The Canes are back in the Dance, but the committee didn't do them any favors with the venue.
The Miami Hurricanes are headed to the NCAA Tournament under first-year head coach Jai Lucas, landing as a No. 7 seed and drawing No. 10 Missouri in the first round.
Miami will play that first-round game in St. Louis. The Tigers, who were firmly on the bubble entering Selection Sunday, not only avoided a trip to the First Four in Dayton but were rewarded with what amounts to a home game against a higher seed.
SEE 🙌 IN ST. LOUIS pic.twitter.com/FFLATkq012
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) March 15, 2026
Miami has had a season worth celebrating
Whatever happens in St. Louis, Miami's 2025-26 campaign has already been a success story worth telling. Lucas, in his first season on the bench after taking over a program in need of a reset, guided the Canes to a 24-7 regular season record — one of the more impressive turnarounds in the conference this season.
The engine of this team is 1st team All-ACC forward Malik Reneau, who brought the interior toughness Miami needed all season. He's complemented by 2nd team All-ACC guard Tre Donaldson. Defensively, Ernest Udoh Jr. earned All-Defensive honors.
Miami made it to the ACC Tournament semifinals before a lopsided loss to Virginia put a slight dent in the momentum heading into Selection Sunday. The Canes were already locked into the field, but that 84-62 defeat may have cost them a seed or two.
Missouri comes in as a bubble team that survived the cut, and now gets to exhale with a favorable travel situation. The Tigers are capable of making life difficult — they're experienced, physical and well-coached — but Miami has the talent edge on paper.
Miami will need to handle the noise of what could feel like a road atmosphere and stick to its defensive identity from the jump.