THIS TUESDAY: The RedHawks take on Buffalo in conference play Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. The game will take place at Alumni Arena and can be watched on ESPN+.

THE SERIES WITH THE BULLS: Tuesday will be the 56th all-time meeting between Miami and Buffalo. The Red and White currently lead the series 28-27. The two teams last faced off with each other on Mar. 3, 2023, a 68-63 Buffalo victory at Alumni Arena. 

ABOUT BUFFALO: The University at Buffalo men's basketball team recorded a 15-17 (9-9 Mid-American Conference) record this past season. Head coach George Halcovage III enters his first season with the Bulls after taking over the reins on March 30, 2023. Prior to joining the Bulls, he spent time with Villanova as a graduate assistant, video intern, video coordinator, director of basketball operations, assistant coach and associate head coach. This year, Buffalo was selected to finish ninth in the 2023-24 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bulls currently hold a 2-12 (1-1 MAC) record. Buffalo most recently dropped 82-77 to Western Michigan.

This year, Buffalo is averaging 68.6 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting and have held their opponents to 79.0 points per game. The team also averages 12.1 assists and 37.1 rebounds in each game they play. Sy Chatman leads the Bulls' offense in scoring with 18.8 points per game. Chatman has led Buffalo on the defensive end as well, averaging a team-high 1.57 blocks. Shawn Fulcher (2.5) and Isaiah Adams (3.22) lead the team in assists per game. Fulcher also has the highest steal average on the team (1.57). Jonnivius Smith leads all players with an average of 9.5 rebounds. 

UP NEXT: The RedHawks return home to take on Eastern Michigan in conference play Saturday, Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. 

THREE-POINT BARRAGE: Miami is currently ranked 23rd in the country (first in the MAC) in three-point shooting percentage (38.1%). The RedHawks have shot at least 50% from the three-point line in three games this year. Against 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 four players in the top 25 of three-point shooting percentage in the MAC.  

STRONG DEPTH: This season the RedHawks rank first in the MAC and 27th in the country in bench points with an average of 29.79 per game. 

FACILITATION: The Red and White currently rank first in the MAC and 70th in the nation in assists per game (15.6). 

SHOWING OUT: The Miami University men's basketball team recently rolled past Wilberforce 119-69 in non-conference action. Evan Ipsaro led Miami with 17 points, while six other RedHawks scored in double figures (first time since Nov. 29, 2022). Miami matched the second-most points scored in program history. This is the first time Miami has scored over 100 points since Nov. 13, 2021 against Lamar University (104-75). The last time Miami scored 119 points was against Wilberforce on Dec. 30, 2019. The RedHawks shot over 60% from the field for the first time since facing Ohio on Feb. 25, 2023. The Red and White also put up over 50 rebounds for the first time since taking on Defiance on Nov. 23, 2021. 

HUNTER GAMES: In his first 14 games with Miami, graduate transfer Darweshi Hunter has totaled 186 points (team-high) and has knocked down 41.3% of his shots from the field. Hunter has recorded 33 three-point field goals (third in the MAC) on 38.8% shooting. His 2.40 threes per game is currently third in the MAC. This season, Hunter hit a dramatic 30-foot buzzer beater to lift Miami past Vermont. He recorded 17 points (tied game-high), one rebound and one assist versus the Catamounts.

MORRIS MADNESS: Sophomore Jaquel Morris is currently leading the MAC in field goal percentage (71.4%). He is also tied at eighth in the MAC in blocks per game (1.10). This season, Morris finds himself with a total of 15 blocks (tied for eighth in the MAC). So far, Morris has averaged 6.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.4 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 376 of 1,036 total points scored in the first 14 games played. 

Mekhi Cooper is currently averaging 6.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and leads the RedHawks in assists (2.8). Cooper led Miami with two steals (career-high) in the first game of the season against Evansville. Against Wilberforce, he notched a career-high in rebounds (10) and assists (8). He also led Miami with a career-high 17 points against Marshall. 

Eian Elmer has averaged 4.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 0.2 blocks and 0.2 assists this year for Miami. On the season, Elmer led the RedHawks in rebounding against Evansville, St. Bonaventure, Spalding and Western Michigan. He also led the team in blocks versus Evansville. Against Wilberforce, he put up a career-high 12 points. 

Evan Ipsaro has put up 9.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. He scored the most points for Miami against Eastern Illinois with a career-high 18. Ipsaro led the team with seven assists (career-high) against Western Michigan. He recorded a career-high two steals versus Evansville and Marshall. He also added a career-high five rebounds against Ohio State. He stands at ninth in the MAC in free throw percentage (82.9%). 

Jackson Kotecki has totaled an average of 5.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 0.3 assists and 0.2 steals. 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. He recently totaled a career-high in points (12) versus Toledo. He also recorded three blocks (career-high) against Wilberforce. Potter has averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 blocks and 0.3 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 stands at 10th place in the MAC with 1.3 steals per game. Check out the feature story here!

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.