NCAA March Madness Central
The Miami men’s basketball team opened the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with a hard-fought 80-66 victory over the 10th-seeded Missouri Tigers Friday night. The Hurricanes are set to face second-seeded Purdue at 12:10 p.m. ET on March 22 for a spot in the Sweet 16.
After taking a narrow 27-26 lead into halftime, the Hurricanes battled through multiple lead changes early in the second half before taking control. A dominant 11-0 run, led by Malik Reneau and Shelton Henderson, gave Miami separation and a late 7-0 run sealed the victory.
Reneau led all scorers with 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half, and added six rebounds and three assists. Donaldson finished with 17 points and was 5-of-7 on 3-pointers as Henderson registered 15 points. Ernest Udeh Jr. hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds.
Postgame Presser vs Missouri (3/21) with Head Coach Jai Lucas, Malik Reneau, Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson
Miami will face second-seeded Purdue at 12:10 p.m. ET on March 22 in the round of 32. The game will air on CBS.
The Hurricanes won the last meeting, a 58-54 decision in the 2020 ACC / Big Ten Challenge, a game that Miami overcame a 20-point halftime deficit for the victory. The two teams will be meeting for the fifth time in series history, with Purdue owning a 3-1 advantage.
Media Availability (3/19) with Head Coach Jai Lucas, Malik Reneau, Ernest Udeh Jr. and Tre Donaldson
Ready to Dance
Read MoreNCAA PRE-TOURNAMENT NOTES
- The Hurricanes roll into the tournament with a 25-8, 13-5 ACC record.
- Three Canes earned All-ACC honors: Malik Reneau (First Team), Tre Donaldson (Second Team) and Ernest Udeh Jr. (Defensive Team)
- Head coach Jai Lucas’ first season marks the second-fastest first-time head coach in ACC history to reach 20 wins (Bill Guthridge)
- Miami is making its 13th appearance in the Big Dance and first since its historic run to the Final Four in 2023.
- The Hurricanes hold a 15-12 overall record in the tournament and are 7-5 in the first round.
- This marks the second time the Hurricanes have been named a No. 7 seed. Miami was the seventh seed in the South Region of the 2008 NCAA Tournament in which it defeated St. Mary’s, 78-64, in the first round before falling to No. 2 Texas, 75-72.
- The Hurricanes hold a 2-0 record against SEC opponents in the Big Dance.
- Miami is 0-1 against Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, falling to the Tigers, 93-80, in the first round in 2002.
- The Hurricanes are shooting 50.1% from the floor, which tops the ACC and is 12th nationally.
