By Marisol Nicholson
2 6 2024
MIAMI GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/2/5/2023-24_mbk_NIU.pdf
NORTHERN ILLINOIS GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/2/5/2023-24_mbk_NIU.pdf
THIS TUESDAY: The RedHawks return to Millett Hall to take on Northern Illinois on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. The game will take place at Millett and can be watched on ESPN+.
RADIO: In its fifth year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami men’s basketball with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. Tune in to one of Miami’s gameday affiliates:
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)
RECENT PLAY: The Miami University men’s basketball team dropped to Ohio 78-69 Saturday afternoon. Anderson Mirambeaux led the RedHawks with 16 points, while Eian Elmer scored 14 and Bradley Dean added 10.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: Miami is currently ranked 37th in the country (second in the MAC) in three-point shooting percentage (37.1%). The RedHawks have shot at least 50% from the three-point line in three games this year. Against Ohio State, the RedHawks knocked down 58.3% of their shots from beyond the arc (7-of-12). The Red and White hit a season-high 13 triples in a win at Marshall (13-of-26, 50%). Miami has two players in the top 25 of three-point shooting percentage in the MAC (Ryan Mabrey and Darweshi Hunter).
STRONG DEPTH: This season the RedHawks rank first in the MAC and 21st in the country in bench points with an average of 29.50 per game.
FACILITATION: The Red and White currently rank first in the MAC and 78th in the nation in assists per game (15.1). Miami also ranks 99th nationally and second in the MAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.29).
THE SERIES WITH THE HUSKIES: Tuesday will be the 56th all-time meeting between Miami and Northern Illinois. The RedHawks lead the series 35-20. The two teams last faced off on Feb. 18, 2023, a 66-65 Miami victory in overtime at the NIU Convocation Center.
ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team recorded a 13-19 (9-9 Mid-American Conference) record this past season. Head coach Rashon Burno enters his third season with the Huskies. Prior to becoming a head coach, he spent five seasons as an associate head coach at Arizona State. This year, Northern Illinois was projected to finish in fifth place in the 2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Huskies are currently 7-14 (1-8 MAC). Northern Illinois most recently topped Eastern Michigan 76-66.
This season, Northern Illinois is averaging 76.7 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting and held opponents to 79.7 points per game. The team also averages 10.6 assists and 35.5 rebounds in each game they play. David Coit (19.1) lead the Huskies’ offense in scoring. Xavier Amos leads the team in rebounds (5.5). Yanic Konan Niederhauser tops the Huskies in blocks per game (2.2). Coit also holds the team-high in assists (3.5) and steals (1.0) per game.
UP NEXT: The Miami University men’s basketball team will travel to Georgia State on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. The RedHawks previously hosted Texas State in November as part of the Challenge.
BULTMAN BOOST: Since the start of MAC play, Bryce Bultman is averaging 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.6 steals. Bultman led Miami in rebounds against Central Michigan (seven), Eastern Michigan (eight), Akron (nine) and Toledo (11). He also recorded the most assists on the team versus Kent State (three), Toledo (six) and Buffalo (six). He led the Red and White with two steals against Bowling Green.
MARVELOUS MIRAMBEAUX: This preseason, Anderson Mirambeaux was named a Second Team All-MAC player. He is currently averaging 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.5 blocks and 0.1 steals. Mirambeaux is coming off the 2022-23 season where he earned Honorable Mention All-MAC after ranking 18th in the conference with a 14.2 scoring average. He was 10th in rebounds (5.7), 20th in assists (2.6), sixth in field goal percentage (54.2%), 16th in free throw percentage (76.4%) and seventh in blocks (0.9). He scored in double figures 24 times and recorded two double-doubles last season. Mirambeaux also had a career-high 27 points against Evansville in the first game he ever played for Miami.
HUNTER GAMES: In his first 22 games with Miami, graduate transfer Darweshi Hunter has totaled 276 points (team-high) and has knocked down 41.1% of his shots from the field. Hunter has recorded 45 three-point field goals (fifth in the MAC) on 36.6% shooting. His 2.0 threes per game is currently ranked at seventh in the MAC. This season, Hunter hit a dramatic 30-foot buzzer beater to lift Miami past Vermont. He recorded 17 points (tied game-high), one rebound and one assist versus the Catamounts. Against Ball State, Hunter hit a clutch three-pointer in the final second of regulation to force overtime. Miami went on to outscore the Cardinals 15-8 from there to claim a seven-point victory. Most recently, Hunter hit a clutch jump shot in the final seconds of regulation to seal a 70-68 victory over Akron. To learn more about Darweshi’s story, click here!
