Jai Lucas has made his first big flip of the offseason, as Montverde Academy four-star guard Dante Allen has committed to Miami. Just under a month ago, Allen was committed to playing for the Villanova Wildcats, but due to their recent changes at head coach, he reopened his recruitment. Now, after a visit on Sunday, Allen has committed to Miami as the first high school recruit of Jai Lucas’ tenure.
Allen, a top-100 player in the 2025 class, according to all major recruiting services, is one of the winningest players in all of high school basketball. Boasting two Florida State Championships and three Nike EYBL Championships, he brings a much-needed winning pedigree to Miami.
As a senior, Allen averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for Monteverde, one of the nation’s powerhouse programs. He profiles as a combo guard standing at 6-foot-3 with a wingspan of 6-foot-7 with the ability to play both on and off of the ball.
But more than anything, he brings great intangibles and a feel for the game. Adam Finklestein of 247Sports wrote, “Overall, there just aren’t too many players in the country who are more consistently productive or able to impact winning to the same extent. He’s long, powerful, physical, skilled, extremely versatile, and a true stat stuffer. Additionally, he has a wealth of intangibles because he’s smart, competitive, and verbal.”
As Lucas continues to build his program, players like Allen with a winning pedigree, grit on defense and high basketball IQ are going to be crucial in setting the culture of Miami.
Allen already has several connections on the team. New Hurricanes assistant coach Andrew Moran coached Allen back on the EYBL circuit with Nightrydas Elite. And Miami’s two transfers, Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau, are products of the grassroots program as well. Allen even played against Donaldson as a freshman in high school when Donaldson beat Allen’s team for the state title in 2022.
In an interview with InsidetheU, Allen spoke highly of his new teammate. “But I think the one thing that’s definitely followed him is that he’s tough. I think that’s the one thing you can never take away from…. I think that definitely is a factor, and it passes on to the rest of the teammates, and it shows them that they’re like, If I’m going to be a leader, I’m going to bring this intensity, and everybody better bring it with me.”
And that seems to be the throughline about all of Lucas’ additions: toughness. Formerly Duke’s defensive mastermind, it seems that the ’Canes will try to hang their hat on defense and build from there. Setting a culture of grit and hard work above all, Miami needs to continue to fill out this roster with size and depth, and as the offseason continues, JaiLucas seems to be on the right track to set Miami up for success next year.