The Miami Hurricanes are projected to make a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2025, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. Despite a challenging 2023-24 season, the Hurricanes are included as one of six ACC teams in Lunardi’s latest bracketology update. The other ACC teams listed are Duke (a one seed), North Carolina (a two seed), Clemson (an eight seed), Wake Forest (a nine seed), and Pittsburgh (an 11 seed), with Louisville just missing the cut as one of the first four out.
Miami is slotted as a ten seed in the Midwest bracket, where they would face the seven seed Illinois Fighting Illini. The Hurricanes have only been a ten seed once in their 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in 2021-22. However, none of the players from that Elite Eight team are still on the roster. The longest-serving current player is Nijel Pack, who transferred from Kansas State in 2022.
To return to the tournament, Miami will depend on a mostly new lineup. The team only brings back three players from last season, who combined for an average of 29.4 points per game. To strengthen their roster, the Hurricanes added six transfers and a highly ranked recruiting class led by five-star guard Jalil Bethea. Although they lost key players like Norchad Omier, Wooga Poplar, and Kyshawn George, the new additions should provide the depth needed to compete in the ACC. Jim Larrañaga’s squad will begin their 2024-25 season on November 4th against Fairleigh Dickinson at the Watsco Center.
