TOP of the Boards: '27 Basketball Recruiting

Miami head coach Jai Lucas and his staff are again on the recruiting trail as they prepare for the 2026-27 season.

In coach Lucas’ first season, Miami had the biggest turnaround in school history, going 26-9 and returning to the NCAA Tournament.

The next phase of rebuilding is to build consistency. After the incredible season, Miami found itself rebuilding again after three seniors graduated and seven players transferred. Lucas and his staff went to work and built a new team around returning veterans sophomore small forward Shelton Henderson, sophomore guard Dante Allen and senior forward Marcus Allen.

Miami welcomed eight new recruits this off-season, including five-star freshman power forward Caleb Gaskins, freshman power forward Chris Birden. From the transfer portal, Miami signed CG Acaden Lewis (Villanova), C Somto Cyril (Georgia), SG Nick Dorn (Indiana), PG Quin Berger (Bucknell), PF DeSean Goode (Robert Morris), SG Brent Bland (St. Peter’s) to complete an eleven-man roster.

Looking forward, Miami will need to replace Nick Dorn, Brent Bland and Quin Berger as they will exhaust their eligibility after next season. The NCAA roster limit is 13 scholarships, meaning Miami could sign 3-5 new recruits to their 2027 recruiting class.

At this time, Miami has made 19 scholarship offers. Of those here are six prospects to know.

PG Cayden Daughtry

Hometown:  Fort Lauderdale, FL               School: Calvary Christian Academy                     

HT: 6'-0"  | WT: 155 |  Offers: 28  |  Rating: 99  |  Pos. Rank:  4  |  Overall Rank: 14

Status:  UNCOMMITTED   |  Top Tier: FSU, Iowa, Miami, Michigan

OV: ———         UOV: ———

Summary:  An elite point guard. He brings superb shooting ability and court leadership. Must get stronger to reach his potential.

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CG Oneal Delancy

Hometown:  Montverde, FL              School: Montverde Academy              

HT: 6'-2"  | WT:  165 |  Offers: 24  |  Rating: 98  |  Pos. Rank:  8  |  Overall Rank: 53

Status:  UNCOMMITTED   |  Top Tier: Houston, FSU, Maryland, Miami, USF

OV: ———         UOV: ———

Summary: Miami has ground to make up. The Canes must get an official visit to state their case.

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C Lewis Uvwo

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL            School:  Prolific Prep                    

HT: 6'-10"  | WT:  225 |  Offers: 23  |  Rating: 99  |  Pos. Rank:  4  |  Overall Rank: 23

Status:  UNCOMMITTED   |  Top Tier: 

OV:          UOV: 

Summary: Already possesses an advanced defensive game for his age and is an effortless shot blocker. He powerful on the boards on both ends of the floor. At the NBA Players Association Top 100 camp, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and had seven blocked shots in four games.

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PF Marcus Spears Jr.

Hometown:                                          School:                      

HT: 6'-3"  | WT:  260 |  Offers: 21  |  Rating: 92  |  Pos. Rank:  23  |  Overall Rank: 220

Status:  UNCOMMITTED   |  Top Tier: 

OV:          UOV: 

Summary:  Spears is the #1 overall player in this recruiting class. He has good length, mobility and athleticism. He’s quick vertically, good lateral movement and has soft and strong hands. At the EYBL spring session, he averaged 20.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.6% from beyond the arc.

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PF Brandon Woodard

Hometown: Lanham, MD              School: Bishop McNamara                     

HT: 6'-8"  | WT: 190 |  Offers: 11  |  Rating: 97  |  Pos. Rank:  10  |  Overall Rank:74

Status:  UNCOMMITTED   |  Top Tier: TBD

OV:          UOV: 

Summary: At Nike EBYL session in Memphis , Brandon averaged 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists over three games. Woodard also brings good versatility.

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PG Tyrone Jamison

Hometown: Shreveport, LA              School: Calvary Baptist Academy

HT: 6'-3"  | WT:  155 |  Offers: 29  |  Rating: 98  |  Pos. Rank:  10  |  Overall Rank:40

Status:  UNCOMMITTED   |  Top Tier: Maryland, Iowa, LSU, USC, Baylor, Ala, Arkansas, Louisville, Miami, OK State, SMU

OV: ———         UOV: ———-

Summary: Miami is late to the party and must get an official visit to state their case. Tough pull.

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BOTTOM LINE:

As the recruiting cycle progresses, we expect additional targets to emerge. But there is one thing to recognize. Coach Jai Lucas is building a consistent powerhouse. We are about to enter the next stage.

GO CANES!