By Price Brothers

3 15 2025

MIAMI MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NOTES

https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2025/3/15/2024-25_MIAMI_MAC_Tourney_Championship.pdf

AKRON MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NOTES

https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2025/3/15/Game_34_vs_Miami__MAC_Tournament_.pdf

SATURDAY: Miami continues its stint in the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a championship game against No. 1 seed Akron on Saturday, March 15 at 7:40 p.m. Miami is looking for its first MAC Tournament title (and first NCAA Tournament berth) since 2007. Miami coach Travis Steele is also seeking a championship victory over his brother, John Groce, who leads the series between the two 5-1. This season, the RedHawks are 4-0 in neutral-site games. As of March 14, the RedHawks ranked fifth nationally in three-point percentage (.394), eighth in effective field goal percentage (.569), 13th in threes per game (10.5), 27th in field goal percentage (.481), 39th in turnovers forced per game (14.27), 32nd in scoring offense (80.8) and 57th in turnover margin (2.1). Miami also led the MAC in six statistical categories, including steals per game (8.1).

ABOUT AKRON: Akron is coming off a 24-11 (13-5 MAC) season in 2023-24, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach John Groce is in his eighth season, earning MAC Coach of the Year on Wednesday after his team won the regular season title. Groce has made the NCAA Tournament on five separate occasions as a head coach. Earlier this week, Nate Johnson was named the MAC Player of the Year, MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Defensive Team. Tavari Johnson was selected as an All-MAC First Team member and Isaiah Gray received All-MAC Honorable Mention. Shammah Scott won MAC Sixth Man of the Year and Sharron Young was a MAC All-Freshman Team selection.

Akron is currently 27-6 (17-1 MAC), having won its last six games. The Zips have two players who average double figures in scoring, which includes Nate Johnson (13.8) and Tavari Johnson (11.9). Tavari Johnson leads the team in assists per game (4.0) and Nate Johnson has recorded the most steals per game (1.8). Amani Lyles leads all players in blocks per game (1.2) and James Okonkwo follows closely behind (0.9). Okonkwo also leads the team in rebounds per game (7.3).

THE SERIES WITH THE ZIPS: Saturday will mark the 73rd time Miami and Akron have faced off, and the second consecutive year the teams have met in the MAC Tournament. The Zips head into this game leading 39-33 in the series. The last time Miami faced off with the Zips, the RedHawks dropped 102-75 in Akron on Jan. 25, 2025. The series in the MAC Tournament is 4-2 in favor of the Zips. The last win over Akron in the MAC Tournament came in 2007, as Doug Penno hit a bank shot at the buzzer to give Miami a 53-52 win over Akron in the championship game.

TELEVISION & RADIO: The 2025 MAC Tournament championship will be broadcast on ESPN2 at approximately 7:40 p.m. In its sixth 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) or WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio).

UP NEXT: With a win on Saturday, the RedHawks have the chance to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

RECENT ACTION: In a back-and-forth game that featured 11 ties and 19 lead changes, Peter Suder (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Kam Craft (17 second-half points) made big shot after big shot to help second-seeded Miami outlast third-seeded Kent State. The RedHawks won 72-64 to set a program record for wins in a season and advance to the MAC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2007. Craft’s final shot of the game with 1:29 to play not only lifted the RedHawks toward victory, but set a new program record for three pointers made in a season (94).

SEASON SUCCESS: Miami has reached 25 wins for the first time in program history. The Red and White secured the program’s most MAC wins since 2005-06 and have already surpassed the program record for most team points scored in a single season. The Red and White also set a new record for the most consecutive home wins (15) in a single season.

ALL-MAC AWARDS: On Wednesday morning, the Mid-American Conference announced its postseason awards. Peter Suder was named First-Team All-MAC, and Kam Craft received Third-Team All-MAC honors. Brant Byers was recognized as the MAC Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team. Suder is the first RedHawk to receive First-Team All-MAC honors since Julian Mavunga in 2012, and Byers is the first Miami player to be recognized as the MAC Freshman of the Year since Nike Sibande in 2018.

MID-MAJOR TOP 25 COACHES POLL: The Miami University men’s basketball team was selected to the Mid-Major Top 25® Poll for the ninth consecutive week on Monday. The RedHawks are No. 22 in the most recent rankings. Now in its 26th season, the Mid-Major Top 25® is voted on by 31 Division I coaches.

SETTLING THE SCORE: Averaging 80.8 points per game, the RedHawks are averaging the most points by a team in 60 years since the 1964-65 season by a Miami team that averaged 82.2 ppg and was led by Jeff Gehring (17.1 ppg) and Charlie Coles (16.2 ppg). The current 80.8 average would rank third all-time by a team in program history behind the 1965 squad and the 1952-53 team that averaged 83.8 ppg that was led by Dick Walls (21.5) and a starting lineup that also included Darrell Hedric.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE:

• It is only the second time a Miami team has amassed more than 900 field goals. The RedHawks own 957 field goals (program record), surpassing the 950 field goals that were made during the 1985-86 season (led by Ron Harper).
• Miami’s 537 assists are just the third time in program history a team has eclipsed the 500-assist mark. The 1985-86 squad recorded 545 and the 1984-85 team posted 509. Both squads featured Ron Harper.
• The RedHawks’ seven 90+ point games this season equal the most since the 1990-91 and 1989-90 teams achieved the feat. The last time a Miami team had more than seven 90+ point games was in 1964-65 when the Red and White scored 90 or more points nine times.

SEASON WATCH: 

• Kam Craft is first in single-season three-point field goals made, as he has knocked down 94 this year
• Antwone Woolkfolk is shooting 61.6% from the field, a mark that would rank him at fourth all-time if the season ended today
• The Red and White rank first all-time in team field goals made over the course of a season (957)
• Miami has recorded a new team record for the most three-point field goals made in a season (348)
• The RedHawks need nine assists to claim the most team assists over a single season in program history
• Miami needs two steals to rank third all-time in program history for total steals in a season
• With three more team blocks, the Red and White would move into fourth in program history for blocked shots
• Kam Craft, Mekhi Cooper, Peter Suder and Antwone Woolfolk are one start away from tying Nike Sibande’s program record for games started in a season

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS