The Duke Blue Devils dominated Miami on Tuesday night, cruising to a 97-60 victory—an unsurprising outcome given the current state of both programs.
Miami, now 2-15 in ACC play, is in transition following longtime head coach Jim Larrañaga’s abrupt retirement in December amid another disappointing season.
Recent reports suggest the Hurricanes are eyeing Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas as their next head coach, adding intrigue to Tuesday’s matchup as Miami fans got a glimpse of both the present and possibly the future of their program.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer addressed the speculation surrounding Lucas after the game.
“Jai is a special coach,” Scheyer said. “We’ve been through a lot together for three years. He’s everything you could want… He’s a great coach, bottom line. Our friendship will always be there no matter what.”
Lucas has spent the past three seasons at Duke after two years under John Calipari at Kentucky. Before that, he spent seven years at Texas, rising from Director of Basketball Operations to assistant coach.
While the hiring has yet to be finalized, reports indicate negotiations are ongoing. One key factor is the start date, as Miami hopes to have a coach in place before the transfer portal opens on March 24, while Duke could still be playing into April if they reach the Final Four.
Next up for Miami is a road matchup against North Carolina on Saturday, March 1, at 12:00 PM ET on ESPN.
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