Are the Miami Hurricanes a Serious Basketball Contender Once Again?

Two years ago, the Miami Hurricanes had their worst season in program history, but quickly Jai Lucas entered and changed the program in one season.

However, it wasn't long ago that the Canes were knocking on the door of a National Championship. During the final years of the Jim Larranaga era, the Hurricanes battled to their first Elite Eight and Final Four in program history, but are still on the hunt for their first championship.

Lucas entered the program and changed it in an instant. The Hurricanes finished the season third in the ACC. They had a return appearance in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the round of 32 before being eliminated in a tough battle against Purdue.

Now in year two, the Hurricanes are preparing for a championship-level schedule and wars that will battle test them before they reach conference play. If you want to know that a team can compete with the best of the best, they will get thrown into the fire, and Lucas already has that planned.

The SEC Foes

If the Hurricanes want to be a champion, it is clear that they need some of the best players in the country and face off against teams that are also looking for a championship. The Canes will face off against Florida, Texas, and Alabama in an SEC slate that could make or break their championship aspirations.

It also helps that Miami will have a chance to play against National Champions Michigan in the Players Era 16 tournament when they take on TCU. This schedule and roster are to be tested early on, and they will be coached that way as well.

ACC Conference Foes

Last season, the Canes didn't see the Duke Blue Devils, but if one person knows how to play against them, it's one of their former assistants. Lucas will return to Cameron Indoor to try and get a win against a new familiar foe, but Miami's schedule on the road is also a path of its own.

Road:

Florida State

Pitt

Cal

Duke

Georgia Tech

Louisville

North Carolina

Stanford

Virginia Tech

Home games, on paper, bring an easier challenge to one of the best home teams in the country last season. The Hurricanes rarely lost at home, but against a surging Wake Forest, Florida State, Virginia, and Syracuse, all of those things can change in an instant.

Home:

Clemson

NC State

Notre Dame

SMU

Syracuse

Virginia

Wake Forest

Florida State

Pitt

Each game will be harder than the last but the Canes have the talent to get that done.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/miami as Are the Miami Hurricanes a Serious Basketball Contender Once Again?.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 9:08 AM.