658 days ago, the Miami Hurricanes led by Jim Larrañaga entered NRG Stadium in Houston with an opportunity to make the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament Final. They would go on to lose 72-59 to the UConn Huskies, a team that would end up winning their first of consecutive national championships. Today, the Hurricanes men’s basketball team reached a program-low during their loss to the SMU Mustangs that has fans wondering what will the future be in Coral Gables.
Led by Wake Forest transfer Boopie Miller’s 18 points, SMU walked away with a 117-74 win over Miami. The 117 points Miami allowed on Saturday is the most in program history, overtaking North Carolina’s 105-64 win in 2007. While there was optimism that the Hurricanes could see a slight improvement after Larrañaga retired mid-season, it’s arguably been worse under interim head coach Bill Courtney.
To start, the Hurricanes really haven’t provided an opportunity for five-star freshman Jalil Bethea to get comfortable on the court. He’s averaged 12 points per game in contests where he has played 20 minutes or more, but that’s only happened four times this season. While he entered the season as a projected lottery selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, Bethea wasn’t included in ESPN’s draft expert Jonathan Givony’s Top 100 prospects for the upcoming draft.
Additionally, senior leader Nijel Pack hasn’t appeared in a game for the Hurricanes since December 10th as he’s dealt with a foot injury. Pack was a star for Miami during their 2023 NCAA Tournament run, and the lack of his presence on the court has only made things worse in Coral Gables.
While Miami could go into the offseason and hire Courtney to be the program’s full-time head coach, it seems as if the only way Miami can keep this program relevant is by spending big on someone who can change the culture in the program. Until then, Hurricane fans will have to deal with this current regime for the remainder of the season.