No. 14 Miami opens the season Monday night against No. 1 Florida at Benchmark International Arena, and Hurricanes coach Jai Lucas is all in on going for the upset.
Lucas believes the Gators will face a different team than the one that lost 82-68 in Jacksonville last November. Miami finished 26-9 under him in 2025-26, and the roster now has more shooting, more ways to attack the paint and more players who can score.
Florida returns one of the best frontcourts in the country (Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon).
Haugh, Chinyelu and Condon combined for 43.1 points and 24.8 rebounds per game last season while leading the nation in rebound margin, but Lucas sees growth on his own side that changes the matchup.
"I don't think Florida is going to see the same Somto [Cyril] and the same Rob [Miller] that they've seen before... I don't think they're going to see the same Miami that they saw last year. So I'm excited about the opportunity to go out and compete."Jai Lucas
Cyril and Miller played Florida multiple times in the SEC before arriving at Miami. Lucas said that experience gives them a better sense of the Gators' physicality, and he also believes both have improved enough that the version Florida saw previously no longer applies.
Sophomore combo guard Dante Allen also has history against the Gators. As a freshman he played 15 minutes in the loss, recording a steal, five rebounds, a three-pointer and three assists before foul trouble limited him.
Allen said the chance to open against the top-ranked team is exactly what he wants.
"I mean, for me, like it's what you play basketball for, so hopefully you want to play against the best teams, best players, you want to be on a national stage... I think it's going to be a great game."Dante Allen
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