Miami Guard Named as one of the Best Defenders in the Country
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The Jai Lucas Era is quickly approaching as he prepares the Miami Hurricanes for a new season of college basketball.
With the new season, the Hurricanes have an entirely new team of players brought in from around the country to return the winning ways of the program to its heights seen only two seasons ago. This starts on the defensive side of the ball.
CBS Sports Isaac Trotter, ahead of the 2025-26 season, named many of the best defenders in the country by position. He named Miami point guard Tru Washington third nationally among the point-of-attack defensive stoppers in the country.
"Washington walks on the floor wanting to take your ball. His anticipation and defensive feel are pretty high-level stuff. Washington has notched a steal percentage north of 4.0 in back-to-back seasons for a takeaway-driven New Mexico defense. Washington transferred to Miami to be Jai Lucas' defensive ace."
Lucas already loves what he sees out of his defensive star. He knows that he is going to provide a lot of consistency on that side of the ball. The goal is to be a heavy, defensive-minded team this year.
“Tre brings a wealth of postseason experience to our team, having played in multiple NCAA Tournaments and winning the Big Ten Tournament title this year at Michigan,” Lucas said. “He has been in high-pressure moments and has the experience that is needed at the guard position to help us win big games. Tre is a bully and a bruiser when he is in the paint but also has the agility and shooting to play on the perimeter."
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 11.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the floor. Washington’s 2.1 steals per game ranked third overall in the Mountain West. He helped the Lobos reach the NCAA Tournament, being eliminated in the second round by the Michigan State Spartans.
Miami Basketball Has ACC Schedule Set; Home Games Against UNC, Florida State
Miami’s schedule consists of nine home contests and nine road matchups, and the Canes will face a trio of NCAA Tournament teams in Clemson, Louisville and North Carolina.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.