Peter Ariz and DMoney welcomed Miami head coach Jai Lucas to the CanesInSight Podcast on a game-day morning ahead of an 8 p.m. tip at the Watsco Center against Virginia Tech. A transcript of the interview is below:
Peter Ariz: Coach, appreciate you taking time on a game day. Do you have any personal routines or superstitions on game-day mornings?
Jai Lucas: I’ve got to take a game-day walk. I do a walk around campus about three hours before the game. That’s my peace and meditation — my moving meditation — just to get ready for what’s coming.
Peter Ariz: After the momentum of last week, what’s the message to keep the team levelheaded heading into a tough Virginia Tech game?
Jai Lucas: We haven’t accomplished anything yet. We’re in the middle of the season — we still have five games to go. That wasn’t our championship. We have to keep chipping away and continue to fight for our identity and who we are. The best part about last week is our identity showed, and we fought for it — and we took care of the ball. That was the biggest difference.
DMoney: When the other team goes on a run or adversity hits, your guys don’t show bad body language — no hanging heads, no finger-pointing. Is that preached, or is it just your culture?
Jai Lucas: It is. We talk about it all the time — what’s next. No matter what happens, whether we go on a run, they go on a run, we make a big shot, we turn it over, there’s always something next. What happened moments before can’t impact where we are now and what’s going to happen next. We try to stay in neutral — not too high, not too low. We’ve got to be right where we are in the moment.
Peter Ariz: From the beginning you were vocal about building around Tre Donaldson, Malik Reneau, and Ernest Udeh. They’ve all had career years. What do you attribute that to, and what does it say about your staff and development?
Jai Lucas: It starts with them. They’re in their fourth year of school, and they bought into our vision — into a new coach, a first-time head coach — and gave me the ability to coach and develop them. Then it goes to the staff. I’ve got one of the best staffs in the country. We have versatility on staff, people who can relate, and they develop great relationships with the players — that leads to the culture we want. A big part is making sure we have a plan, we explain the plan, and we execute it at the highest level. That’s what we try to do every day.
DMoney: Before the season, people wondered how Malik and Ernest would fit together offensively — and the lobs have been unbelievable. How have you made that work?
Jai Lucas: Malik was the focal point. Watching him, I felt like he could play a big part of the four spot and how I wanted to play it — putting him in the pocket around the middle, around the logo area, and letting him make reads to score and finish from there. Then you’ve got to have somebody like Ernest who’s a lob threat and can put vertical presence on the rim. I like that he’s like having a great wide receiver — he’s our version of Baby Jesus. His presence to go up and catch it and finish at the rim opens up so much other stuff. It started with Malik’s vision and his ability to execute the plan.
Peter Ariz: Early on you said you needed Shelton to understand how good he really is. Does he know yet?
Jai Lucas: He’s getting closer. He does not know yet, but it’s getting closer. He can impact the game on both sides of the ball in such a unique way that a freshman shouldn’t right away, but he is. There are a lot of great freshmen in the ACC and across the country — I put him up there with anybody because of his impact on winning and the value he has on our team.
DMoney: If you could script the end of the last game, it’s hard to script it better than Tru Washington at the line. What did it mean for him — and for the team — for him to come through after being out?
Jai Lucas: That was huge. Tru has done a great job since he’s been back. He was dealing with some personal stuff and needed some time. He came back, and getting back to normal life was big for him. That moment was a culmination of the last couple weeks and what he’d been through — and he comes to the line and makes those three free throws after we’d been struggling. I’m more ****ed in that moment because I don’t think we should’ve been in that situation — we gave them life with some execution offensively and defensively where we should’ve been up six or eight. But we needed it, battled through, and found a way to win.
Peter Ariz: I interviewed Zack Zillner before the season and was impressed. People keep saying this is a big, physical, tough Miami team. What has he meant early on?
Jai Lucas: He’s the best in the business. I saw it right away at Texas when he first got there. I put him in my rolodex — as soon as I get a job, I’m going to hire him — and I’m glad I did. His ability to connect with the players is huge, but the way he sees strength and conditioning and functional movement aligns with how I think. He executes and thinks the way I think — that’s what you want as a head coach. His ability to keep the players healthy — we have a lot of guys playing high minutes — and keep them strong to perform week in and week out, that’s a testament to him.
DMoney: When you talk about identity — what’s the process of deciding, “This is who we are,” and leaning into what you can impose on other teams?
Jai Lucas: Our identity was created early when we built the team. I like that it happened this way for our first year. We’ve got to tweak some things, get better free throw shooting and all that. But I knew I wanted to build it with size and physicality. That gives you a chance to be competitive right away and a chance in every game — and it has for us. The best thing the guys have done is buy into the vision and the identity right away. It’s put us in position to be where we are today because they didn’t fight it. It also puts you in positions where you can shoot 50% from the free throw line, make three threes, and still win a game — and we’ve done that multiple times. It speaks to them buying in and executing the plan every game.
