First-year head coach Jai Lucas is aware that his Miami club is not what he calls the “prettiest team” in the nation.
But the Hurricanes (7-2) are a tall and rugged bunch, which is why he bought a “Jason” mask and gives it out after wins to his player of the game.
“We’re this big, physical monster,” Lucas said. “So, we might as well be Jason.”
The Hurricanes, whose only losses so far have come against ranked foes BYU and Florida, will play host to Southern Miss (5-3) on Saturday afternoon.
“We’re going to rebound, we’re going to attack the rim, and we’re going to guard,” Lucas said. “The next step is finding the consistency and discipline needed to win.”
Miami is coming off a 75-66 victory over Ole Miss on Tuesday. It was the Hurricanes’ first road win since Jan. 24, 2024, against Notre Dame.
Malik Reneau leads Miami in scoring (20.1) and ranks second in rebounds (7.1). The 6-foot-9 forward is making 56.3 percent of his two-pointers and 78.0 percent of his free throws.
Three other Hurricanes are scoring in double figures: Tre Donaldson (15.2); Tru Washington (14.1); and freshman five-star recruit Shelton Henderson (11.9).
Meanwhile, Southern Miss will enter Saturday on a four-game win streak.
In the Golden Eagles’ only game against a school from a Power Four conference so far this season, they battled South Carolina before losing 83-79 in overtime on Nov. 9.
“We have a lot of quality players,” Southern Miss coach Jay Ladner said. “We’re bigger, stronger and more athletic than last season, and we score more.”
Ladner, who turns 60 on Monday, is a former Southern Miss player, and he was on the Golden Eagles team that won the NIT championship in 1987.
This season’s Golden Eagles are led by a pair of junior-college transfers: Isaac Taveras and Tylik Weeks.
Taveras, who is 6-6, leads the team in rebounds (7.1) and steals (2.2), and he ranks second in scoring (17.9).
Weeks, who is 6-7, leads the squad in scoring (18.3), and he ranks second in rebounds (5.7) and assists (2.1).
The Golden Eagles seem to be much improved from last season, when they finished 11-22 overall, 5-13 in the Sun Belt.
