Miami forward Shelton Henderson is included by Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports with "Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa headline eight freshmen to watch during the 2025-26 college basketball season." Henderson flipped from Duke to Miami after Jai Lucas was hired by the Hurricanes.
Salerno used the 247Sports rankings to help compile his list. Henderson is the 25th-ranked player in the 2025 class in the 247Sports rankings and 23rd in their composite rankings. With an entirely new Miami roster in the inaugural season under Lucas, Henderson is projected to be the starting small forward.
Miami will surround Henderson with an experienced starting lineup of transfers. Point guard Tre Donaldson, shooting guard Tru Washington, center Ernest Udeh Jr., and power forward Malik Reneau are expected to start with Henderson after transferring to Miami.
Miami has the 31st-ranked 2025 freshman class, the 19th transfer class and is 17th overall combined. Nine new Hurricanes have committed to Miami since the transfer portal opened on March 24. Lucas has recruited a roster that is more talented than the one Miami put on the floor in 2024-25.
"Shelton Henderson, Miami
Final ranking: No. 25
New Miami coach Jai Lucas played a significant role in Henderson signing with Duke. When Lucas left for the vacant job at Miami, it didn't take long for Henderson to follow. Henderson signed with Miami less than a week after he backed off his pledge to Duke.
With Henderson joining the Hurricanes, his chances of being more impactful during his freshman season went up drastically...Henderson should start and play significant minutes for Miami this upcoming season. "
Henderson joins Dante Allen and Timotej Malovec in the 2025 Miami basketball class. Lucas has lived up to his reputation as an elite recruiter he earned as an assistant coach at Texas, Kentucky and Duke. Henderson is the third-highest-rated signee in Miami basketball history, behind Lonnie Walker in 2017 and Jalil Bethea in 2024.
Under Lucas, expect more highly rated players to sign with Miami. Bethea and Walker were five-star signees, while Henderson, as a four-star prospect, is the 25th-ranked player in the 2025 class. Allen is the 11th highest-rated player in Miami history and 35th in the 225 class.
At 6'6 and 220 pounds with a 6'10 wingspan, Henderson should provide Miami with a physical player on the wing. Adam Finkelstein, the 247Sports Director of Scouting, said, "Henderson can really change the game on the defensive end of the floor where his length, physicality, and motor are all major assets."
Allen and Henderson can be foundational players for Miami, with most of the transfers Lucas signed having one year of eligibility remaining. Henderson is set up to be an impactful player for Miami as a freshman in their inaugural season under Lucas.