Here is what Duke, UM coaches said about Jai Lucas-to-Hurricanes reports on eve of game
Duke, the third-ranked team in the country, a team many experts are picking to win the national title, was in Miami on Monday, preparing to face the University of Miami on Tuesday night at the Watsco Center.
Jai Lucas, the Blue Devils’ associate head coach, was handling the scouting report, as he always does. But this week, things are anything but normal.
Lucas, the 36-year-old son of former NBA coach John Lucas and one of the nation’s top recruiters, is expected to be hired as Miami’s next head coach, according to multiple well-placed UM sources. The deal has not been finalized, but Lucas is expected to take the job and is said to be negotiating the timing of his departure from Duke.
Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer and interim UM coach Bill Courtney were both asked about the awkward situation during the ACC coaches conference call on Monday.
“It comes with the territory of the job we signed up for, to be able to handle unusual situations,” Scheyer said. “Clearly, this was not thought out well enough. Look, Jai is one of my best friends in the world. We are always going to be great and be able to navigate this. He’s a terrific coach, terrific person.
“But there’s more that’s involved. You think about the Miami staff and the job they’re trying to do, the Miami players and what they’re trying to do. Our thing is to really block it out and stay in the moment until anything becomes final, if and when that happens.”
Scheyer and Courtney both lamented the timing of the Lucas-to-Miami talks.
The Hurricanes’ regular season ends March 8, and they are unlikely to make the ACC Tournament as they are 2-14 in the conference and 6-21 overall heading into Tuesday’s game. Duke is coming off a 110-67 rout of Illinois at Madison Square Garden, has a record of 24-3 overall and 15-1 in the ACC, and is expected to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, which runs through April 7.
Complicating matters, the transfer portal opens on March 24, which will be a critical time for a new UM coach eager to rebuild after the retirement of Jim Larranaga.
“It’s not ideal by any means,” Scheyer said of the timing. “I don’t think it’s fair to their players. But Jai is a stand-up guy and for now his focus is obviously on our team and prepping for Miami. It’s his scout. That’s what he’s prepping for, so we’ll be ready to go [Tuesday] night.
“Tons of respect for Miami players and staff, but it’s the day and age we’re in going forward. I don’t know about the timing and how that’s going to operate, but the portal is different. Now, this is a little bit of a different world. I have a lot of thoughts, but I do know that Jai Lucas is the ultimate pro, class act. He’ll do everything to handle this situation the best way possible, starting with doing his job, coaching for Duke.”
Asked if he could envision a scenario where Lucas does not finish the season with Duke, Scheyer said: “It’s unusual times. Jai and I have been completely connected with all this until something is final and done. I’m not going to speculate on what may or may not happen. I can tell you, Jai and I started this thing three years ago, and our intention is to finish it; but again, I don’t want to get into that until I know when something is final or done, we’ll have to cross that bridge when the time comes.”
Courtney said he and his staff are trying to keep the players focused on the Duke game (7 p.m., ESPN), but he realizes there are news reports swirling about the coach search.
“We don’t talk about it as a staff or with the players, but I’m sure they’re hearing all the stuff, it’s impossible not to,” Courtney said. “But we have to focus on our job at hand. There’s always outside noise and we have to continue to block that out.”
As for the timing, Courtney added: “I don’t think anyone is happy with the timing of this leak, or whatever it is, it’s unfortunate. But there’s always rumors, stuff circulating. All we can control is what we can control.”
The Hurricanes may be without leading scorer Matt Cleveland, who rolled his ankle during the FSU game and did not play on Saturday against Virginia Tech. That will make the game even more challenging against a Duke team loaded with talent and led by freshman national player of the year candidate Cooper Flagg, a generational talent projected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft if he chooses to leave college early.
Cleveland did not practice on Sunday. Whether he plays or not, Courtney expects his team to be motivated and energized by what should be a large home crowd.
“If you can’t be up to play Duke, you probably shouldn’t be playing basketball,” Courtney said. “Their tradition speaks for itself. What they’ve been able to accomplish, the kind of team they have this year, arguably the best team in the country…we won’t need any extra motivational tactics.
“It’ll probably be our biggest crowd of the year. How many of them are here to see Cooper Flagg? That’s part of it. But our guys will be excited.”