Miami's Five-Star Freshman "Has Had One of the Best Summers" Jai Lucas Has Seen

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Another five-star recruit for Miami's men's basketball means another star freshman ready to make an immediate impact.

Last season it was Shelton Henderson. This season, Jai Lucas has all eyes on Caleb Gaskins.

The 6-foot-8 freshman ranked as the second-highest-rated recruit in program history in the 247Sports Composite rankings and was tabbed as the No. 11 prospect by Rivals and ESPN and No. 17 by 247Sports.

There is a lot to the billing, and Lucas has already seen great things from his star forward.

"Caleb Gaskins has had as good of summer in a while as a freshman that I've been around in a long time," Lucas said at ACC Media Day. "And he's be one guy that will, you know, for us primarily play on the perimeter, so that positional size of being able to play him at the three, along with what we have inside, because it's an opportunity to just be versatile.

"He's a winner, too. He's like with the Boozer twins. He's wearing just a basketball player, man, put him on court, and he's always in the right spot. Make shots. He does everything you ask of."

Lucas would further his comments, highlighting what Gaskins has done ahead of this season. Gaskins has exceeded expectations, but Lucas remains patient, knowing a freshman wall can be there, as with Henderson and Dante Allen last season.

"You know, like him, a freshman who comes in as a McDonald's All-American a lot of accolades can try to come in and try to just force themselves into the program and into the team," Lucas said. "He has continued to be who he's always been, which has been a basketball player in the purest form where he doesn't have to force anything. He lets everything come to him, he can guard multiple positions.

We play him as like a guard, as a bigger guard, and he's showing the ability to be able to hand handle pressure, play out of all his hands, play out of actions. And for me, that was a bigger jump than I expected him to be at this time at this point. Now, you get into college, getting to playing games. He's going to hit some type of professional ball.

"Everybody does. Sheldon's first seven eight games was that. And then after Ole Miss, he kind of turned the corner. Same thing with Dante, once we got in the conference, he kind of turned the corner. So it's going to happen to Caleb is inevitable, but just his ability in us trying to let him know it's going to happen and work through that. But he has done everything that I have asked him.

Unlike last year's rotation, Miami is expecting to go eight to ten deep in the rotation. Depth is vital for UM, given how the season ended last year. Everyone was gassed, except for Henderson and Allen. That youthfulness will be useful for Gaskins this season, with high expectations.

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