MIAMI CLASSIC: The Miami men will host six non-conference games this season, including a two-game homestand that is a part of the Miami Classic this weekend. This will span from Friday Nov. 17 through Sunday Nov. 19. The first game is set for Friday, Nov. 17 vs. Coppin State at 7 p.m. This second game for the Red and White is against Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.
ABOUT COPPIN STATE: Coppin State went 9-23 and 4-10 in conference play last year. Head coach Larry Stewart enters his first season with the Eagles after joining the Eagles this past May. There are zero starters and five letterwinners returning to Coppin State this year.
THE SERIES WITH THE EAGLES: Friday will be the first all-time meeting between Miami and Coppin State.
ABOUT EASTERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Illinois University put up a 9-22 (5-13 OVC) record this past season. Head coach Marty Simmons begins his third season with the Panthers. He previously spent time with Evansville where he totaled 184 wins and led the Purple Aces to five postseason appearances. Simmons also has head coaching experience at SIUE and Wartburg.
THE SERIES WITH THE PANTHERS: Sunday will be the second all-time meeting between Miami and Eastern Illinois. The Panthers lead the series 1-0. The two teams last faced each other on Dec. 12, 1944, a 42-30 Eastern Illinois win in a neutral site match.
TELEVISION: Each game for the Red and White will be aired on ESPN+. Saturday's neutral site match can be watched on MiamiRedHawks.com.
UP NEXT: Miami returns to the court by traveling to take on St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m.
RADIO: In its fifth 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)
TEXAS STATE RECAP: The Miami University men's basketball team lost at Millett Hall against Texas State University last Saturday afternoon by a score of 75-65. Darweshi Hunter led the RedHawks with 21 points, while Jaquel Morris (12) and Mekhi Cooper (11) each added double-figures.
HUNTER GAMES: In his first two games with Miami, graduate transfer Darweshi Hunter has totaled 42 points and has knocked down 56% of his shots from the floor. Hunter has recorded eight three-point field goals on 53.3% shooting. He sits at 38th in scoring nationally and leads all players in the MAC.
FRESHMEN IMPACT: This season, Miami's freshmen have totaled 37 of 129 total points scored in the first two games. Mekhi Cooper currently ranks third on the team with eight points per game.
NEW FACES: The RedHawks boast seven freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors, a senior and two graduate students. Three of these players are finding a new home in Oxford after transferring to Miami University this season.
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.
MAC PRESEASON POLL & TEAMS: The Mid-American Conference released its annual men's basketball preseason poll. The Miami University RedHawks were selected to finish in a tie with Bowling Green at sixth place across all MAC schools. Senior Anderson Mirambeaux was selected to Second Team All-MAC.Mirambeaux is coming off the 2022-23 season where he earned Honorable Mention All-MAC after ranking 18th in the conference with a 14.2 scoring average. He was 10th in rebounds (5.7), 20th in assists (2.6), sixth in field goal percentage (54.2%), 16th in free throw percentage (76.4%) and seventh in blocks (0.9). He scored in double figures 24 times and recorded two double-doubles this season. Mirambeaux also had a career-high 27 points against Evansville in his first game for Miami.
2023-24 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Akron (11) – 121
2. Kent State – 104
3. Ohio (1) – 102
4. Toledo – 93
5. Northern Illinois – 82
T6. Bowling Green – 64
T6. Miami – 64
8. Ball State – 55
9. Buffalo – 38
10. Western Michigan – 33
11. Eastern Michigan – 22
12. Central Michigan – 14
Tournament Champion: Akron (9), Kent State (1), Ohio (1), Toledo (1)
2023-24 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-MAC Teams
First Team
Ali Ali, Guard, Akron, Sr.
Enrique Freeman, Forward, Akron, Sr.
Chris Payton, Forward, Kent State, Grad.
Jaylin Hunter, Guard, Ohio, Sr.
Dante Maddox Jr., Guard, Toledo, Jr.
Second Team
Tyson Acuff, Guard, Eastern Michigan, Jr.
Jalen Sullinger, Guard, Kent State, Jr.
Anderson Mirambeaux, Center, Miami, Sr.
David Coit, Guard, Northern Illinois, Jr.
AJ Brown, Guard, Ohio, So