Peter Ariz: Recruiting — Caleb Gaskins is coming in soon. What is he bringing, on the court and intangibles-wise, as you build the culture?
Jai Lucas: He brings everything. Not just as a basketball player, but as a young man. I recruited him at Duke, so I’ve gotten to know him, and then getting down here, really getting to know him and his family. He’s a good basketball player — McDonald’s All-American, all that — but he fits us and what we want to be about and the culture we’re trying to build. I’m excited to have another building block. It’s hard in this day and age with freshmen to get a lot of them and keep a lot of them. I wanted to make sure we got ones that could play right away, and if they stayed, they could be building pieces of the program. We got that this year with our freshmen, and Caleb fits that mold. Going forward, we want two, maybe three freshmen every year, have four or five back from the year before, and fill in the rest with portal guys. You have to get the right people in the building to do that, and Caleb’s one of the right people.
DMoney: The energy in the building for the UNC game was electric. How important is home-court and building Watsco into what you want it to be?
Jai Lucas: It’s huge. It’s what I want Watsco to be. I understand it’s North Carolina — top 10 team — that’s when people come. Hopefully people fall in love with the team, the style, the competitiveness, and we slowly build it. By year three, hopefully all our ACC games are sold out, and the building’s at least 80% full. That’s what it should be. The fan base is one of the best I’ve been around — I knew about it, but I fell in love with it this season, following football and going to games and seeing what the U means to people here. Then seeing what it can be at the UNC game — it needs to be that all the time. We need it tonight. Virginia Tech is really good — they’re a tournament team. They’ve had three losses at the buzzer. If not for those, they’d have the same record as us. Tonight’s going to be a war — like any other ACC battle.
Peter Ariz: On the road — you can hear it — you feel the “hate of the U” a little bit. It’s different, right?
Jai Lucas: It is. And it’s a great love. I’ve only seen it in the ACC from one lens, being at Duke — you always get sold-out crowds, t-shirt games, rally towels. I take pride in going to other people’s buildings and people want to come see the U and see the orange and green. We want to make it consistent. We want to play in those environments and be in those moments moving forward.
Peter Ariz: How do you see the ACC right now — depth top to bottom — and where it’s trending?
Jai Lucas: It’s trending up. This was going to happen because we had Hall of Fame coaches retire — Coach K, Roy Williams, Leonard Hamilton, Boeheim, Tony Bennett — all these great coaches. There was going to be a reset moment, and I think it’s happened. The coaches who stayed over revamped their rosters. The new coaches who came in — like Will Wade and Ryan Odom — came in with a plan and executed it, and it’s helped the league. This is what the league is supposed to be. We’re supposed to get eight, nine teams in the tournament every year. It can’t just be the SEC and the Big Ten. This is the ACC — one of the most historic conferences in the country when it comes to basketball — it has to be this way.
DMoney: You’ve brought in guys who compete and do things the right way — the kind of play you’d want kids to model. How important is that in evaluation, especially now?
Jai Lucas: It’s critical. In the wrong way, it can throw the whole year off. You have to be detailed and do your background. It’s hard with the portal because it happens so quick, but you have to check pedigree. A big thing for me is: have they won? State championships, AAU championships, Peach Jam championships — have they won? Did they win at their universities? Conference championships, conference tournament championships, make the tournament — it matters. If they’ve done those things, they understand what goes into winning and the value of winning — that’s what we’re trying to do.
Peter Ariz: Last one — you’ve said you believe this is a championship program, even nationally. In less than a year, what have you seen that makes you believe that so strongly?
Jai Lucas: It starts with everything. I felt it during the interview process. It starts with the administration, donors, boosters — everyone tied to the university. They want to win, and they want to win for the U — for the alumni, for the city. Then I fell in love with the city recruiting. At first it’s the tourist stuff, but when I started recruiting and staying in South Miami, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, seeing the people who really are Miami — it’s easy to fall in love with the city and the culture. You understand the pride the university and the city have tied together.
The last part is understanding the people from the area and getting kids from Florida, from Miami, from this region — the pride they feel. When they’re playing in front of family and friends, they’ll give you everything they’ve got. And the U is a worldwide brand — I can go anywhere and recruit because everyone knows the colors, the hand signal, and the U only means one thing. The commitment is here, the love is here, and the willingness to want to be a Hurricane is there across the nation. It’s my job and my staff’s job to find the right people and win a championship — and I won’t rest until I do.
DMoney: Coach, appreciate you. Can’t wait to watch you guys tonight at the 'Sco.
