By Stretch Jenkinson
3 14 2024
MIAMI GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/3/13/MBB_Miami_31324.pdf
AKRON GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/3/13/MBB_Miami_31324.pdf
THIS THURSDAY: Miami opens its stint in the 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a quarterfinal match-up with No. 2 seed University of Akron Thursday, Mar. 14. The RedHawks play at approximately 4 p.m. in the third game of the day.
THE SERIES WITH THE ZIPS: Thursday will be the 71st all-time meeting between Miami and Akron. The Zips lead the series 37-33. The two teams last faced off on Jan. 27, 2024, a 70-68 Miami victory at Millett Hall.
ABOUT AKRON: The University of Akron men’s basketball team recorded a 22-11 (13-5 Mid-American Conference) record this past season. Head coach John Groce closes his seventh season with the Zips after taking over the program on April 6, 2017. Coach Groce previously spent time leading Ohio University and the University of Illinois. This year, Akron was projected to finish in first place in the 2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Zips finished the season with a 21-10 (13-5 MAC) record and enter the MAC Tournament as the number two seed. Akron most recently fell to Western Michigan 90-84 in Kalamazoo, Mich. This season, Enrique Freeman was named MAC Player of the Year. Freeman and Ali Ali were both recognized as All-MAC First Team members. Greg Tribble earned All-MAC Defensive Team and was an All-MAC Honorable Mention.
In the regular season, Akron averaged 74.7 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting and held their opponents to 66.2 points per game. The team averaged 13.3 assists and 36.5 rebounds in each game they played. Enrique Freeman led the Zips’ offense in scoring (18.1). He also led the team in rebounds (12.8) and blocks per game (1.5). Ali Ali (2.7) and Kaleb Thornton (2.4) held the team-high in assists. Defensively, Nate Johnson averaged the most steals (1.3) per game.
MIAMI VS. AKRON IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT (2-3)
2001 – W – 69-56 – Oxford, Ohio – 1st
2007 – W – 53-52 – Cleveland, Ohio – F
2009 – L – 63-73 – Cleveland, Ohio – Q
2011 – (2OT) L – 75-82 – Cleveland, Ohio – Q
2019 – L – 51-80 – Akron, Ohio – 1st
MIAMI IN THE QUARTERFINALS: The RedHawks hold a 16-16 record in MAC Tourney quarterfinal games. Miami has made it to the MAC Tournament in six of the last seven years.
UP NEXT: With a win, Miami would advance to the semifinals against the winner of the No. 6 Western Michigan/No. 3 Ohio match-up. The RedHawks would play in the first game tipping off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15.
RECENT PLAY: The Miami University men’s basketball team fell 72-59 to Ohio Friday night. Anderson Mirambeaux led four RedHawks (15-16, 9-9) in double figures with 13 points.
CLEVELAND BOUND: Miami began March by defeating Eastern Michigan 52-37. The RedHawks held an opponent to under 40 points for the first time since November 24, 2008 against the Wright State Raiders (55-37). This win secured a spot in the MAC Tournament.
STRONG DEPTH: The RedHawks currently rank first in the MAC and 24th in the country in bench points with an average of 27.90 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 eight of Miami’s last nine games, nine different players saw at least 10 minutes of playing time. All nine of those players have started multiple games this year.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: Miami closed the year ranked 48th in the country (second in the MAC) in three-point shooting percentage (36.5%). The RedHawks have shot at least 50% from the three-point line in five games this year. Against Ohio State, Miami 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%). Darweshi Hunter and Ryan Mabrey finished in the top 25 of three-point shooting percentage in the MAC over the entire season. Most recently, Miami hit at least 10 three-pointers in a game for the eighth time this season versus CMU.
FACILITATION: The Red and White ranked first in the MAC and 85th in the nation in assists per game (14.8) at the end of the regular season. Miami also ranked 94th nationally and second in the MAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.29).
ALL-MAC HONORS: Elmer received All-MAC Freshman Team recognition after averaging 7.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 assists per game. In conference play, he was fifth in field goal percentage (.528), tied for 10th in blocks (0.9), tied for 11th in steals (1.2), tied for 11th in three-point field goal percentage (.400) and tied for 23rd in rebounds (4.9). He scored in double figures 10 different times during the 2023-24 campaign and had a season-high 23 points versus Eastern Michigan.
Hunter, who earned Honorable Mention All-MAC, averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.1 blocks each game. As for conference play, Hunter led the MAC in free throw percentage (.900), tied for 22nd in three-point field goal percentage (.352) and tied for 13th in three-point field goals per game (1.7). He scored in double figures 19 times and recorded two 21-point scoring performances this season. His 364 total points leads the team on the year.
Mirambeaux earned Honorable Mention All-MAC for the second time after averaging 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 blocks and 0.5 steals per game. In conference play, Mirambeaux ranked 19th with a 13.1 scoring average, tied for 12th in field goal percentage (.478) and tied for 14th in blocks (0.7). He scored in double figures 16 times and recorded a season-high 21 points at Buffalo.
HUNTER GAMES: This regular season, Darweshi 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!
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 tied for the highest amount of steals per game (1.0) on the team. He also finished second on the team with a 39.0 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!
MORRIS MADNESS: Sophomore Jaquel Morris stands third all-time in single season field goal percentage for Miami at 64.6% (minimum 100 attempts). Over the entire season, he tied for seventh in the MAC in blocks per game (1.1). Morris also found himself with a total of 34 blocks (tied for sixth in the MAC). He averaged 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 0.7 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.
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 totaled 811 of 2,230 total points scored in 31 games played.
Mekhi Cooper averaged 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists (tied for 15th in the MAC) and 1.0 steals (tied for 16th 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 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).
Evan Ipsaro put up 6.7 points, 2.7 assists (14th in the MAC), 2.0 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 and Toledo. He recorded a career-high three steals versus Northern Illinois. He also added a career-high five rebounds at Ohio State. In conference play, Ipsaro held the highest assist/turnover ratio (3.3) across all MAC players. He finished the season seventh in the MAC in free throw percentage (81.9%).
Jackson Kotecki totaled an average of 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.2 blocks, 0.2 assists and 0.1 steals. Kotecki led the RedHawks with a career-high in points (19) and blocks (two) versus Spalding.
Reece Potter averaged 6.1 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.
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
