Miami Hurricanes land 6-11 Georgia center Somto Cyril from transfer portal
The University of Miami men’s basketball team landed its first player from the 2026 transfer portal, and it’s a big one. Somto Cyril, Georgia’s 6-11 and 260-pound center, announced on social media Sunday that he committed to the Hurricanes.
Cyril, originally from Nigeria, was one of the most coveted big men in the portal after an outstanding sophomore season.
He started 32 of 33 games, averaged 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and led the SEC with 2.24 blocks per game (74 total blocks). He shot 76 percent from the field and made the SEC All-Defense Team.
He made headlines with his performance against Auburn, when he scored 15 points and had six rebounds and six blocks. The highly rated rim protector is needed to replace departed seniors Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh, Jr.
Shelton Henderson and Dante Allen announced they are returning to Miami for their sophomore seasons after making a big impact as freshmen.
Henderson started all 35 games and averaged 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 56.7 percent from the field. In the NCAA tournament, he scored 15 points against Missouri in UM’s first-round win, and then had a spectacular game against Purdue with a team-high 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
Allen, a Miami native and son of Heat assistant coach Malik Allen, averaged 24 minutes per game and made 18 starts as a freshman. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, and UM coach Jai Lucas calls him “a connector” who makes good decisions and elevates the team when he is on the court.
“Malik, Ernest and Tre set the foundation of what this culture is, what this work should look like,” Lucas said. “And then, for these younger guys like Dante and Shelton, my goal and my plan is for them to carry it on and hold it up. That’s how you become a real good team and real good program.”
The Hurricanes, under 37-year-old first-year coach Lucas, tied an NCAA record for the largest victory turnaround in Division I history, flipping from 7-24 last year to 26-9 this season. They went from last place in the ACC to third in the ACC and reached the Round-of-32 of the NCAA Tournament.
With Henderson and Allen back, and the addition of Cyril and highly-touted recruit Caleb Gaskins from Columbus High School, Lucas has a talented core to build around.
UM players who entered the transfer portal include Tru Washington (headed to Xavier), Timo Malovec, Salih Altunas, Jordyn Kee, Noam Dovrat, and Treyvon Maddox.