Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Army West Point on November 11, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Men's Basketball
at Army West Point
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Men's Basketball
Jai Lucas
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- lahoward@duke.edu
- Phone:
- (919) 613-7500
One of the nation’s most heralded assistant coaches and recruiters, Jai Lucas joined head coach Jon Scheyer’s staff in May 2022 as assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach in June 2023.
Lucas aids in the development of Duke’s backcourt while primarily serving as the team’s defensive coordinator. In his first season in Durham, the 2022-23 Blue Devils ranked among the nation’s best defensive teams allowing 63.6 points per game, a .406 field goal percentage and .305 three-point percentage – each top 30 nationally and each top two in the ACC, and captured the program’s conference record 22nd ACC Tournament championship after going 27-9 overall and 14-6 in the ACC. In 2023-24, Duke’s defense held opponents to 66.3 points per game, which ranked 28th nationally and second in the ACC, while the team posted records of 27-9 overall and 15-5 in conference to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Lucas’ mother, Debbie, and father, Houston Rockets assistant John Lucas II, both were raised in Durham, where much of the Lucas family still resides. Lucas Middle School in Durham and other community institutions bear the name of his grandfather, John Harding Lucas, 102, who for more than 60 years, was an education administrator and leader in the Bull City.
Prior to Duke, Lucas was on staff at Kentucky for two seasons, joining the Wildcats as recruiting coordinator in August 2020 before a promotion to assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for the 2020-21 season. In two seasons with UK, he helped the program sign five players who played in either the McDonald’s All-American or Jordan Brand Classic games. He was instrumental in landing three student-athletes ranked in ESPN 100’s class of 2021 rankings and recruited two top-100 prospects that had signed with Kentucky for the 2022-23 campaign.
Lucas began his coaching career at his alma mater, where he spent seven seasons on staff. The Houston native began as a special assistant with the program from 2013-15 before serving as director of basketball operations in the 2015-16 season. He was promoted to assistant coach in June of 2016 and in his first year helped the Longhorns win 20 games and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In his first two recruiting cycles as an assistant coach, Lucas helped the Longhorns ink two top-10 ranked signing classes. The 2017 class was rated No. 5 nationally by Rivals while the 2018 class was tapped No. 8 in the country by ESPN and 247Sports. Lucas followed that with the nation’s No. 17-ranked class according to 247Sports in 2019.
His debut season as an assistant also helped spark a three-year streak in which a Texas freshman was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. In 2016-17, he aided in the growth of Jarrett Allen, who garnered All-Big 12 recognition and was taken No. 22 overall by the Brooklyn Nets. The following two years saw Lucas play a key role in developing a pair of lottery picks, as Mohamed Bamba turned an honorable mention All-America season into becoming the No. 6 overall selection in the 2018 Draft while Jaxson Hayes was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year before going No. 8 overall in 2019. With Hayes’ selection, Texas joined Duke and Kentucky as the only programs with a lottery pick in consecutive drafts.
As a player, Lucas spent three seasons in the professional ranks, including one in Latvia with BK Valmiera of the Baltic Basketball League (2011-12) and two in the NBA Development League with the Idaho Stampede (2012-13) and Canton Charge (2013). He appeared in 58 games with one start during a two-year career at Texas, helping the Longhorns earn back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids. Lucas played at University of Florida for his freshman season in 2007-08 and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Lucas was a McDonald’s All-American, a Jordan Brand Classic selection and a Parade All-America Second Team honoree as a senior at Bellaire High School in Houston. He started for three seasons and was a three-time District Player of the Year while leading Bellaire to three consecutive district titles.
He graduated from Texas in 2011 with a degree in corporate communication. Lucas and his wife, Kori, have a son, Jaxin.
(updated 10/16/2024)
Lucas aids in the development of Duke’s backcourt while primarily serving as the team’s defensive coordinator. In his first season in Durham, the 2022-23 Blue Devils ranked among the nation’s best defensive teams allowing 63.6 points per game, a .406 field goal percentage and .305 three-point percentage – each top 30 nationally and each top two in the ACC, and captured the program’s conference record 22nd ACC Tournament championship after going 27-9 overall and 14-6 in the ACC. In 2023-24, Duke’s defense held opponents to 66.3 points per game, which ranked 28th nationally and second in the ACC, while the team posted records of 27-9 overall and 15-5 in conference to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Lucas’ mother, Debbie, and father, Houston Rockets assistant John Lucas II, both were raised in Durham, where much of the Lucas family still resides. Lucas Middle School in Durham and other community institutions bear the name of his grandfather, John Harding Lucas, 102, who for more than 60 years, was an education administrator and leader in the Bull City.
Prior to Duke, Lucas was on staff at Kentucky for two seasons, joining the Wildcats as recruiting coordinator in August 2020 before a promotion to assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for the 2020-21 season. In two seasons with UK, he helped the program sign five players who played in either the McDonald’s All-American or Jordan Brand Classic games. He was instrumental in landing three student-athletes ranked in ESPN 100’s class of 2021 rankings and recruited two top-100 prospects that had signed with Kentucky for the 2022-23 campaign.
Lucas began his coaching career at his alma mater, where he spent seven seasons on staff. The Houston native began as a special assistant with the program from 2013-15 before serving as director of basketball operations in the 2015-16 season. He was promoted to assistant coach in June of 2016 and in his first year helped the Longhorns win 20 games and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In his first two recruiting cycles as an assistant coach, Lucas helped the Longhorns ink two top-10 ranked signing classes. The 2017 class was rated No. 5 nationally by Rivals while the 2018 class was tapped No. 8 in the country by ESPN and 247Sports. Lucas followed that with the nation’s No. 17-ranked class according to 247Sports in 2019.
His debut season as an assistant also helped spark a three-year streak in which a Texas freshman was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. In 2016-17, he aided in the growth of Jarrett Allen, who garnered All-Big 12 recognition and was taken No. 22 overall by the Brooklyn Nets. The following two years saw Lucas play a key role in developing a pair of lottery picks, as Mohamed Bamba turned an honorable mention All-America season into becoming the No. 6 overall selection in the 2018 Draft while Jaxson Hayes was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year before going No. 8 overall in 2019. With Hayes’ selection, Texas joined Duke and Kentucky as the only programs with a lottery pick in consecutive drafts.
As a player, Lucas spent three seasons in the professional ranks, including one in Latvia with BK Valmiera of the Baltic Basketball League (2011-12) and two in the NBA Development League with the Idaho Stampede (2012-13) and Canton Charge (2013). He appeared in 58 games with one start during a two-year career at Texas, helping the Longhorns earn back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids. Lucas played at University of Florida for his freshman season in 2007-08 and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Lucas was a McDonald’s All-American, a Jordan Brand Classic selection and a Parade All-America Second Team honoree as a senior at Bellaire High School in Houston. He started for three seasons and was a three-time District Player of the Year while leading Bellaire to three consecutive district titles.
He graduated from Texas in 2011 with a degree in corporate communication. Lucas and his wife, Kori, have a son, Jaxin.
(updated 10/16/2024)
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