Hurricanes basketball opens Year 2 of Jai Lucas era with big test in top-ranked Florida

Miami Herald · Jordan McPherson · 2026-11-01 15:00 UTC

The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team begins the 2026-27 season against the top-ranked Florida Gators. It’s the start of Jai Lucas’ second season at UM.

The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team has a tall task ahead of them on Monday, one that kicks off an overall tall task of a season for second-year head coach Jai Lucas.

As the No. 14 Hurricanes look to build upon Lucas’ stunning first campaign — one that saw them go 26-9 overall, 13-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament — they will get a pretty good idea of just how good they are when they play their season opener against the top-ranked Florida Gators. Tipoff from Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena on Monday is set for 6 p.m., with the game broadcast on ESPN 2.

“It’s definitely exciting,” freshman Caleb Gaskins said. “A game that I feel like I’m definitely ready for it and I think as a team we’re ready for it. A lot of preparation went into what we’re trying to do. Florida’s a good team, but we truly believe that we can beat them, and that’s what our mission is.”

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