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"Let's envision the future here this weekend."
 
It's September 2022, and Travis Steele is making his pitch. The Miami Men's Basketball head coach is hosting a weekend full of official visits and trying to finalize a signing class that could literally re-shape the program he had taken over just a few months earlier.
 
To be specific, Steele is attempting to land Reece Potter, a center from Lexington, Ky. and the potential final piece to a promising recruiting class that already features four committed impact players.
 
There's Evan Ipsaro, the point guard from nearby Covington, Ky. And Mekhi Cooper, a speedster from Bolingbrook, Ill. Eian Elmer, a talented wing from Cincinnati, is on board. So is Jackson Kotecki, a 6-9 forward from Chicago.
 
"We looked for guys that obviously had very high upside and loved basketball," said Steele. "And all of them can play together, which is awesome."

 
The only thing missing heading into this early-autumn weekend? A seven-footer in the middle.
 
Steele's plan involves hosting all five prospects on their officials at the same time to allow the four commits and Potter to get to know each other and hopefully get comfortable on and off the court.
 
"I just wanted to see if it fit," Steele recalled. "I wanted Reece to be around guys that were committed to Miami and that were all on board; I wanted them to play together and develop those relationships. Start developing our team now for the future, not later when you get here."
 
Spoiler alert: The plan worked.
 
Between open gym, a cookout on the West Millett lawn, a Miami Football game, and some cornhole battles, the future RedHawks had plenty of opportunities to bond.
 
And they did.
 
"It's a great group of guys, and I was able to form a connection during that visit," Potter said. "We were able to go around campus, tour together, and have a lot of fun that weekend. That was when I knew I wanted to come here."
 
"It gave us a little preview of what's to come, and I think Reece really felt comfortable with the guys we had," Steele added. "He saw how talented they were, they got a chance to play with one another…and he jumped on board.
 
"We were really fortunate to get all five guys. All high-character, all terrific students, and different types of players, so they all really fit together."
 
Fast forward to the 2023-24 season, and it didn't take long for the 'Fab Five' —wait, is that nickname already taken?— to make an impact on the court. The quintet of freshmen combined to start 70 games for the Red and White, with four of the five averaging at least a half-dozen points per contest. Elmer, who topped the group in both points and rebounds, was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team as Miami qualified for the conference tournament in Cleveland for the fifth consecutive season.
 
"They got a lot better as the year wore on, each of them individually, and then we did as a team as well," said Steele. "It's exciting…we were the only school in the league last year to play multiple freshmen double-digit minutes.
 
"I think that will serve us, and them, really well moving forward."
 
Sit around a table at Millett Hall for a half hour with Potter, Kotecki, Elmer, Cooper and Ipsaro between workouts this summer, and the chemistry that's blossomed between the now-sophomores since that first meeting in 2022 is readily apparent. A group of guys that is together constantly, whether in the gym, playing video games, or in class, is incredibly quick to encourage each other, tease each other or challenge each other…sometimes all in the same sentence. 
 
"I see them my whole day," Elmer said.
 
"Off the court, we're right back together," Cooper chimed in. "Early mornings. Late nights. Just chilling."
 
Four of the five (all but Kotecki) are Sport Management majors, so these student-athletes are side-by-side as not just athletes, but students as well. "It's fun to be able to learn with your friends and learn with your teammates," said Potter, referencing a class all five freshmen took together.
 
Elmer especially enjoyed the section of Introduction to Sport Management that he shared with Cooper, Ipsaro and Potter last fall. "We had class [first thing in the morning] together, but that was the most fun, because it's so early and being able to see them walk in…it's like, 'Now my guys are here with me,'" Elmer smiled. "We're keeping each other on task and all that."
 
"Having a class with all of them is good, but it can be bad at times," Cooper shot back with a laugh. "Because they are a distraction!"
 
As the top five returning scorers on Miami's roster, the rising sophomores are continuing to learn plenty on the court as well. The group is laser-focused on working with Steele and the coaching staff on individual improvements that can help them take a collective leap this winter.
 
Ipsaro is determined to become more aggressive as a shooter. Cooper said he's intent on developing his voice and work ethic. Elmer wants to play more confidently and not hesitate when it's time to make a play or attack a mismatch. Kotecki hopes to translate his natural energy into making even more happen around the rim. Potter put on 20 pounds of muscle to help him better absorb the physicality of the college game.
 
"From where we were in the last game of the season to where we are now, it's night-and-day different," Kotecki said. "And we're obviously going to be night-and-day different from where we are now when the season starts, so it's going to be scary.
 
"The game has slowed down…we've all found our groove and what we need to do…we're all finding our roles now, and we're going to be good next year."
 
The end result should be something Miami Basketball fans will thoroughly enjoy watching when the season tips off in November, especially if (or when) all five of these sophomore returners are featured in the same lineup.
 
While it's rare in modern college basketball to have five contributors from one rookie class, it's even more unheard of for that entire group to then stay intact from year to year in the transfer portal era. 
 
"I think it speaks to the character of who they are and the love they have for Miami and our culture we've built here in the basketball program," said Steele. "They really believe in what we're building here.
 
"And they all know they're a big part of it, which is exciting."
 
By remaining together, the young RedHawks are hoping to draw on –and further develop— the relationships they have established over the past year-plus as they prepare to chase a MAC championship.
 
"Every one of us would probably consider each other our brothers," said Kotecki. "We have such a strong bond.
 
"We wanted to keep that going forward, and that will obviously help us out on the court."
 
"We came to agreement that if all five of us invest in each other, we can do things this program hasn't seen in a while," Elmer agreed.
 
"I think we can win the MAC and I think we've got the guys to do it," said Ipsaro. "That's the goal every year."
 
Potter nodded. "One of all of our dreams is to play in March Madness, and I think next year we've got a really good shot."
 
Steele is looking forward to the next chapter for a collection of young talents that showed such glimpses of potential during their debut season in Oxford.
 
"We'll look like an upper-tier team with those guys on the floor, with athleticism, size, mobility and skill," Steele said. "Our guys are all pretty versatile, and I think we can play up-tempo and play five-out with a ton of space and really share the basketball. I'm excited to see it.
 
"All five of them have each taken a big step forward…and the future is extremely bright."
 
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