Duke commit Henderson, Pitt’s Lowe have ties to Jai Lucas. Will they follow him to UM?
New University of Miami men’s basketball coach Jai Lucas hit the recruiting trail Tuesday, wasting no time as he begins rebuilding the Hurricanes program, which fell to last place in the ACC this season, two years after the team’s historic Final Four run.
He promised a “big overhaul”, with potentially 13 new players, during his introductory news conference on Monday. Lucas, who was associate head coach for top-ranked Duke, is considered one of the top recruiters in the nation. He is known to forge deep relationships with prospects and their families.
Two names to keep an eye on: Pitt sophomore guard Jaland Lowe and Duke commit Shelton Henderson, both of whom have Houston connections with Lucas, who was raised in Houston and whose family has strong ties there.
Lowe is the godson of Lucas’ father, John Lucas II, the former NBA player and coach. Lowe is a 6-3 guard who ranked eighth in scoring in the ACC this season at 17 points per game, sixth in assists with five per game, fourth in steals (1.84) and second in free throw percentage (89.9 percent). He was named third-team All-ACC and made the All-ACC Academic Team.
The transfer portal opens March 24. Don’t be surprised if Lowe is on the list and winds up at Miami.
Henderson, 6-5 and 225 pounds, attends Bellaire High School, Lucas’ alma mater. He is a five-star recruit and led Bellaire to the Texas state championship. He is a physically imposing player who has an all-around game. Over the past two seasons, he averaged 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
Henderson has drawn comparisons to another Houston native, former Miami Heat No. 1 draft pick Justise Winslow, who won a national title at Duke. Lucas was Henderson’s primary recruiter at Duke. He was also the lead recruiter for twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the Miami Columbus High stars, who chose Duke over UM.
Asked if there are any Duke commits that might want to flip to Miami, Lucas replied: “I can’t speak on anybody who signed or committed anywhere, but one thing is true going forward, you always want to keep the best players home. So, that’s what we’ll try to do.”