MIAMI, Fla. – Upon arriving at Coral Gables in March of 2025, Jai Lucas has primarily relied on the transfer portal to build up the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball program. However, he doesn’t shy away from adding high school talent. After taking the reins, Lucas lured five-star Shelton Henderson (Duke) and four-star Dante Allen (Villanova) away from the other programs they pledged to.
Both delivered an immediate impact as freshmen and will return for a sophomore campaign.
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Ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season, the Hurricanes added seven transfers, plus a couple of high school recruits in local five-star Caleb Gaskins and Christopher Birden Jr. Either can carve out a role on Lucas’ roster. The Hurricanes will have an opportunity to stack future talent.
Four-star shooting guard Justin Wise is down to six schools:
– Texas
– Georgia
– Tennessee
– Vanderbilt
– Clemson
– Miami
The consensus top-100 recruit currently attends North Oconee High School – a public institution located in Bogard, Georgia. Wise doesn’t have any available stats on MaxPreps. He’s listed at 6-4 and 175 pounds.
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Wise is ranked 54th nationally, fourth among shooting guards, and seventh from Georgia for the 2027 class, according to 247Sports Composite. Along with the six finalists, he received scholarship offers from Auburn, Cal, Florida State, Georgia Tech, SMU, Virginia Tech, and Villanova.
The Hurricanes could emerge as a hot destination for basketball high school recruits, including Wise. Given how quickly Lucas established a new culture and standard, among the many goals is to keep getting better. The new roster is expected to compete among the nation’s best, facing three SEC programs in the regular season, including a potential matchup against the reigning National Champion Michigan Wolverines in the Las Vegas Players Era Tournament.
Wise has yet to schedule an official or unofficial visit to the Coral Gables campus and the Watsco Center. It could play a critical role in the recruiting process.
The Hurricanes currently have no verbal commits from any 2027 recruit. However, several scholarship offers have been made, including to Fort Lauderdale five-star guard Cayden Daughtry, Bradenton five-star small forward Jordan Page, and Orlando power forward CJ Rosser, among others.
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It could take another significant winning season to maintain the attention of these highly-touted recruits. Regardless, Lucas has a strong idea of who fits the program’s standard and culture. It starts with looking for talent already within the Sunshine State.
Basketball in Coral Gables has returned to relevancy, but the next step is to deliver hardware.
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Anthony Aguirre is the Miami Hurricanes beat writer for Roundtable Sports. Contact info: alexagmu@gmail.com | 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
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More Miami Hurricanes News:
– “How the Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Roster Help Unlock Dante Allen”
– “Was Miami Hurricanes’ Mark Fletcher Jr. Disrespected in ACC Running Back Rankings?”
– “Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Announce 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule”