MORRIS MADNESS: Sophomore Jaquel Morris is currently a MAC leader in field goal percentage (70.4%). He is also tied at tenth in the MAC in blocks per game (1.0). This season, Morris finds himself with a total of 22 blocks (tied for ninth in the MAC). So far, Morris has averaged 6.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 1.0 assists and 0.5 steals. Last season, Morris recorded an average of 1.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, 0.8 assists and 0.3 steals a game. Morris recorded the first double-double of his career against Ohio State with 11 points and 10 rebounds earlier this year.
FRESHMEN IMPACT: Miami’s 2023-24 roster is one of the youngest Division I teams in the country. The RedHawks have an average age of 20.07 across the entire team. This season, Miami’s freshmen have totaled 579 of 1,618 total points scored in 22 games played.
Mekhi Cooper is currently averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals and is tied for first on the team in assists (2.7). Cooper led Miami with two steals (career-high) in the first game of the season against Evansville. Against Wilberforce, he notched a career-high in rebounds (10) and assists (eight). He also led Miami with a career-high 17 points against Marshall.
Eian Elmer has averaged 6.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks and 0.5 assists this year for Miami. On the season, Elmer has led the RedHawks in rebounding on numerous occasions. Most recently, he put up a career-high 10 rebounds at Ball State. Elmer recorded the most steals of his career against Buffalo (four). He also totaled a career-high 23 points against Eastern Michigan.
Evan Ipsaro has put up 7.2 points, 2.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game. He scored the most points for Miami against Eastern Illinois with a career-high 18. Ipsaro led the team with seven assists (career-high) against Western Michigan. He recorded a career-high two steals versus Evansville and Marshall. He also added a career-high five rebounds against Ohio State. He is tied for ninth in the MAC in free throw percentage (83.3%).
Jackson Kotecki has totaled an average of 4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 0.3 assists and 0.2 steals. Kotecki led the RedHawks with a career-high in points (19) and blocks (two) versus Spalding.
Reece Potter has averaged 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks this season. He scored a career-high 17 points versus Bowling Green. He also recorded three blocks (career-high) against Wilberforce.
THE BRADLEY DEAN STORY: Bradley Dean sat down with MiamiRedHawks.com to discuss what drew him to join Miami Men’s Basketball when the D2CCA All-American and SAC Player of the Year entered the transfer portal this offseason looking for a Division I opportunity on the hardwood. Check out the feature story here!
SHOWING OUT: The Miami University men’s basketball team had a record setting performace against Wilberforce earlier this year (119-69 victory). Evan Ipsaro led Miami with 17 points, while six other RedHawks scored in double figures (first time since Nov. 29, 2022). Miami matched the second-most points scored in program history. This is the first time Miami has scored over 100 points since Nov. 13, 2021 against Lamar University (104-75). The last time Miami scored 119 points was against Wilberforce on Dec. 30, 2019. The RedHawks shot over 60% from the field for the first time since facing Ohio on Feb. 25, 2023. The Red and White also put up over 50 rebounds for the first time since taking on Defiance on Nov. 23, 2021.
FRESH ON THE SCENE: Bryce Bultman is a guard from McKendree University where he averaged 15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. In his final year with McKendree, Bultman earned Unanimous First Team All-GLVC, NABC All District All-Midwest District First Team and D2CAA First Team All-Region.
Bradley Dean is a guard from the University of Virginia College at Wise. During his tenure he averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds. In his last campaign with the team, Dean was named a member of the D2CCA All-Southeast Region First Team, he was a D2CCA All-American Honorable Mention and earned NABC Second Team Southeast All-District. He also was named the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Player of the Year and made First Team All-SAC.
Darweshi Hunter is a guard from Northern Illinois University. While attending he averaged 6.4 pts, 2.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists with the Huskies. Prior to Northern Illinois, Hunter attended both Weber State and Central State (division II). While attending Central State, Hunter was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Associations (D2CCA), All-South Region First Team and All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) First Team. He also earned SIAC Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
