Historically, the University of Miami has been irrelevant in the college basketball landscape. The dominant football powerhouse has been a perennial underachiever on the hardwood. However, signs are pointing up, and skies appear to be brightening. New head coach Jai Lucas has brought in the winning pedigree he sustained as an assistant at Duke.
Since his arrival back in March, Lucas has implemented a system predicated on sharing the ball and playing tough defense. His vision has come to life so far
during his rookie season. Currently, the Hurricanes are 11-2. In the process, UM earned key victories over Georgetown in the ESPN Events Invitational and at Ole Miss in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
The Ole Miss win is the program’s first true road victory since a win at Notre Dame on January 24, 2024. A roster of former local high school stars has facilitated the quick turnaround. Veterans Malik Reneau (Miami), Tre Donaldson (Tallahassee), and Ernest Udeh (Orlando) have been in the starting lineup all year. Marcus Allen (Miami) has also been a key contributor off the bench, along with freshman guard Dante Allen (Miami).
Dante and fellow freshman Shelton Henderson are key figures in the turnaround of the program. Both were four-star prospects who chose the University of Miami over any other team. Both originally committed to other schools before flipping to the Canes for various reasons.
They are some of the biggest recruits for this program in recent memory. Their arrivals have brought life into a program that has been desperately seeking it. Now, even more optimism has swept through Coral Gables. On November 19, UM was able to entice four-star power forward Caleb Gaskins to sign a letter of intent to play for the Canes. The early collection of top talent has been a welcome change, and for the second year in a row, Miami has added a top-20 recruit.
More importantly, the core of Henderson, Allen, and Gaskins will give plenty of contribution to the program, which is something that many previous high-caliber signings haven’t done at Miami. For example, before the atrocity that was last season, UM signed five-star guard Jalil Bethea from Pennsylvania.
Of course, Bethea would be stuck amidst the mess of a 7-24 season that saw the coach he committed to step down after only 12 games. He never produced what was expected of him and is now at Alabama. The same could be said of many other high-caliber recruits that signed in Coral Gables.
Earl Timberlake (2020) only appeared in seven games for the Canes in 2020-21 before suffering an injury. After, he would find success at tiny Bryant University. Austin Swartz (2024) was ineffective, averaging 18.6 minutes per game last season. He is now at Creighton.
Harlond Beverly (2019) spent four seasons with UM, but the peak of his production in the green and orange came during his freshman season. AJ Casey (2022) was a quick flameout, never cracking the rotation in two seasons. There are plenty of more high-profile recruits that didn’t pan out at Miami.
However, this instance feels different. First-year head coach Jai Lucas is slowly building this program back to respectability. Not only is he doing that, but the former Texas star is also trying to take the once lovable losers to a place they’ve never been. Signings, including Gaskins, see and are buying into his vision.
The acquisitions of Gaskins, Henderson, and Allen are opening up the door for a potential new ACC power. Gaskins will join the two soon-to-be sophomores next season. The star from nearby Columbus High School will instantly become an impactful freshman from the moment he arrives on campus.
There will be plenty of room for him to shine. Although it’s still early, he can be an opening night starter, depending on how the roster is constructed before then. Miami’s current frontcourt stars are in their last season of eligibility. Gaskins’ skillset as a power forward will translate well into the college game right away.
The 6’8”, 210-pound prospect is strong and physical, which are traits that Shelton Henderson shared before jumping to the college level as well. Offensively, Gaskins’s best aspect is being able to score efficiently from the mid-range areas. He can post up, put the ball on the floor, and hit jump shots from inside the arc.
His dribbling skills are good for both hands. Defensively, he can rebound well. He is always engaged on his end of the court and can guard multiple positions, expanding his versatility. Gaskins is consistently effective at not overcommitting or being faked.
He keeps opponents in front of him and can get around screens well for a player of his stature. The 18-year-old still has plenty of room to grow and has already established himself as a potential future star in the collegiate ranks. He still needs to add more muscle, which will be done once he gets to the Miami weight room. He also has a wingspan over seven feet.
Overall, Caleb Gaskins will continue to raise the profile of Miami Hurricanes basketball. The Melbourne, Florida, native will make his presence felt come next season. Canes fans couldn’t feel any better with the quick progress Jai Lucas has completed. His superb recruiting skills have been on display, and it’s paid off for Miami early. It’s no longer about if there will be great days ahead, but when for Miami basketball.
