No. 22 Miami Aims to Continue Monumental Turnaround Against SMU

Hurricanes look to clinch ACC tournament seeding in late-season clash with Mustangs

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Surging No. 22 Miami, one win shy of tying the school record for regular-season victories, visits dangerous SMU on Wednesday in a key late-season clash in Dallas. The Hurricanes have won two straight and six of their past seven games, propelling them into the AP Top 25 for the first time since December 2023. Under first-year coach Jai Lucas, Miami's 16-win improvement from last season is the largest turnaround nationally. The Mustangs, meanwhile, are barely clinging to a first-round tournament bye after dropping their last two games on the road.

Why it matters

This matchup has major implications for seedings in the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, with Miami looking to solidify its position and SMU fighting to maintain its tournament hopes. The game also showcases one of the most impressive turnaround stories in college basketball this season, as the Hurricanes have transformed under new leadership.

The details

Miami is coming off a dominant 76-54 home win over Boston College, led by strong performances from Tre Donaldson, Tru Washington, Ernest Udeh Jr., and Noam Dovrat. The Hurricanes parlayed a 19-2 run into a 17-point halftime lead and cruised to victory. SMU, meanwhile, is reeling after losses to Cal and Stanford, the latter a 95-75 blowout. The Mustangs played without guard B.J. Edwards, their third-leading scorer, who is doubtful to return due to an ankle injury.

  • Miami's 23 wins are already the most for a first-year coach in program history.
  • The Hurricanes are one win shy of tying the school record for regular-season victories.
  • The ACC tournament starts next Tuesday in Charlotte.

The players

Jai Lucas

The first-year head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, who has led the team to a remarkable turnaround this season.

Tre Donaldson

A key player for the Miami Hurricanes, scoring 15 points in their recent win over Boston College.

B.J. Edwards

The third-leading scorer for the SMU Mustangs, who is doubtful to return due to an ankle injury.

Andy Enfield

The head coach of the SMU Mustangs, who acknowledged his team's poor performance in their recent losses to Cal and Stanford.

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What they’re saying

“We're getting into that part of the season that matters most. And that's where we need to take another step forward and just be who we can be and who we need to be as a team. We just keep working hard and trying to get better every day to be in the best possible shape we can when the money is on the line.”

— Noam Dovrat (statenews.net)

“These are the games in early March that you have to win and have to find ways to win if you want to compete at a high level.”

— Jai Lucas, Head Coach, Miami Hurricanes (statenews.net)

“The Cal game was challenging -- we beat ourselves missing 15 free throws and some easy buckets down the stretch. (Against Stanford) we were a little sluggish after a five-day road trip, and we played like it. No excuse. We just didn't play very well.”

— Andy Enfield, Head Coach, SMU Mustangs (statenews.net)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.