Miami keeps rolling under first-year head coach Jai Lucas, crushing Boston College 76-54 on Saturday afternoon in the Watsco Center. Despite the ACC preseason poll projecting an eighth-place finish, the Hurricanes sit at 23-6 overall and 12-4 in conference play, holding a firm grip on third place in the ACC.
After a disappointing 7-24 campaign last year, Miami has transformed into one of the ACC's top teams under coach Lucas. His first sign of greatness came off the court, flipping five-star small forward Shelton Henderson, a former Duke commit and one of the top prospects in the 2025 class, to Miami. Landing Henderson was a major recruiting win, but a viral halftime clip offers a glimpse into Lucas's coaching brilliance.
Despite a six-point halftime lead, a viral clip displays Lucas demanding more
During Miami's game against Florida State on Tuesday night, even with a six-point lead, coach Lucas was far from satisfied with the Hurricanes' effort. He called out players by name, challenging both their effort and commitment to the game plan. The halftime moment was captured on video, and the clip quickly went viral on social media.
POV: it’s halftime and you’re playing for @CoachJLuc 👀 pic.twitter.com/LmrU8HpOO7
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) February 28, 2026
The clip underscores just how demanding Lucas is, especially when it comes to defensive effort and rebounding. It's clear that the first-year head coach puts strong emphasis on the little things that matter, but may not show up on the box score. That attention to detail has been central to Miami far exceeding preseason expectations.
The final stretch of the regular season will be a test for Miami, as they look to maintain their standing before the ACC Tournament. The Hurricanes travel to SMU on Wednesday night before returning home to close out the regular season against No. 24 Louisville.
Jon Scheyer's coaching tree is off to a strong start, as Miami's rapid improvement speaks for itself. If this first branch is any indication, the Scheyer coaching tree could produce multiple head coaches following in Lucas's footsteps from Duke.