UM eyes win No. 20 as it heads to NC State to play in hostile Lenovo Center
Sure, it was fun to beat 11th ranked North Carolina, be swarmed by ecstatic students on the court and hoist your coach in the air while dancing around the locker room.
But once the jubilation subsided Tuesday night, University of Miami men’s basketball coach Jai Lucas reminded his players that there is plenty of work to do during the final three weeks of the regular season if they want to land a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Hurricanes have a 19-5 record and are in fifth place in the ACC with an 8-3 record, making them a bubble team.
They have a chance to reach win No. 20 and perhaps break into the Top 25 rankings with a win on the road Saturday afternoon (4 p.m., ESPN2) against North Carolina State. The Wolfpack had won six games in a row before being routed 118-77 by 24th-ranked Louisville on Monday.
The Wolfpack and Hurricanes are neck and neck in the ACC standings, the Wolfpack in fourth place and Miami in fifth. Both teams are jockeying for NCAA Tournament bids.
“Hopefully the guys feel like they got over a hump, got a quality win, but we have six more quad one games on the schedule, so it’s not like the schedule gets any easier,” Lucas said. “We’ve got to go to North Carolina State, who’s coming off a big loss, so they’re going to be breathing fire.”
Not only is NC State a formidable opponent, the 19,722-seat Lenovo Center is one of the most intimidating places to play. The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes also play there, and it was voted toughest place to play last season.
“To me, it’s the hardest place to play in the conference, and I say that with all respect to Duke and Carolina, but North Carolina State is a different type of animal,” Lucas said. “Their environment. Their fans are right behind the bench, right on top of you. They’re a fan base that has tradition of winning a national championship, but also have this edge, this chip on their shoulder of being in the middle of Carolina and Duke and feeling like they’re not as respected. So, it adds to the building.”
On the court, one of the biggest challenges will be finding a way to counter Wolfpack point guard Quadir Copeland, a 6-6 senior who previously played at Syracuse and McNeese State. He is averaging 13.9 points and 6.9 assists per game and is NC State’s “head of the snake,” the guy who makes everything go, Lucas said.
“Copeland gives their whole team, and the whole building energy and life,” Lucas said. “You know if you run, he’s going to get you the ball. He’s the engine. He gets those guys shots and gives them confidence and that’s a big part of what they do.”
The Pack is averaging 85.3 points per game, poses serious threats from beyond the arc, and will be highly motivated at home after the loss to Louisville.
“We’re going to get their best punch, and we have to be ready right away because they’re a team that if they jump on your or smell blood in the water, they’re attacking,” Lucas said. “We have to play with poise. They’re very explosive on both ends. Defensively, they pressure you and can turn you over.”
Wolfpack coach Will Wade expects a tough challenge from the Hurricanes.
“They’re big, they’re physical, they play to their strengths,” Wade told Wolfpack Weekly. “Coach Lucas does a great job. They have an identity and play to their strengths. Their strengths are how tough they are, how physical they are, getting that ball in the paint.”
Wade added that Miami’s personnel is perfect for its style of play.
“[Malik] Reneau is able to drive it down there with his left hand,” Wade said. “Shelton Henderson is able to drive it in there with his right hand. Big [Ernest Udeh Jr.], he gets a bunch of lobs, a bunch of layups, bunch of stuff around the rim. [Tre] Donaldson is a good player.”
Reneau is UM’s leading scorer at 19.8 points per game. Udeh is the top rebounder with 9.6 per game and Donaldson averages 6.1 assists.
“They’re going to be big. They’re going to be physical. They’re going to try to punk us,” Wade said. “If they watch the film from Louisville, they’re going to be salivating, ready to come after us. We’re going to have to be a lot tougher, more physical than we’ve been for sure.”
Tru Washington working his way back
Lucas said guard Tru Washington, who missed two games while dealing with a personal matter, is working his way back into the squad. He was on the bench for the North Carolina game but did not play.
“He came back Monday and I didn’t feel it was right to just throw somebody out there after not practicing and not being around for a week,” the coach said. “It’s impossible to say, `All right, Carolina, go out there.’ So, he’s slowly working back, doing extra work, doing everything to get back to where he was. We’ll see what happens on Saturday.”
Lucas on $50,000 fine for court storming
The ACC fined UM $50,000 as punishment for its fans storming the court after the win over UNC. Lucas didn’t want to address the fine, except to say: “I was really impressed with the efficiency in which the security handled it. I’ve been in a lot of court stormings, and I felt this one was done the right way, to be honest with you.
“I felt everyone was protected. It was a gradual kind of court storming but no one got put in danger or anything. I felt our security and our people did an amazing job.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 3:12 PM.