BREAKING: Jai Lucas’ assistant fuels Crucial transfer for five-star duo away from Duke

The Miami Hurricanes experienced the end of an era earlier this basketball season when longtime head coach Jim Larrañaga retired midseason. After back-to-back Elite Eight runs and a Final Four appearance, the program has struggled over the past two seasons, failing to maintain its competitive edge.

Amid expectations of a major roster overhaul this offseason, multiple reports indicate that Miami is set to hire Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas as its next head coach. A top-tier recruiter, Lucas has played a key role in securing several five-star prospects during his time at Kentucky and Duke, including elite twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer.

According to reports, including Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, Lucas is also expected to bring in Miami Columbus head coach Andrew Moran as an assistant, pending confirmation of his hiring. Since Lucas was the lead recruiter for the Boozer twins and Moran is their current high school coach, speculation has grown that the sons of former NBA star Carlos Boozer could reconsider their commitment to Duke and instead stay home to play for the Hurricanes.

While such a move would be unexpected, Miami was the runner-up in the Boozer twins’ recruitment. If the Hurricanes finalize Lucas’s hiring and add Moran to the staff, they would have a compelling case to flip the highly touted recruits.

Although the situation is different, it would resemble the surprising transfers of Cam Ward and Carson Beck to Miami after initially declaring for the NFL Draft. If Miami’s administration is willing to provide the necessary resources for Lucas to rebuild the program, securing both Boozer twins would be a significant step toward reestablishing the Hurricanes as a top contender in the ACC.