Miami basketball has hit another low point this season, as the program lost its last remaining 2025 signee. Four-star shooting guard Matthew Able, who initially committed to the Hurricanes, was officially released from his agreement on Friday, according to Joe Tipton of On3. This marks the second major loss for Miami’s recruiting class, following the earlier release of center Ben Ahmed. Both players had signed with the Hurricanes during the Early Signing Period in November.
Able, recognized as one of the biggest rising prospects in the 2025 class, has been making waves in the recruiting scene. Ranked No. 27 overall in the class, the No. 11 shooting guard, and the seventh-best player in Florida, the Tampa-based Sagemont Prep standout is drawing significant interest from top programs. Tipton reported that Able has scheduled visits to Tennessee on March 1, Alabama on March 5, and Baylor on March 8. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Able is classified as a five-star recruit.
Originally, Able had committed to Miami over offers from Baylor, Boston College, Northwestern, Wake Forest, and Xavier. However, the retirement of longtime head coach Jim Larrañaga in December played a crucial role in his decision to reopen his recruitment. Despite his departure from the commitment, Miami remains in the running to potentially secure Able again under its next head coach.
The loss of Able and Ahmed leaves Miami in a difficult position heading into the 2025 season. Whoever takes over the program will face the significant challenge of rebuilding a roster that has been depleted. As it stands, the Hurricanes have only five scholarship players set to return for the 2024-25 season: redshirt junior A.J. Staton-McCray, sophomore Paul Djobet, and freshmen Jalil Bethea, Austin Swartz, and Divine Ugochukwu.
With the program in transition and its recruiting class in disarray, Miami basketball faces an uncertain future. The next head coach will need to work quickly to retain talent, secure new commitments, and rebuild a roster capable of competing at a high level. The departure of Able, a highly regarded prospect, only adds to the mounting challenges for the Hurricanes as they look to navigate this turbulent period.
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