No. 22 Miami Already in Tournament Mode Entering the Final Week of the Regular Season

The Miami Hurricanes prepare for a tournament-style week for the final two games of the regular season.

Feb 21, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes forward Malik Reneau (5) and teammates talk during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

CORAL GABLES — This week is a bit different for the newly ranked Miami Hurricanes.

Ahead of them for them in the final week of the regular season are two projected tournament teams, the SMU Mustangs and the Louisville Cardinals. Both are quad-one games, but also an early look to see how far No. 22 Miami (23-6, 12-4 ACC) goes in the postseason.

This has also entered the mind of head coach Jai Lucas. He has this team playing at an elite level, and now, this week will be treated like a tournament week.

"It's the perfect segue for March for us," Lucas said during his press conference ahead of SMU. "You know, we treat these games just like two tournament games because they are, you know, two really good teams, as SMU. 
Of course, Louisville will beafter that, for this is what the rest of March is like.

Feb 10, 2026; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas reacts on the sideline against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"You know, if you want to win a conference championship tournament, that's really good teams. If you want to advance, hopefully at the NCAA tournament, you're going to beat really good teams. 
So I think this week is a good, very good concept for that, and approaching it that way."

This also starts with changing how he talks to the team. Verbage has been game by game, and take it a day at a time, but it's March. The madness is near, and he looks to bring that out of his team, ramping up the intensity.

"You know, I've stayed away from everything with the guys until yesterday," Lucas said. "And now, because it's just a little more, March is a little more intense, just a little bit more pressure, and now we have to be able to deal with it, like this week. We're treating it like a tournament week, like this is, you know, we have to win both these games, you know, it's not like we're comfortable when we're in a situation like you're saying, we're good but, like, we're playing for everything still.

Feb 10, 2026; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Tre Donaldson (3) and North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) reach for a loose ball during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"And now I think it's time for them to understand that because that's what this part of the season is about. 
So, like leading up to this, we had to tune out the tournament. We haven't talked about March Madness, any talk about double bye, bye, any of them. 
But now, because of where we are as a program and where the season is, I felt like it needs to be focused right."

The Hurricanes will start their 'tournament week' on March 4, at 7:00 p.m. ET in Dallas against the Mustangs.

Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes-related: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky.

Read More Miami Hurricanes News: