Duke’s Lucas focus of Miami search, sources say

• Jeff Borzello Close Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting expert. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Feb 22, 2025, 10:16 PM ET Duke

• associate head coach Jai
• Lucas has become the focus of Miami’s

look for a brand-new basketball coach, sources told ESPN on Saturday.A deal is not finished, and the strategy is for the search to come together on a conventional timeline near to completion of the regular

season.Multiple sources informed ESPN on Saturday night that the job has actually not been formally provided, nor is a deal anticipated to be impending. Miami plays Duke on Tuesday in Coral Gables, Florida.Editor’s Picks

Duke coach Jon Scheyer

was asked about Lucas following the Blue Devils’110-67 win over Illinois on Saturday night in New york city.”Definitely he’s a head coach, no question about it,”Scheyer stated.” It’s part of why I employed him. The task he’s done for us has actually been extraordinary.”Any report or anything that’s out there,

I’m just getting wind of it now. We’ll cross that bridge and figure it out. “Lucas, 36, is considered one of the nation’s top

assistant coaches, having actually operated at Texas(2016-20 )and Kentucky( 2020-22) as an assistant prior to landing at Duke in 2022. He was elevated to Duke’s associate head coach in 2023. He is likewise Duke’s defensive coordinator.

Heaven Devils rank No. 4 nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings and No. 1 in 2-point basket percentage allowed. In Lucas’first two seasons with Duke, the group completed in the top 20 in KenPom’s defense rankings.Breaking News from Pete Thamel Download the ESPN app and make it possible for Pete Thamel’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the most recent updates first. Decide in by tapping the notifies bell in the leading right corner. For more information, click on this link. Miami is set to change Jim Larranaga, who stepped down in December amidst his 14th season at the school.

Larranaga led Miami to the Final Four in 2023 and twice won the ACC regular-season title. The Hurricanes are 6-20 overall this season and in last place in the ACC at 2-13. Lucas is thought about among the nation’s finest employers, as he assisted bring elite skill to Texas and Kentucky when he was with those programs. Duke’s recruiting class has been ranked in the leading 2 nationally in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Lucas played a big function in helping bring in the Boozer twins– No. 3 Cameron and No. 16 Cayden– for the 2025 class.Lucas is the kid of John Lucas II, the former Maryland All-American, No. 1 NBA draft choice and long time NBA coach and assistant.