Jai Lucas: I appreciate it. Thank y’all for promoting the program and everything you’re doing for us. It means a lot. I’m not a big social media person, but it gets to me somehow. So I appreciate y’all and the support always.
Peter Ariz: Coach, appreciate you taking time on a game day. Do you have any personal routines or superstitions on game-day mornings?
Jai Lucas: I’ve got to take a game-day walk. I do a walk around campus about three hours before the game. That’s my peace and meditation — my moving meditation — just to get ready for what’s coming.
Peter Ariz: After the momentum of last week, what’s the message to keep the team levelheaded heading into a tough Virginia Tech game?
Jai Lucas: We haven’t accomplished anything yet. We’re in the middle of the season — we still have five games to go. That wasn’t our championship. We have to keep chipping away and continue to fight for our identity and who we are. The best part about last week is our identity showed, and we fought for it — and we took care of the ball. That was the biggest difference.
DMoney: When the other team goes on a run or adversity hits, your guys don’t show bad body language — no hanging heads, no finger-pointing. Is that preached, or is it just your culture?
Jai Lucas: It is. We talk about it all the time — what’s next. No matter what happens, whether we go on a run, they go on a run, we make a big shot, we turn it over, there’s always something next. What happened moments before can’t impact where we are now and what’s going to happen next. We try to stay in neutral — not too high, not too low. We’ve got to be right where we are in the moment.
Peter Ariz: From the beginning you were vocal about building around Tre Donaldson, Malik Reneau, and Ernest Udeh. They’ve all had career years. What do you attribute that to, and what does it say about your staff and development?
Jai Lucas: It starts with them. They’re in their fourth year of school, and they bought into our vision — into a new coach, a first-time head coach — and gave me the ability to coach and develop them. Then it goes to the staff. I’ve got one of the best staffs in the country. We have versatility on staff, people who can relate, and they develop great relationships with the players — that leads to the culture we want. A big part is making sure we have a plan, we explain the plan, and we execute it at the highest level. That’s what we try to do every day.
DMoney: Before the season, people wondered how Malik and Ernest would fit together offensively — and the lobs have been unbelievable. How have you made that work?
Jai Lucas: Malik was the focal point. Watching him, I felt like he could play a big part of the four spot and how I wanted to play it — putting him in the pocket around the middle, around the logo area, and letting him make reads to score and finish from there. Then you’ve got to have somebody like Ernest who’s a lob threat and can put vertical presence on the rim. I like that he’s like having a great wide receiver — he’s our version of Baby Jesus. His presence to go up and catch it and finish at the rim opens up so much other stuff. It started with Malik’s vision and his ability to execute the plan.
Peter Ariz: Early on you said you needed Shelton to understand how good he really is. Does he know yet?
Jai Lucas: He’s getting closer. He does not know yet, but it’s getting closer. He can impact the game on both sides of the ball in such a unique way that a freshman shouldn’t right away, but he is. There are a lot of great freshmen in the ACC and across the country — I put him up there with anybody because of his impact on winning and the value he has on our team.
DMoney: If you could script the end of the last game, it’s hard to script it better than Tru Washington at the line. What did it mean for him — and for the team — for him to come through after being out?
Jai Lucas: That was huge. Tru has done a great job since he’s been back. He was dealing with some personal stuff and needed some time. He came back, and getting back to normal life was big for him. That moment was a culmination of the last couple weeks and what he’d been through — and he comes to the line and makes those three free throws after we’d been struggling. I’m more ****ed in that moment because I don’t think we should’ve been in that situation — we gave them life with some execution offensively and defensively where we should’ve been up six or eight. But we needed it, battled through, and found a way to win.
Peter Ariz: I interviewed Zack Zillner before the season and was impressed. People keep saying this is a big, physical, tough Miami team. What has he meant early on?
Jai Lucas: He’s the best in the business. I saw it right away at Texas when he first got there. I put him in my rolodex — as soon as I get a job, I’m going to hire him — and I’m glad I did. His ability to connect with the players is huge, but the way he sees strength and conditioning and functional movement aligns with how I think. He executes and thinks the way I think — that’s what you want as a head coach. His ability to keep the players healthy — we have a lot of guys playing high minutes — and keep them strong to perform week in and week out, that’s a testament to him.
DMoney: When you talk about identity — what’s the process of deciding, “This is who we are,” and leaning into what you can impose on other teams?
Jai Lucas: Our identity was created early when we built the team. I like that it happened this way for our first year. We’ve got to tweak some things, get better free throw shooting and all that. But I knew I wanted to build it with size and physicality. That gives you a chance to be competitive right away and a chance in every game — and it has for us. The best thing the guys have done is buy into the vision and the identity right away. It’s put us in position to be where we are today because they didn’t fight it. It also puts you in positions where you can shoot 50% from the free throw line, make three threes, and still win a game — and we’ve done that multiple times. It speaks to them buying in and executing the plan every game.
