Vol. 101, Issue 12
March 25, 2026 - March 31, 2026
THE JAI LUCAS ERA IS JUST BEGINNING
David Lebowitz // Photo Editor Senior Guard Tre Donaldson holds the ball on the March Madness center court logo on March 20, 2026 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
The ‘U’ is in good hands: Takeaways from Miami’s 79-69 season-ending loss to Purdue By Jayden Gonzalez Co-Sports Editor The Miami Hurricanes threw everything they could at the Purdue Boilermakers, but it wasn’t enough. On Sunday afternoon at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, No. 2 seed Purdue pulled away in the second half behind Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn to defeat No. 7 seed Miami 79-69, ending the Hurricanes’ season. Miami led 40-38 at halftime and appeared poised to pull off the upset. But Purdue (29-8) surged after the break, outscoring the Hurricanes 41-29 behind 45 combined points from Kaufman-Renn and Loyer. The Boilermakers shot 8-for-14 from 3-point range and 21of-22 from the free-throw line. With less than a minute remaining, Miami (26-8) still had a chance. Trailing by six, Tre Donaldson and Tru Washington missed backto-back 3-point attempts that would have cut the deficit to one possession. Kaufman-Renn secured his ninth rebound on Washington’s miss, effectively sealing the game. Despite the loss, first-year head coach Jai Lucas has Miami trending upward, with this season signaling the program’s return to national relevance. “It was an absolute pleasure and a joy to coach this team,” Lucas said. “I thank them for believing in
me, believing in a person who had never coached before, and everything they gave me this year. I’m forever in debt to them.” Veteran transfers laid the foundation for Miami’s resurgence Miami finished its 2024-25 campaign at 7-24 — one of the worst seasons in program history. Lucas, who took over on March 6, 2025 prioritized veteran leadership to reshape the culture. Senior transfers Malik Reneau, Tre Donaldson and Ernest Udeh Jr. delivered exactly that, establishing a new standard in Lucas’ first season. Reneau, an Indiana transfer, arrived in Coral Gables seeking a fresh start after an injury-plagued junior year. The Miami native made the most of it. “I’m blessed that Coach gave me this opportunity to come back home and come to The U and finish my last year here,” Reneau said. The senior forward earned FirstTeam All-ACC honors, averaging 19 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. His 662 points tied Don Curnutt for fifth-most in a single season in program history. “This season has meant the world to me,” Reneau said. “Coach giving me the opportunity to not only be a pivotal player on my team and play 30-plus minutes, but also become a leader and be someone these guys look up to.” Donaldson provided stability
and a clutch factor at point guard, a presence Miami hasn’t seen since Isaiah Wong’s 2022-23 campaign. After stops at Auburn and Michigan, the senior guard returned to his home state and earned second-team All-ACC honors while averaging 16.5 points and 5.8 assists. “Coming to Miami, I had to build myself back up coming back off a tough year,” Donaldson said. “Coming into a coaching staff that was going to help me build myself back up and continue to help me get better. I enjoyed every moment of it.” Udeh anchored the defense, impacting the game in ways that didn’t show up in the box score. The Kansas and TCU transfer earned a spot on the All-ACC defensive second team and played a key role in Miami’s interior presence. The Hurricanes dominated the offensive glass in the NCAA Tournament, outrebounding Missouri and Purdue 30-11 combined on offensive boards. Udeh contributed 12 of those rebounds. Together, the trio helped revive the program and establish a foundation for sustained success. “We really have built a great foundation,” Lucas said. Shelton Henderson has emerged as a centerpiece of Miami’s future While the veterans set the tone, freshman Shelton Henderson showed he could be the program’s next star. The Bellaire, Texas, native
stepped up in the NCAA Tournament, producing strong performances against Missouri and Purdue while consistently attacking the paint. “He’s a stud,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said after the game. “He could play for the football and the basketball team. He just runs through people.” In his two tournament games, Henderson averaged 16.5 points and seven rebounds while shooting 61.5%. His postseason showing capped a strong freshman campaign in which he averaged 13.7 points and nearly five rebounds per game on 56% shooting. “I learned a lot about myself,” Henderson said. “I had to grow up a little bit faster playing with these guys and I think it helped me in the end.” Henderson is expected to take on a leading role next season as Miami builds on its momentum. The Hurricanes are also expecting a return of key contributors such as Washington and Dante Allen, while adding five-star recruit Caleb Gaskins, who could make an immediate impact. Lucas made it clear that this season is only the beginning. “It’s my job to keep it going and keep it rolling,” Lucas said. “This time next year we’re talking about going to the Sweet 16, not just the season ending. That’s the goal, that’s the plan until you win the National Championship.”
