By Marisol Nicholson

GAME NOTES

https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2023/12/28/2023-24_mbk_Wilberforce.pdf

THIS FRIDAY: The RedHawks host Wilberforce in non-conference play Friday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. The game will take place at Millett Hall and can be streamed on ESPN+.

THE SERIES WITH THE BULLDOGS: Friday will be the third all-time meeting between Miami and Wilberforce. The RedHawks lead the series 2-0. The two teams last faced off with each other on Dec. 30, 2019, a 119-52 Miami victory at Millett Hall.

ABOUT WILBERFORCE: The Wilberforce University men’s basketball team is an NAIA school. The Bulldogs put up a 3-25 (2-20 Continential Athletics Conference) record this past season. Head coach Mark Mitchell enters his fourth year and third season with the Bulldogs after taking over the reins in July 2020. Wilberforce did not compete in the 2020-21 season. Mitchell previously had two stints as the head coach of Taft IT High School (2002-2013 and 2018-2020). He also served as an assistant coach with Ohio State from 2013-2018.  During his time with the Buckeyes, he coached his daughter’s Chelsea and Kelsey. Kelsey went on to be the second overall draft pick to the Indiana Fever in 2018.

This season, Cali Davis leads the Bulldogs’ offense in scoring (20.8 per game), assists (3.1), rebounds (4.6 per game) and steals 1.8 (per game). Preston Steele averages the most blocks on the team with 0.40 per contest.

Davis, who returns for his third year at Wilberforce, has been named the CAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week twice in the 2023-24 season.

UP NEXT: The RedHawks start conference play against Western Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.

RECENT PLAY: Darweshi Hunter’s three-point buzzer beater helped the Miami University men’s basketball team secure a 70-69 victory against Vermont last Friday afternoon in non-conference action. Hunter and Anderson Mirambeaux each scored 17 points to lead the RedHawks, while Evan Ipsaro added 13. Miami outscored the Catamounts 12-3 in the final 1:03 of play.

THREE-POINT BARRAGE: Miami is currently ranked 20th in the country in three-point shooting percentage (38.7%). The RedHawks have shot at least 50% from the three-point line in three games this year. Versus 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 five players in the top 25 of three-point shooting percentage in the MAC.

HUNTER GAMES: In his first 11 games with Miami, graduate transfer Darweshi Hunter has totaled 149 points and has knocked down 41.3% of his shots from the field. Hunter has recorded 26 three-point field goals (tied for fifth in the MAC) on 38.2% shooting. His 2.40 threes per game is currently tied at fourth in the MAC. Most recently, Darweshi Hunter hit a dramatic 30-foot buzzer beater to lift Miami past Vermont last Friday. Hunter averaged 13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two games for the RedHawks this past week. He also shot 43.5 percent from the field (10-of-23) and 40.0 percent from the three-point line (6-15). He recorded 17 points (tied game-high), one rebound and one assist versus Vermont.

MORRIS MADNESS: Sophomore Jaquel Morris is currently leading the MAC in field goal percentage (72.9%). He is also tied at seventh in the MAC in blocks per game (1.20). This season, Morris finds himself with a total of 13 blocks (tied for eighth in the MAC). So far, Morris has averaged 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.3 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 280 of 779 total points scored in the first 11 games played.

Mekhi Cooper is currently averaging 7.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.6 steals. Cooper led Miami with two steals (career-high) in the first game of the season against Evansville. Against Spalding, he notched a career-high in rebounds (5). He led Miami with a career-high 17 points against Marshall. Cooper ranks second in the MAC in three-point field goal percentage (52.6%).

Eian Elmer has averaged 4.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 0.3 steals and 0.3 assists this year for Miami. On the season, Elmer led the RedHawks in rebounding against Evansville (seven rebounds), St. Bonaventure (five) and Spalding (nine). He also led the team in blocks versus Evansville.

Evan Ipsaro has put up 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals per game and leads the RedHawks in assists (2.5 apg). He scored the most points for Miami against Eastern Illinois with a career-high 18. Ipsaro led the team with five assists (career-high) against St. Bonaventure, and two steals versus Evansville (career-high). He also added a career-high five rebounds against Ohio State. He is tied at fifth in the MAC in free throw percentage (84.8%).

Jackson Kotecki has totaled an average of 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 0.2 steals and 0.2 assists. Kotecki led the RedHawks with a career-high in points (19) and blocks (2) versus Spalding.

Reece Potter returned to action against Ohio State, recording six points for Miami. This was his first appearance since the season opener against Evansville. Potter has averaged 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.2 steals this season.

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. He has made his impact felt early on, as he currently shares sixth place in the MAC with 1.5 steals per game. Check out the feature story here!

MIAMI CLASSIC: The RedHawks built some early momentum with an undefeated home weekend in the Miami Classic this November. Bryce Bultman (MVP), Evan Ipsaro and Darweshi Hunter were named to the All-Tournament team after averaging double figures as Miami posted wins over Coppin State (76-48) and Eastern Illinois (76-64).

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