New Miami Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas is wasting no time in assembling a recruiting class, despite stepping into the role late in the cycle. Officially hired on March 10, Lucas has quickly set his sights on Indiana commit Harun Zrno, a 6’6″ Bosnian small forward who has also drawn interest from Maryland and two other Big Ten programs, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
Harun Zrno’s Recruitment Battle
Per On3’s recruiting rankings, only a handful of programs have extended official offers to Zrno, including Creighton, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The recruitment race remains wide open, with Virginia currently leading at 30.8%, followed by Wisconsin (26.9%), Indiana (23.1%), and Creighton (19.2%).
Meanwhile, Dushaun London of 247Sports has reported that Ohio State and Penn State have also shown strong interest in Zrno. As coaching changes shake up some of his top suitors, the situation remains fluid. Indiana recently hired Darrian DeVries as their new head coach, while Virginia is still searching for a permanent replacement after Ron Sanchez served as interim this past season.
Zrno’s Next Steps: Exploring More Visits
According to Richie O’Leary of Happy Valley Insider, Zrno is actively exploring additional visits to other schools, signaling that his commitment to Indiana may not be set in stone. O’Leary shared impressive stats from Zrno’s current season with BC Slavija, where the forward is averaging 18.3 points per game while shooting 52.3% from the field and a remarkable 46.3% from three in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League.
While still officially committed to Indiana, Zrno has not signed a National Letter of Intent, leaving the door open for a potential flip. The spring basketball signing period runs from April 16 to May 21, giving programs like Miami, Maryland, and other Big Ten schools time to make their final pitch.
Miami’s International Recruiting Pedigree
The Hurricanes have a history of recruiting international talent, particularly under former head coach Jim Larrañaga. The current roster includes sophomore Paul Djobet from France, while forward Yussif Basa-Ama (Ghana) recently completed his eligibility.
Lucas himself is no stranger to global recruiting. While at Duke, he played a key role in landing 7’2″ freshman center Khaman Maluach from NBA Academy Africa and South Sudan. Duke’s junior guard Tyrese Proctor, a product of NBA Global Academy in Sydney, Australia, also made his way to Durham before Lucas’ hiring at Duke.
Conclusion: Can Lucas Sway Zrno to Miami?
As Jai Lucas works to make his mark in Miami, flipping a top international prospect like Harun Zrno would be a major recruiting win. With Zrno still evaluating his options and taking visits, the Hurricanes will look to leverage their strong international track record and Lucas’ recruiting acumen to make a compelling case for him to join The U.
