CanesInSight's Peter Ariz sat down with new Miami Hurricanes power forward Malik Reneau to discuss his transition to the University and his overall experience at Miami.
In 2024-25, with Indiana, Reneau started 19 of 26 games played, totaling 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.
CanesInSight has you covered. We typed up the full interview transcript and dropped the video link below, so you can either read it here or watch it for yourself.
On being back home in Miami
It's great to be back home, to be around my family and friends, i just feel like it gives me more motivation, makes me go even more when im on the court.
On believing Jai Lucas's plan
I had a lot of great coaches and schools coming at me, but with Coach Lucas, he's super young, and he's got a basketball mind — he just knows a lot just being around the game for so long. And the staff that he brought with him to Miami — I knew all of the staff members he brought with him, and I just felt really comfortable around the staff.
On meshing with his new teammates
I played with Tre before, so it didn't have to take too long to get that going with that chemistry. Seeing Ernest playing in the past at Dr. Phillips, where he used to go to school, just knowing what he's capable of doing, and just mixing it with my game, and just building that chemistry together with all the players. We got a lot of young guys that're coming in too — we just got to keep working, and every day we know every day we've got to get a step better
On the next step in Malik's progression
The next step for me is building that constant motor, where it's like it's turnt on from the start of the game to the end of the game, I think that's huge for me. Another thing is just extending my range to the perimeter, and being confident in my shot, and knowing every shot I take has a chance to go in.
On his athletic background
I played baseball growing up — I was a pitcher and outfielder. I was a lefty, so everybody thought I was going to pitch. I started growing so much, my 6th or 7th grade year, I grew to 6'7, but I felt like I wasn't taking that sport so seriously. It was just like hanging around, just having something to do other than basketball. They tried to make me play football, but that didn't work out. And as soon as I got here, I just stayed with basketball.
On freshman standing out in workouts
I would say Dante, the way he works every single day, you can tell that he wants it. And also, the way he can just go downhill and finish at the rim, he's a really solid player. All of our freshmen are pretty good. JJ shoots the lights out of the ball, JK (Jordyn Kee) brings the effort, you see it every day.
