CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes are heading into March Madness playing the best basketball of the season and finally getting recognized for it.

Head coach Jai Lucas has completely flipped the script in his first season, guiding the Hurricanes to a 23-6 record and their first AP Top 25 appearance since 2023.

“For me, it’s more so just about them and the guys getting some type of credit, I guess, for the work and the season that they’ve had,” he said.

While Lucas welcomes the recognition, he said it hasn’t changed much for his team because there is still plenty of work left.

“Between now and even, you know, conference tournament, but after the conference tournaments, just so much left and so much more you got to get better and continue to do,” he said. “And so just trying to keep everybody focused on that.”

Lucas said the season’s schedule, including tough early matchups and midseason tests, has prepared the team for this moment.

“You have to go through some things and experience some things to kind of be able to deliver your message and tell your message,” he said. “So, you know, it starts just going back, playing Florida, that game and then going from there and then, you know, the BYU and the week in Orlando. So each step and each part of the season has kind of built us to where we are.”

As Miami enters the final week of the regular season, Lucas wants the new ranking to inspire confidence without letting the team forget what got them here.

“Just because you’re here, you haven’t arrived,” he said. “And, you know, for me and for the program, this is something we want to be familiar with, I guess is the best way to put it. And so, you know, just getting everybody to understand that and be on the same page with it.”

Lucas said he had stayed away from talking about the upcoming ACC tournament and March Madness until Tuesday because the month brings a whole new level of pressure.

So they’re treating this week, the final two games of the regular season as a tournament week. He told Local 10’s Kacy Hintz that “If you want to advance, you’ve got to beat the very best.”

Miami will close out the regular season with a road game at SMU on Wednesday, followed by a home matchup at the Watsco Center against Louisville on Saturday before the “madness” begins.

‘Just because you’re here, you haven’t arrived,’ says Lucas as Canes crack AP Top 25

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Ryan Mackey