The Miami Hurricanes, under new head coach Jai Lucas, are intensifying their recruitment of local talent by focusing on five-star small forward Alex Constanza from Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale. Lucas and his coaching staff visited Constanza's high school today, which shows how important securing top-tier local prospects is to program.
Constanza is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound junior in the Class of 2026. Despite missing the first seven games of the 2024–25 season due to wrist surgery, he averaged 29.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game upon his return, leading Westminster Academy to the Class 2A, Region 4 Semifinals.
National recruiting services have recognized Constanza's talent, with 247Sports ranking him as the No. 15 overall player in the 2026 class, the No. 5 small forward nationally, and the No. 4 player in Florida.
Constanza's recruitment is highly competitive, with over 25 Division I offers from programs including Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, St. John's, Syracuse, and Washington. He has expressed interest in upcoming visits to Baylor, Florida State, and Texas, though no commitment timeline has been established.
Miami's proximity to Constanza's high school positions the Hurricanes in a good spot regarding his recruitment. Lucas's emphasis on retaining local talent is part of the program's strategy as they attempt to rejuvenate the roster following one of the worst seasons in program history.
Constanza spoke with High School Sports SI Florida and commented on each school who is interested. This is what he had to say about Miami: "I am getting to know Coach (Jai) and his staff, and they have been coming to visit with me as well as me making visits there."
As Miami continues under Lucas's leadership, securing a commitment from Constanza would signify that the program is a making serious waves within the South Florida basketball scene.