The University of Miami men’s basketball team is currently receiving the “big overhaul” that new coach Jai Lucas promised.
Shelton Henderson, a Houston native and five-star recruit, was signed by him on Monday. Henderson had previously committed to Duke but decided to join Lucas, the former Blue Devils assistant coach who served as his main recruiter.
Henderson, who is 6-6 and weighs 220 pounds, is ranked by 247Sports as the fourth-best small forward in the class of 2025 and the 21st-best player in the country. He is a student at Lucas’ alma school, Bellaire High School.
Henderson, who is 6-6 and weighs 220 pounds, is ranked by 247Sports as the fourth-best small forward in the class of 2025 and the 21st-best player in the country. He is a student at Lucas’ alma school, Bellaire High School.
Henderson averaged 22.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, four assists, and three steals per game as a senior, earning him the Guy V. Lewis award and the All-Greater Houston Player of the Year title. The forward led the Cardinals on a remarkable run to the 6A Division I state championship game, shooting 69 percent from the field.
At the FIBA U18 AmeriCup last summer, Henderson averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in six games, helping USA Basketball win a gold medal. At the Nike Peach Jam in the summer, he averaged 14.7 points and 4.6 rebounds, and he also shone out on the 2024 EYBL spring circuit, averaging 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Henderson and the Miami Columbus High twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer were members of Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class. Miami and Houston were among the top cities to sign his letter of intent when he requested to be released from it last week.
He joins No. 41 Dante Allen (per ESPN100), a Miami local, a four-star shooting guard, and the son of Heat assistant coach Malik Allen, as the second top-50 prospect from the class of 2025 to sign with the Hurricanes.
Last week, Slovakian wing Timotej Malovec joined UM, and Lucas also enticed four transfers: Tru Washington (New Mexico), Ernest Udeh (TCU), Tre Donaldson (Michigan), and Malik Reneau (Indiana).
Lucas replaces departed coach Jim Larranaga, who guided the Canes to the Elite Eight in 2022 and the Final Four in 2023. In 2024–2025, the squad finished in last place.
Lucas also employed several South Florida-born assistant coaches in addition to Moran. Lucas’ associate head coach is Charlton “C.Y.” Young, a legendary coach at Miami Gardens Carol City High with thirty years of expertise. Erik Pastrana, a Wellington High alumnus and assistant coach at the University of Georgia, will serve as an associate coach.
The position of Director of Player Personnel was filled by LJ Rose, the general manager of the Bahamian national team and an international scout for the Houston Rockets. The University of Texas women’s basketball team had a similar designation under Zack Zillner, the UM Director of Sports Performance.
Lucas hired Riley Welch as his special assistant. His most recent positions were as assistant coach in 2024–25 and video coordinator in 2023–24 with the Grand Rapids Gold, the Denver Nuggets’ NBA G League club. Jeff Dyer, who has served as the Miami men’s basketball director of operations since 2021, will stay on in the same role for Lucas.
