This offseason, second-year Miami Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas was looking to replace the presence of point guard Tre Donaldson. That is when Lucas dipped his toes into the Big East and came out with one of the most productive freshman point guards in the country in Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis.
Last week, Lucas, Lewis, and Shelton Henderson were all in attendance for the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each person had a chance to speak in front of the media ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season.
Lewis and Henderson were guests on the Field of 68 show, in Charlotte where Lewis stated that he chose to represent the University of Miami because of head coach Jai Lucas.
"I already knew Coach Lucas. I met him on my Duke visit initially my junior year, and I thought he was a good dude. He wasn't my main recruiter, but on my visit he was one of the main people that talked to me. When I hit the portal, I just thought he was a good dude. So, let me give him a shot. He's a first-year black head coach. Why not go on a visit and see what he's talking about," stated Lewis.
He noted that everything about the recruiting process with Coach Jai Lucas and the Miami Hurricanes just lined up perfectly.
"Everything just lined up. The way he talked to me, the things he told me I had to work on, me and my circle fully agreed on. From there it kind of just made sense. The conversations rolled in. And since I've got here, we've done everything, whether it be watching film, being around his family, during practice, asking me about reads I saw. He's just been challenging me in a way I haven't been challenged since high school. So I think it's been great so far."
This past season with Villanova, he posted 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per outing in 30.5 minutes per game. He shot 45.6% from the field and 27.0% from behind the arc. Despite his three-point shooting struggles, he stated that this offseason has helped him get his swag back shooting the ball.
"For me, it’s kind of finding my swag back. My confidence kind of dropped last year. I got challenged in a way I haven’t in a while when it came to shooting the ball. I didn’t shoot it very well from three or from the line. I can’t blame it on anybody else but myself."
At Villanova, he broke the school freshman record for single-season assist with 176 and also broke the single-season steals record with 63 total steals.
Jai Lucas and the Hurricanes got a good one in Lewis. Who's ready for the season to start up on November 2?
Last week, Lucas, Lewis, and Shelton Henderson were all in attendance for the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each person had a chance to speak in front of the media ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season.
Lewis and Henderson were guests on the Field of 68 show, in Charlotte where Lewis stated that he chose to represent the University of Miami because of head coach Jai Lucas.
"I already knew Coach Lucas. I met him on my Duke visit initially my junior year, and I thought he was a good dude. He wasn't my main recruiter, but on my visit he was one of the main people that talked to me. When I hit the portal, I just thought he was a good dude. So, let me give him a shot. He's a first-year black head coach. Why not go on a visit and see what he's talking about," stated Lewis.
He noted that everything about the recruiting process with Coach Jai Lucas and the Miami Hurricanes just lined up perfectly.
"Everything just lined up. The way he talked to me, the things he told me I had to work on, me and my circle fully agreed on. From there it kind of just made sense. The conversations rolled in. And since I've got here, we've done everything, whether it be watching film, being around his family, during practice, asking me about reads I saw. He's just been challenging me in a way I haven't been challenged since high school. So I think it's been great so far."
This past season with Villanova, he posted 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per outing in 30.5 minutes per game. He shot 45.6% from the field and 27.0% from behind the arc. Despite his three-point shooting struggles, he stated that this offseason has helped him get his swag back shooting the ball.
"For me, it’s kind of finding my swag back. My confidence kind of dropped last year. I got challenged in a way I haven’t in a while when it came to shooting the ball. I didn’t shoot it very well from three or from the line. I can’t blame it on anybody else but myself."
At Villanova, he broke the school freshman record for single-season assist with 176 and also broke the single-season steals record with 63 total steals.
Jai Lucas and the Hurricanes got a good one in Lewis. Who's ready for the season to start up on November 2?
