Miami HC Jai Lucas wastes no time entering race to land 5-star prospect
Lucas went to see five-star 2026 prospect Toni Bryant at North Tampa Christian Academy
Jai Lucas, former Duke basketball coach and recruiter, was recently appointed as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami.
by Prior to this role, Lucas served as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Duke, where he was instrumental in securing top recruiting classes and enhancing the team’s defense.
Lucas’s coaching career includes significant stints at the University of Texas and the University of Kentucky, where he established himself as a top recruiter, landing five-star talents. At Duke he was the main recruitor for Cooper Flagg and the Boozer twins as well. His transition to Miami marks his first head coaching position, succeeding Jim Larranaga, who retired in the middle of this past season.
According to recent reports by Alex Karamanos, Lucas is already on the recruiting trail to bring talent to the Miami Hurricanes program. One of his first stops was to see five-star 2026 prospect Toni Bryant at North Tampa Christian Academy. Bryant is a 6-foot-10-inch, 200-pound power forward and is recognized as one of the top players in the Tampa Bay area.
As a sophomore, Bryant led the nation in blocked shots and has received offers from multiple programs such as Ole Miss, Texas, Florida and Miami. He is ranked as the fourth-best player in the state of Florida and 14th player nationally, per On3.
In his inaugural press conference at Miami, Lucas emphasized the abundance of basketball talent in Florida, particularly highlighting the 2026 recruiting class. “Florida has the best talent coming up these next couple of years,” Lucas said. Miami has also been in contention for top prospects in the transfer portal, such as Josh Harris from North Florida.
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