Jai Lucas restocks UM for 2026-27 with transfers Acaden Lewis and Somto Cyril
Jai Lucas is wasting no time re-stocking the University of Miami basketball team for the 2026-27 season.
Villanova guard Acaden Lewis, one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal, announced on Instagram Tuesday that he committed to the Hurricanes. The Washington, D.C., native helped lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament as a freshman.
He averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Lewis was named to the Big East All-Freshman team and the All-Big East Second Team as a true freshman. He broke a 41-year-old freshman record for assists with 176 and also broke the school record with 63 steals as a freshman
Lewis originally committed to Kentucky during high school, but de-committed last April and signed with Villanova. Lewis had taken an official visit to Miami after Lucas was hired but opted to go to Villanova.
Over the weekend, Miami landed Georgia transfer Somto Cyril, a 6-11 and 260-pound center who was one of the most coveted big men in the portal.
Cyril, a native of Nigeria, 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 UM 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.
The Hurricanes, under 37-year-old first-year coach Jai 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 Lewis, Cyril and five-star 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.