Miami's Jai Lucas Apologizes to Malik Reneau After Standout Game

The Hurricanes strengthen their NCAA Tournament chances with a win over Louisville.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 12:40am

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Miami (FL) basketball defeated Louisville 78-73 in the ACC Tournament, with Malik Reneau scoring 24 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. After the game, Hurricanes guard Jai Lucas apologized to Reneau, explaining that he had been yelling at him throughout the game, despite Reneau's strong performance.

Why it matters

Miami's win over Louisville boosts their chances of making the NCAA Tournament, as they look to secure an at-large bid. The Hurricanes have exceeded expectations in the first year under head coach Jai Lucas, who took over a program that struggled the previous season.

The details

Reneau hit 8-of-17 shots from the field to lead Miami in scoring. Despite his strong game, Lucas felt he had been too hard on Reneau during the contest, leading him to apologize afterwards.

  • Miami defeated Louisville 78-73 on Thursday in the ACC Tournament.

The players

Jai Lucas

The first-year head coach of the Miami (FL) basketball team.

Malik Reneau

A standout player for the Miami (FL) basketball team, who scored 24 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the win over Louisville.

Jim Larranaga

The former head coach of the Miami (FL) basketball team, who retired after 12 games this season.

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What they’re saying

“I had to apologize to Malik Reneau. I felt like I had been yelling at him the whole game, then I look down and he has 24 (points) and six (rebounds).”

— Jai Lucas, Head Coach, Miami (FL) Basketball (clutchpoints.com)

“But that's the standard I hold him to.”

— Jai Lucas, Head Coach, Miami (FL) Basketball (clutchpoints.com)

What’s next

Miami will face the ACC's No. 2 seed Virginia on Friday in the Spectrum Center.

The takeaway

Despite the win over Louisville, Miami head coach Jai Lucas held his star player Malik Reneau to a high standard, apologizing for being too hard on him during the game. This highlights the Hurricanes' focus on continued improvement as they look to secure an NCAA Tournament berth.