Lakeside residents can move into UV now and be guaranteed housing of those, about 2,000 received a housing assignment, leaving around 1,100 students without immediate placement. On the third
By Gianni Echeverria Contributing Writer
A new initiative in an effort to manage the demand for on-campus housing allows residents of Lakeside Village to move into University Village before the end of the school year, which guarantees housing in UV for the upcoming school year. “While Lakeside and Eaton residents had an opportunity recently to move into UV now and be guaranteed UV housing next year, a total of 140 students in Eaton and Lakeside took the offer to move,” the University said in a statement to The Hurricane. The effort comes at a time when housing availability has tightened compared to previous years. The University is operating with 239 fewer beds this year compared to last, further increasing the demand for housing. As a result, students are facing waitlist placements or looking for off-campus housing. For the 2026-2027 school year, approximately 3,100 students completed the housing application. Out
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“We lived in Eaton and then didn’t wind up getting UV next year, which was also extremely disappointing.” Aaron Joe UM Junior
NEWS | PAGE 2
day of the waitlist, 612 people were still without housing, demonstrating the demand. Last academic year, everyone on the waitlist was assigned housing by June, according to the University of Miami. “I explored off campus housing, but it was honestly very expensive and time consuming,” said Aaron Joe, a junior who lived in Eaton last year. “We lived in Eaton and then didn’t wind up getting UV next year, which was also extremely disappointing.” THesis Hotel, which is across the street from the University, will continue to be used to temporarily house students while other accommodations are made. The goal is not to assign students to THesis for the whole year, but students currently living there will not be required to move back to campus mid-semester. The Department of Student Affairs has emphasized its commitment to helping students who rely on campus housing, whether it be for financial reasons or a schedule that makes commuting difficult. Student Affairs is working to evaluate ways to prioritize these students while
OPINION | PAGE 4
A&E | PAGE 5
The campus Wizard brings confidence and self expression to UM
Brian Mulvey// Photo Editor The Campus Wizard looks out on Lake Osceola on March 17, 2026.
By Keira Faddis Co-Opinion Editor
Chances are, over the past few months, you have seen a wizard walking around campus. Whether he’s by the lake, heading to his next class or even sitting in one, the self-described “wizard” is hard to miss. “I feel like some people are really excited to see someone that looks unique on this campus,” the Wizard, who wished to keep his name unpublished, said. “People always ask me if I play D&D, or what I’m dressing up as, and I always say ‘myself.’” Most of the time, you’ll find the Wizard wearing a green, flowy outfit accompanied by a pointy green hat. The Wizard, a freshman at UM, didn’t always get to dress so creatively. Before arriving on campus, most of his schools had strict uniform policies. Because of that, he looked forward to any chance to dress up. “I’ve always loved doing costumes and dressing up for Halloween,” the Wizard said. “Even during school spirit days, I would wear the most complex costume I could.” He started at UM with a newfound freedom over his clothing choices. The Wizard decided to fully embrace it. After buying the iconic hat at the start of this spring semester, it quickly became a daily staple. “I really [wanted] to wear this hat as much as possible, so I just started wearing it,” he said. “I don’t think since I got it there’s been a day that I haven’t worn it to campus.” Since then, he has had many positive interactions with students and said he has not experienced negative reactions. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Reese Annabelle Putnam // Contributed Photo Lakeside Village on a Sunny day on the University of Miami campus. also balancing general demand. Centennial Village, residential colleges three, four and five are scheduled to open at the beginning of August 2026 and will add approximately 1,150 new beds. Mahoney-Pearson Residential Colleges are both scheduled to SPORTS | PAGE 6
close at the end of the spring 2026 semester. It is set to be replaced with a new complex called Gables Village starting in the summer of 2026. The demolition of Mahoney-Pearson will result in a loss of around 1,400 beds. V’S TAKE | PAGE 7