Fantastic Fourteen Announced!
10/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 28, 2011
In September, Miami University men's basketball fans voted who would be placed on the 2011-12 men's basketball season tickets by casting ballots for Miami's "Fantastic Fourteen." These players represent some of Miami Basketball's all-time greats with 100 percent of the voting coming from the Red and White faithful. Here are the Fantastic Fourteen as voted upon by the fans. (Players are featured on tickets in no particular order and are listed below by date of appearance on the 2011-12 season ticket sheet.)
November 15 vs. Dayton--Ron Harper
Harper, a two-time MAC Player of the Year, lays claim to one of the most storied careers in the history of the program and the Mid-American Conference. With 2,377 points he sits atop the Miami career scoring list, and he also has the single-game point record with 45. Harper is also Miami's career leader in rebounds (1,119) and steals (287). He produced the first triple-double in MAC history and holds claim to the only one in Miami history. At his final home game, he became the first player in Miami basketball history to have his number retired. After Miami he enjoyed a 15-year NBA career, winning five NBA championships, three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.
December 10 vs. Wright State--Archie Aldridge
Aldridge was honored as the 1978 MAC Player of the Year, averaging 20.8 points per game and leading Miami to a MAC Championship as a senior. His 18.6 point-per-game career scoring average ranks fourth all-time. He was a catalyst in one of the biggest wins in program history when the Red and White defeated defending national champion Marquette in the NCAA Tournament in 1978. A two-time First-Team All-MAC honoree, Aldridge was inducted into the Miami Hall of Fame in 1989. His career field goal percentage of .571 remains the best in Miami history.
December 17 vs. Belmont--Darrell Hedric
Hedric--a former player, assistant coach and head coach--played on three MAC Championship teams during his time at Miami. As a coach, he was named MAC Coach of the Year three times and led Miami to four NCAA Tournament appearances. In 1978, his squad upset defending national champion Marquette by a score of 84-81, one of the greatest wins in program history. A member of the Miami Hall of Fame who will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame this spring, Hedric had his number retired in 1997.
December 20 vs. Evansville--Mike Ensminger
Ensminger ranks second on Miami's all-time games played list with 121 games, and as a senior in 2001 he was named the Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a Co-SIDA Third-Team Academic All-American. A fiery competitor and a fan-favorite for his unbridled enthusiasm, Ensminger was a part of Miami's Sweet 16 run in 1999 and played in four MAC Tournament title games amidst the RedHawks' stretch of five-straight MAC Tournament championship game appearances.
December 29 vs. William & Mary--Ira Newble
Newble played two years for the Red and White after transferring to Miami entering his junior season. His senior year he averaged 11.3 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game on his way to All-MAC honors. Four years after leaving Miami he climbed his way to the NBA, joining the San Antonio Spurs for the 2000-01 season. Newble went on to play nine more seasons in the NBA, including three playoff jaunts: two with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Los Angeles Lakers.
January 7 vs. Akron--Tim Pollitz
Pollitz--a three-time All-MAC selection, twice earning first team distinction--is one of the eight players in program history to play in a postseason tournament in all four years. Putting together one of the most impressive individual performances in the history of the MAC Tournament, Pollitz catapulted Miami to the 2007 MAC Tournament crown and NCAA Tournament appearance. He set a school single-game record for field goal percentage during the tournament and was named MVP of the tournament. He ranks tenth all-time on the career scoring list with 1,411 points, and his career field goal percentage of .563 ranks second all-time in Miami history.
January 14 vs. Buffalo--Jason Grunkemeyer
A prolific three-point shooter for the Red and White, Grunkemeyer was a part of Miami's Sweet 16 run in 1999 and also was a part of three MAC Tournament title games amidst the RedHawks' stretch of five-straight MAC Tournament championship game appearances. In 2001, Grunkemeyer earned All-MAC honors and also was named to the MAC All-Tournament team. Grunkemeyer is currently serving as an assistant coach for the RedHawks.
January 18 vs. Bowling Green--Wayne Embry
As a center for Miami from 1956-58, Embry led the Red and White to back-to-back MAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1957 and 1958. One of the most ferocious rebounders in program history, Embry's career rebounding average of 15.5 rebounds per game remains tops in school history, and he is number two on the career rebound list with 1,117. He had his number retired in 1995. Embry played 11 seasons of professional basketball, earning five all-star selections and winning a championship with the Boston Celtics in 1968. In 1971 he became the first African-American general manager in NBA history, and he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
January 25 vs. Toledo--Damon Frierson
Frierson is Miami's fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,644 points. His 175 career steals are good for second all-time in Miami history. Frierson was a two-time All-MAC selection for the Red and White and was a catalyst during the RedHawks' Sweet 16 run in 1999. As members of the same class, he and Wally Szczerbiak combined for 3,491 career points, the most of any same-class duo ever at Miami and second in MAC history. His seven steals in a 1999 game against Ball State are tied for the highest single-game total in program history.
February 1 vs. Eastern Michigan--Devin Davis
A three-time First-Team All-MAC honoree, Davis was inducted into the Miami Hall of Fame in 2009. Leading Miami to NCAA Tournaments in 1995 and 1997 and NIT berths in 1994 and 1996, Davis is one of just eight players in program history to advance to postseason play all four years. Following Miami's 1997 MAC Tournament title, Davis was tabbed MAC Tournament MVP while also leading Miami to regular-season titles in 1995 and 1997. With 1,828 points and 1,027 rebounds, Davis ranks third among Miami's career leaders in both categories and joins Wayne Embry and Ron Harper as the only three in program history to amass more than 1,000 career rebounds and points.
February 11 vs. Central Michigan--Randy Ayers
Ayers was a member of the 1978 NCAA Tournament team that upset defending national champion Marquette, 84-81, one of the biggest wins in program history. He was named to an All-MAC team in each of his four seasons and helped the Red and White to back-to-back MAC titles in 1977 and 1978. He finished his career with 1,203 points and one of 33 players in program history to surpass the 1,000-point scoring plateau.
February 19 ESPN BracketBuster--Michael Bramos
Bramos, Miami's most recent MAC Player of the Year (2009), was honored as an AP All-American as an honorable mention selection his senior year. Bramos, a strong all-around player, helped Miami to its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007 and was named to the 2007 MAC All-Tournament team. He ranks sixth on Miami's career scoring list with 1,515 points and finished his career ranked six career Top-10 statistical categories at Miami. Bramos was a two-time All-MAC honoree, including a First-Team All-MAC honor in 2009.
February 21 vs. Kent State--Wally Szczerbiak
The 1999 MAC Player of the Year and Miami's second all-time leading scorer, Szczerbiak is one of just four All-Americans in program history. He was also instrumental catapulting Miami to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1999, averaging a tournament-high 30.0 points per game. His 775 points as a senior still stand as the single-season benchmark. After his remarkable career, Szczerbiak was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft and played 10 seasons in the NBA, his last stop with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Miami Hall-of-Famer is the most recent player to have his number retired by the university with its retirement in 2001.
March 2 vs. Ohio--Charlie Coles
The current coach of the RedHawks, Coles is one of just 33 players in program history to record over 1,000 career points. The 2005 MAC Coach of the Year is Miami's all-time winningest coach and also the career record holder for conference coaching wins in the MAC. He has led Miami to three NCAA Tournament appearances and seven postseason appearances overall. Coles was inducted into the Miami Hall of Fame in 1990, the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2011, he was honored by the NABC at the Final Four with a Guardian of the Game Award for the Pillar of Education presented by The Hartford.
On Monday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m., Miami hosts California (Pa.) in an exhibition game (free admission) as a tune-up before tipping off the season at home against long-time local rival Dayton on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. The game against Dayton has been dubbed a White Out and all Miami fans are asked to wear white to the season-opening game to support the RedHawks.
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It is not too late to order season tickets and be a part of an exciting season of Miami men's basketball! The RedHawks' 14-game home slate includes four doubleheaders and features non-conference tilts against local rivals Dayton and Wright State and battles against Belmont, Evansville, William & Mary as well as an ESPN BracketBuster game in February.
Miami University Men's Basketball 2011-12 Season Ticket Prices:
Youth Reserved (Under 18): $120
Miami University Faculty and Staff: $160
Senior Citizen/Young Alumni: $175
Adult Reserved: $195
Courtside Seating: $350
*Available with a specified Red & White Club level of giving
In addition to the full-season ticket package, Miami also is offering a Five-Game Plan, which features one game per month: Nov. 15 vs. Dayton, Dec. 17 vs. Belmont, Jan. 7 vs. Akron, Feb. 11 vs. Central Michigan and March 2 vs. Ohio. The Five-Game Plan is $80 and also includes a hot dog and a drink for each game!
Call 513-529-HAWK (4295) to reserve tickets today!
