“Miami Faces Setback as 5-Star Prospect Reverses Commitment for 2025” Matthew Able, the last remaining signee in Miami’s 2025 class, was officially released from his commitment on Friday, according to Joe Tipton of On3. This decision follows the previous release of center Ben Ahmed, both of whom had signed with Miami during the November Early Signing Period. Able, a highly ranked prospect, was considered a significant part of Miami’s 2025 recruiting efforts.
Able, a four-star shooting guard from Tampa’s Sagemont Prep, is ranked as the No. 27 overall player in the class, the No. 11 shooting guard, and the No. 7 player in Florida. Tipton highlighted him as one of the rising stars in the class, with Able being identified as a 5-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite. After his release from Miami, he is scheduled to visit several other schools: Tennessee on March 1, Alabama on March 5, and Baylor on March 8.
The shooting guard initially chose Miami over other programs, including Baylor, Boston College, Northwestern, Wake Forest, and Xavier. However, Able’s decision to re-evaluate his commitment was influenced by the retirement of Miami’s long-time head coach Jim Larranaga in December. Despite this, Miami is still in the mix to bring Able back into their 2025 class, should the right circumstances arise.
Miami’s basketball program now faces the challenge of rebuilding its roster under the guidance of a new head coach. Currently, the only scholarship players on the 2024-25 Miami roster with eligibility remaining are redshirt junior A.J. Staton-McCray, sophomore Paul Djobet, and freshmen Jalil Bethea, Austin Swartz, and Divine Ugochukwu. This leaves the program in a precarious position, especially with the loss of Able and other recent departures.
Duke assistant coach Jai Lucas is widely reported to be the next head coach of Miami. Known for his exceptional recruiting skills, Lucas could play a pivotal role in reshaping the roster. His ability to secure transfers and potentially flip players from other programs, including possibly convincing Able to reconsider his commitment to Miami, will be critical to the program’s success.
The transfer portal is expected to be a key part of Miami’s rebuilding strategy for the 2025-26 season, regardless of who becomes the next head coach. Programs like Louisville, which added 13 new players this season, have demonstrated how effectively the portal can be utilized to quickly improve a team’s performance. Miami will likely follow suit in their efforts to retool and restore competitiveness to their basketball program.