Miami (Ohio) RedHawks
Mid-American Conference (17-13, 10-6)
Seed: #
RPI: 82
Big Wins: 11/12 vs Weber State (70-66), 11/24 at Wright State (55-37), 12/3 at Temple (68-52)
Bad Losses: 1/14 Ohio (62-66), 2/10 at Central Michigan (55-57), 2/26 at Ohio (56-75)
Coach: Charlie Coles
Probable Starters:
Carl Richburg, Senior, Guard, 4.1 ppg, 2.1 apg
Antonio Ballard, Sophomore, Guard, 6.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Michael Bramos, Senior, Forward, 17.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Tyler Dierkers, Senior, Center, 9.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Adam Fletcher, Junior, Center, 4.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Julian Mavunga, Freshman, Forward, 3.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Nick Winbush, Sophomore, Forward, 4.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Why They Can Surprise:
Miami of Ohio usually wins games with its defense. The team only allows its opponents to average 58.4 points per game. That is good enough to rank eigth in the nation. The RedHawks need to score some points too and most of the scoring can be attributed, one way or another, to Michael Bramos. Bramos is the pure scorer on the team. He does not shoot particularly well from long range, but he does connect on 2.4 three-pointers per game. Bramos’ 17.9 points per game is easily the best on the team and nobody else even averages over ten per contest.
Pollitz is the guy who usually sets up Bramos. However, the 6-5 senior is most likely done for the year with an injury. It was Pollitz who replaced Kenny Hayes earlier in the year running the point after Kenny Hayes went down with an injury. Now it is up to Carl Richburg to run the show. Richburg has done an admirable job, but he lacks the versatility of Pollitz or the flashiness of Hayes.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The RedHawks offense has been extremely inefficient this year. Bramos will get very cold from one half to the next and when that happens there is nobody left to pick up the slack. And when that happens the entire team starts to panic and take bad shots and commit bad turnovers. Antonio Ballard is the starting shooting guard, but he is just as inconsistent. Nick Winbush is the only other perimeter players who sees significant playing time and he is not know for providing an offensive spark.
Who To Watch:
The frontcourt does have a couple weapons in Tyler Dierkers and Adam Fletcher. The 6-8 centers are both experienced upperclassmen and it is Dierkers who can make a big difference every game. He is the second best scorer on the team and will score in the paint or step outside and hit the mid-range jumper. Dierkers is also easily the best rebounder on the team, but the problem is he averages 36.4 minutes per game. That is an absolutely huge number for a frontcourt player. Dierkers is a decent athlete who does a great job of staying out of foul trouble, but conditioning and trying to play without him if he finds himself on the bench for any reason is something the RedHawks cannot afford to deal with in the tournament.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 61.5 (292nd in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 58.4 (8, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.6 (176, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (95, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.2 (259, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.0 (207, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.3 (122, 3)
Rebound Margin: 0.7 (165, 5)
Assists Per Game: 12.4 (213, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (140, 5)
Joel’s Bracket Says:
