FRIDAY'S GAME: Miami hits the road for the first of back-to-back games against the Akron Zips when the RedHawks face Akron at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 in James A. Rhodes Arena. 

ABOUT AKRON: The Zips enter Friday's game with a 13-6 overall record and 6-3 MAC mark. Akron is coming off an 84-76 loss to Toledo on Jan. 28 after rattling off four straight wins. Ali Ali leads four Zips who are averaging double figures in scoring at 13.9 ppg. Enrique Freeman averages a double-double at 12.5 ppg and 10.8 rpg. 
 
THE SERIES WITH THE ZIPS: Friday marks the 67th meeting between Miami and Akron with Akron holding a 34-32 edge in the all-time series. When playing in Akron, the Zips lead 20-9. Akron has won the last five meetings, including an 83-76 win on Feb. 12 last year in the lone meeting between the teams. Miami's last win in the series also was a 68-61 triumph on Jan. 19, 2019 in Oxford. The RedHawks' last win at Akron was on Feb. 24, 2018 in overtime, 64-62.   

UP NEXT: The RedHawks play the second of consecutive games with Akron, returning home to host the Zips on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. This starts a three-game home stretch for Miami who also host Western Michigan at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 and Bowling Green on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m.

TELEVISION: Friday's game will be aired on CBSSN. Dave Ryan and Tim Doyle will call the action.

RADIO: In its third 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. Terry Bridge will call the action. Tune-in to one of Miami's gameday affiliates:
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)

SCHEDULE UPDATES: Miami has two previously postponed games moved and another game adjusted. Miami will travel to Akron for a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 4 on CBSSN and is now scheduled to host Akron on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. The RedHawks will entertain Central Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

THIS GAME IS NO SECRET: During its three games this week, Miami men's basketball will be wearing special shooting shirts with the words "This Game is No Secret" as part of a nation-wide effort to bring attention to the "Secret Game," which Coach John McLendon's North Carolina Central team played at Duke University in 1944. His revolutionary fastbreak style overwhelmed Duke, in an 88-44 victory. College Insider, Inc. created "Eracism," a social inclusion movement committed to bringing forth change through education, awareness, and action. The "This Game is No Secret" initiative is part of the "Eracism" project.  
MORE INFORMATION  |  INFORMATIONAL VIDEO

LAIRY JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB: Senior guard Mekhi Lairy scored his 1,000th career point on his final bucket during overtime in a thrilling 85-82 win against Northern Illinois on Jan. 22 becoming the 38tth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Lairy needed 21 points entering the contest and scored exactly 21 points against the Huskies. He has 1,021 career points entering Miami's next contest. 

GRANT AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Junior guard Dae Dae Grant ranks among the top 25 in assist/turnover ratio, ranking 18th (2.86). 

CRAZY EIGHTS: Three times this season junior guard Dae Dae Grant has recorded career highs of eight assists in a game. Although Grant is MU's leading scorer at 16.9 ppg, he also leads the team in assists at 4.2 apg. He had 61 assists in 32 games as a freshman and 55 in 23 games as a sophomore. Through 19 games this season, he is at 83 assists.

BLOCK PARTY: Senior forward Precious Ayah amassed a career-high six blocked shots against Toledo on Jan. 11, tripling his previous career-high and tying for third on Miami's all-time, single-game chart. Ayah paced Miami in a nine-block performance as a team, which tied for sixth on the RedHawks' team single-game chart. Ayah leads the MAC in blocks per game on the season (1.50) and also in conference-only games (2.11). He is coming off a three-block performance Tuesday against Kent State and has eight multiple-block games this season. 

HIGH PERCENTAGES: Senior forward Precious Ayah leads the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting a scorching 67.0 percent from the floor, while senior guard Mekhi Lairy leads the MAC in free throw percentage (.918) and junior guard Dae Dae Grant ranks third (.860).  

BROWN BREAKS BOTH GAMES STARTED AND PLAYED CAREER RECORDS: Breaking Ron Harper's record of 118 for career starts with a start at Indiana State on Dec. 4 and Geovonie McKnight's record for career games played of 126 on Dec. 14, senior forward Dalonte Brown is now the Miami career record holder in both categories. Brown's 129 career starts and 136 career games played are the new Miami records. 

CHART CLIMBER: Senior forward Dalonte Brown is climbing several Miami career top-10 lists and continues to climb the points scored list. Here is where he stands entering Miami's next game:

• Starts: 129 (1st, set record Dec. 4)
• Games Played: 136 (1st, set record Dec. 14)
• 3-Point FG: 182 (6th, 5 away from No. 5)
• Rebounds: 785 (9th, 15 from No. 8)
• Scoring: 1,454 (11th, 5 from No. 10)

ODDS 'N ENDS

• One of the most efficient free throw shooters in the MAC, senior guard Mekhi Lairy had a streak of 29 consecutive free throws snapped on Feb. 1 against Kent State. The streak dated back to the second half of the RedHawks' Nov. 27 game at Western Illinois.
• Tuesday against Kent State was the first time Miami had two newcomers in the starting lineup with freshman forward Curtis Harrison IV making his second straight start for the injured Dalonte Brown and sophomore forward Kamari Williams making his second start of the season.
• Miami drained 15 three-pointers against Bowling Green on Jan. 8, which ties for fifth on the program's single-game charts. Earlier in the season, Miami hit 17 triples against Lamar, which ties for second all-time in a single game at Miami.
• Miami ranks among the top three in the MAC in 12 statistical categories, leading the league in three categories: 3-point field goals per game, fewest turnovers and turnovers per game. 
• Miami ranks among the top 20 nationally in three statistical categories, including ranking 13th in free throw percentage, 14th in turnovers per game and 17th in fewest turnovers.