitive team for the foreseeable future.