By Brenda June Temple
3 5 2024
MIAMI GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/3/4/2023-24_mbk_TOLEDO2.pdf
TOLEDO GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/3/4/2023-24_MBB_Game_Notes-Game_30-Miami.pdf
THIS TUESDAY: The Miami University men’s basketball team will host Toledo on Tuesday, Mar. 5 at 7 p.m. Miami enters this week on a three-game win streak. The RedHawks are currently in fifth place in the Mid-American Conference standings. With two conference games left in the season, the Red and White are looking to improve their conference standings to gain a higher spot in the MAC tournament (March 14-16 in Cleveland, Ohio).
THE SERIES WITH THE ROCKETS: Tuesday will be the 139th all-time meeting between Miami and Toledo. The Rockets lead the series 70-68 and have won the last 21 meetings. The RedHawks dropped 68-64 at Savage Arena earlier this season. The Red and White are 42-22 when hosting Toledo.
ABOUT TOLEDO: The University of Toledo men’s basketball team recorded a 27-8 (16-2 Mid-American Conference) record this past season. Head coach Tod Kowalczyk enters his 14th season with the Rockets after taking over the reins in 2010. Under his guidance, Toledo has reached 20 or more wins in seven of the last ten years. The Rockets have also secured first place in the MAC in each of the last three seasons. Coach Kowalczyk has won MAC Coach of the Year twice during his tenure (2022-23 and 2020-21). Prior to joining the Rockets, he spent eight seasons as the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. This year, Toledo was selected to finish fourth in the 2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Rockets currently hold an 18-11 (12-4 MAC) record. Toledo most recently topped Buffalo 85-79.
This year the Rockets are averaging 79.9 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting and have held their opponents to 77.1 points per game. The team also averages 13.5 assists and 33.4 rebounds in each game they play. Ra’Heim Moss (15.9) and Dante Maddox Jr. (15.5) lead the Rockets’ offense in scoring. Moss (2.9) and Maddox Jr. (2.8) also have the highest average in assists per game. Tyler Cochran leads all players with an average of 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Javan Simmons holds the highest block average with 0.9 per game.
UP NEXT: The Miami University men’s basketball team will face off with Ohio in the Battle of the Bricks at Millett Hall Friday, Mar. 8 at 7 p.m. This will be senior night and a tribute to Charlie Coles will also take place.
RECENT PLAY: The Miami University men’s basketball team topped Eastern Michigan 52-37 Saturday afternoon. With this victory, the RedHawks secured a spot in the MAC Tournament. Anderson Mirambeaux led Miami with 11 points, while Darweshi Hunter added 10 points and seven rebounds. The RedHawks held an opponent to under 40 points for the first time since November 24, 2008 against the Wright State Raiders (55-37).
STRONG DEPTH: This season, the RedHawks rank first in the MAC and 20th in the country in bench points with an average of 28.66 per game. As Miami’s rotation has gotten healthier over the past month, the RedHawks are getting contributions from up and down the lineup. In Miami’s last seven games, nine different players saw at least 10 minutes of playing time. All nine of those players have started multiple games this season.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: Miami is currently ranked 40th in the country (second in the MAC) in three-point shooting percentage (36.9%). The RedHawks have shot at least 50% from the three-point line in five 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 15 triples in a win versus Central Michigan (15-of-26, 57.7%). Miami has two players in the top 25 of three-point shooting percentage in the MAC (Ryan Mabrey and Darweshi Hunter). The RedHawks most recently hit at least 10 three-pointers in a game for the eighth time this season against the Chippewas at home.
FACILITATION: The Red and White currently rank first in the MAC and 72nd in the nation in assists per game (15.0). Miami also ranks 91st nationally and second in the MAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.30).
MARVELOUS MIRAMBEAUX: This preseason, Anderson Mirambeaux was named a Second Team All-MAC player. He is currently averaging 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.4 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 29 games with Miami, graduate transfer Darweshi Hunter has totaled 355 points (team-high) and has knocked down 40.0% of his shots from the field. Hunter has recorded 61 three-point field goals (seventh in the MAC) on 36.7% shooting. His 2.1 threes per game is tied for seventh in the MAC. He also ranks sixth in the MAC in free throw percentage (82.7%). 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 (67.3%). He is also tied at seventh in the MAC in blocks per game (1.1). This season, Morris finds himself with a total of 31 blocks (eighth in the MAC). So far, Morris has averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 0.8 assists and 0.4 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.
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. Dean is currently leading the Red and White with 1.1 steals per game. He also leads the team with a 41.1 three-point shooting percentage (minimum of 50 shot attempts or more). Check out the feature story here! To catch up on his most recent action, click here!
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 748 of 2,074 total points scored in 29 games played.
Mekhi Cooper is currently averaging 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists (tied for 14th in the MAC) and 1.0 steals (tied for 15th in MAC). Cooper led Miami with three steals (career-high) in a victory over Akron earlier this year. Against Wilberforce, he notched a career-high in rebounds (10) and assists (eight). He also led Miami with a career-high 17 points at Marshall.
Eian Elmer has averaged 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks (18th in the MAC) and 0.5 assists this year for Miami. On the season, Elmer has led the RedHawks in rebounding on numerous occasions. He put up a career-high 10 rebounds at Ball State. Elmer recorded the most steals of his career at Buffalo and at Eastern Michigan (four). He also put up the most blocks at of his career at Bowling Green (four). He totaled a career-high 23 points against Eastern Michigan at home.
Evan Ipsaro has put up 6.9 points, 2.6 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 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 three steals versus Northern Illinois. He also added a career-high five rebounds at Ohio State. He is tied for seventh in the MAC in free throw percentage (81.8%).
Jackson Kotecki has totaled an average of 3.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.2 blocks, 0.2 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 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 blocks (tied for 19th in MAC) and 0.3 steals this season. He scored a career-high 17 points versus Bowling Green. He also recorded three blocks (career-high) against Wilberforce.
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