Peter Ariz: Recruiting — Caleb Gaskins is coming in soon. What is he bringing, on the court and intangibles-wise, as you build the culture?
Jai Lucas: He brings everything. Not just as a basketball player, but as a young man. I recruited him at Duke, so I’ve gotten to know him, and then getting down here, really getting to know him and his family. He’s a good basketball player — McDonald’s All-American, all that — but he fits us and what we want to be about and the culture we’re trying to build. I’m excited to have another building block. It’s hard in this day and age with freshmen to get a lot of them and keep a lot of them. I wanted to make sure we got ones that could play right away, and if they stayed, they could be building pieces of the program. We got that this year with our freshmen, and Caleb fits that mold. Going forward, we want two, maybe three freshmen every year, have four or five back from the year before, and fill in the rest with portal guys. You have to get the right people in the building to do that, and Caleb’s one of the right people.
DMoney: The energy in the building for the UNC game was electric. How important is home-court and building Watsco into what you want it to be?
Jai Lucas: It’s huge. It’s what I want Watsco to be. I understand it’s North Carolina — top 10 team — that’s when people come. Hopefully people fall in love with the team, the style, the competitiveness, and we slowly build it. By year three, hopefully all our ACC games are sold out, and the building’s at least 80% full. That’s what it should be. The fan base is one of the best I’ve been around — I knew about it, but I fell in love with it this season, following football and going to games and seeing what the U means to people here. Then seeing what it can be at the UNC game — it needs to be that all the time. We need it tonight. Virginia Tech is really good — they’re a tournament team. They’ve had three losses at the buzzer. If not for those, they’d have the same record as us. Tonight’s going to be a war — like any other ACC battle.
Peter Ariz: On the road — you can hear it — you feel the “hate of the U” a little bit. It’s different, right?
Jai Lucas: It is. And it’s a great love. I’ve only seen it in the ACC from one lens, being at Duke — you always get sold-out crowds, t-shirt games, rally towels. I take pride in going to other people’s buildings and people want to come see the U and see the orange and green. We want to make it consistent. We want to play in those environments and be in those moments moving forward.
Peter Ariz: How do you see the ACC right now — depth top to bottom — and where it’s trending?
Jai Lucas: It’s trending up. This was going to happen because we had Hall of Fame coaches retire — Coach K, Roy Williams, Leonard Hamilton, Boeheim, Tony Bennett — all these great coaches. There was going to be a reset moment, and I think it’s happened. The coaches who stayed over revamped their rosters. The new coaches who came in — like Will Wade and Ryan Odom — came in with a plan and executed it, and it’s helped the league. This is what the league is supposed to be. We’re supposed to get eight, nine teams in the tournament every year. It can’t just be the SEC and the Big Ten. This is the ACC — one of the most historic conferences in the country when it comes to basketball — it has to be this way.
DMoney: You’ve brought in guys who compete and do things the right way — the kind of play you’d want kids to model. How important is that in evaluation, especially now?
Jai Lucas: It’s critical. In the wrong way, it can throw the whole year off. You have to be detailed and do your background. It’s hard with the portal because it happens so quick, but you have to check pedigree. A big thing for me is: have they won? State championships, AAU championships, Peach Jam championships — have they won? Did they win at their universities? Conference championships, conference tournament championships, make the tournament — it matters. If they’ve done those things, they understand what goes into winning and the value of winning — that’s what we’re trying to do.
Peter Ariz: Last one — you’ve said you believe this is a championship program, even nationally. In less than a year, what have you seen that makes you believe that so strongly?
Jai Lucas: It starts with everything. I felt it during the interview process. It starts with the administration, donors, boosters — everyone tied to the university. They want to win, and they want to win for the U — for the alumni, for the city. Then I fell in love with the city recruiting. At first it’s the tourist stuff, but when I started recruiting and staying in South Miami, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, seeing the people who really are Miami — it’s easy to fall in love with the city and the culture. You understand the pride the university and the city have tied together.
The last part is understanding the people from the area and getting kids from Florida, from Miami, from this region — the pride they feel. When they’re playing in front of family and friends, they’ll give you everything they’ve got. And the U is a worldwide brand — I can go anywhere and recruit because everyone knows the colors, the hand signal, and the U only means one thing. The commitment is here, the love is here, and the willingness to want to be a Hurricane is there across the nation. It’s my job and my staff’s job to find the right people and win a championship — and I won’t rest until I do.
DMoney: Coach, appreciate you. Can’t wait to watch you guys tonight at the 'Sco.
Jai Lucas: I appreciate it. Thank y’all for promoting the program and everything you’re doing for us. It means a lot. I’m not a big social media person, but it gets to me somehow. So I appreciate y’all and the support always.
