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Jan. 4, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

REDHAWKS TRAVEL TO DAYTON TO FACE FLYERS ON TUESDAY: Rounding out a three-game road stretch, Miami makes a trip to local rival Dayton for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, Jan. 6. The game will be televised locally on WHIO. Dayton has won its last five and enters the game with a 13-1 mark. Miami is coming off a 69-68 win at Northwestern State and has won five of its last six.

NATIONAL NUMBERS: In the latest release of the NCAA statistical rankings (Dec. 21), senior forward Michael Bramos ranked among nation's top 45 in several categories and continued to rank among the top 15 on two lists. Bramos ranks 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (.500) and 14th in 3-pointers per game (3.6). Bramos also ranks 41st in scoring, averaging 19.6 ppg. As a team, the RedHawks boast a seventh-place ranking in 3-point field goal percentage (.422).

UP IN THE RANKINGS: As of Jan. 4, Miami was 12th in the RPI according to CollegeRPI.com. The RedHawks also had the No. 11 strength of schedule.

ABOUT DAYTON: The Flyers enter Tuesday's game with an impressive 13-1 mark and having won their last five games. Dayton is 9-0 at home this season. Two Flyers are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Chris Wright with 12.1 ppg. Marcus Johnson follows, averaging 11.7 ppg. As a team, Dayton has been outscoring opponents by 12.6 ppg and outrebounding teams by a 7.4 rpg margin. Wright leads the team on the boards, averaging 6.6 ppg. Chris Johnson follows, averaging 5.8 rpg. The Flyers are averaging 7.1 steals per game. London Warren owns a team-most 24 steals. Warren also paces the team in assists with 3.9 per game. Like Miami, who is facing its third Atlantic 10 team, Dayton is squaring off against its third Mid-American Conference foe. Miami suffered a 60-53 loss at Xavier while posting a 68-52 win at Temple. Dayton topped Akron at home 54-50 and won at Toledo on Friday, 77-63.

THE SERIES WITH THE FLYERS: Dayton leads the all-time series 65-60. The Flyers have won the last two meetings but has done so by a combined three points. Last season, Dayton pulled out a 63-62 win in Oxford. The previous season, the Flyers captured a 56-54 win at UD Arena. Dayton holds a 36-26 advantage when playing on its home floor. Miami's last win in the series was on Nov. 21, 2005, in Oxford, 58-42. The RedHawks have lost the last four times they have visited UD Arena with their last win there coming in double overtime on Nov. 22, 1997, 93-86.

UP NEXT: The RedHawks return home to host their first two Mid-American Conference games, entertaining Akron on Jan. 10 and Ohio on Jan. 14.

RedHawks On The Airwaves
MIAMI ISP SPORTS NETWORK: In its second year of its partnership with ISP Sports Marketing, the Miami ISP Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami men's basketball with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. "The Voice of the RedHawks" Steve Baker delivers the play-by-play coverage, while Joe Barry provides color commentary and Tim Bray gives sideline reports. Tune in to one of Miami's game-day affiliates: WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, OH), WPFB-FM 105.9 (Middletown, OH), WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, IN), WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, OH).

TELEVISION COVERAGE: Tuesday's game will be aired on Dayton's WHIO-TV. Mike Hartsock and Derrick Dukes will call the game.

COLES REACHES 300; CLOSING IN ON MIAMI ALL-TIME WIN MARK: Miami head coach Charlie Coles earned his 300th career win with a 70-66 triumph over Weber State on Nov. 12. In his 19th season as a head coach, Coles owns a 306-243 record. Coles boasts a 214-159 mark at the helm of the Miami program and is three wins away from breaking the all-time win mark. Coles owns the third-most wins of any coach in Mid-American Conference history and is second all-time in league wins. He needs 12 MAC wins to break the league record for career conference wins.

REDHAWKS HIT DECEMBER WIN MARK: Miami posted a 5-1 record in December, which is the most wins during December under head coach Charlie Coles. Four was the previous high under Coles, which each of his first three teams achieved.

ROAD WARRIORS: Miami has had its road stamina tested this season, playing its first six games on the road. Miami logged approximately 6,270 round-trip miles in games played through Dec. 3. After completing a three-game homestand, Miami is amidst another three-game, non-conference road stretch between Dec. 20 and Jan. 6. Miami will trek another 2,600 round-trip miles during that stretch, giving the RedHawks a grand total of approximately 8,870 round-trip miles during non-conference play.

NEW LEADERS: For the first time this season, Miami was led in scoring by someone other than senior forward Michael Bramos or senior guard Kenny Hayes. And the timing could not have been more perfect for each to have career nights. Senior guard Eric Pollitz and sophomore guard Rodney Haddix II came up with key performances to spur Miami to a 69-68 win at Northwestern State, both recording career highs of 16 points. Haddix came off the bench to play nine minutes to round out the first half. He scored 11 points to keep Miami within striking distance with a 10-point deficit heading into the half. Haddix started the second half and Pollitz returned to the lineup to start the second half after sitting out the last nine minutes of the first half with two fouls. Pollitz scored 12 second-half points to spark the RedHawks Each scored five points over the opening minutes to lift Miami to a lead it would hold onto for the rest of the game.

SECOND-HALF SURGE: Behind its best shooting effort in a half this season, Miami pulled out a 69-68 win at Northwestern State on Dec. 30. The RedHawks shot 62.5 percent from the field (15-of-24) en route to 40 second-half points. The 40 points tie for the second-most points in a half scored by the RedHawks this season. Miami had 40 second-half points at Temple and 59 points in the second half against Northwestern State on Dec. 6. Miami used a 16-2 scoring flurry early in the second half against the Demons to capture a lead by the 14:32 mark that it would not relinquish.

TO THE POINT: With senior guard Kenny Hayes out indefinitely with an injury to his right wrist, Miami has filled the position by committee. In Hayes' absence, senior guard Carl Richburg has earned three starts (Dec. 11, Dec. 20, Dec. 30), while freshman guard Kramer Soderberg has come off the bench to provide the RedHawks with valuable minutes. Additionally, senior guard Eric Pollitz also has assumed some point guard duties. He started the second half at Northwestern State (Dec. 30) at the point guard position and scored 12 second-half points. This is not unfamiliar territory for Pollitz, who also shared point guard duties during the 2006-07 season when Miami made its last NCAA Tournament appearance.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DIERKERS: Senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has been picking up the pace on the glass. Dierkers has been in double figures for rebounding in two of Miami's last three games, hauling in 11 boards against Northwestern State (Dec. 6), 10 rebounds against UW-Milwaukee (Dec. 11) and chipping in eight against Valparaiso (Dec. 13) and nine at Northwestern State (Dec. 30). For the season, Dierkers leads the RedHawks and ranks fourth in the MAC in rebounding, averaging 7.1 rpg.

POLLITZ MAKING HIS MARK: Senior guard Eric Pollitz has started Miami's last eight games, playing an average of 26.6 minutes per game. During that stretch, Pollitz is averaging 6.4 ppg, 3.0 apg and 3.8 rpg. He had one of his strongest all-around performances of the season against Valparaiso on Dec. 13, amassing 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 29 minutes of action. He led all RedHawks with seven rebounds at West Virginia on Dec. 20 and set a career high with 16 points at Northwestern State (Dec. 30) whil also handing out four assists.

TRIPLE THREAT: Senior forward Michael Bramos has been knocking down 3-pointers at a torrid pace. For the season, Bramos is shooting 48.7 percent from 3-point range, draining 37-of-76 treys. Over Miami's four-game win streak, Bramos shot 68.4 percent from beyond the arc, nailing 26 of Miami's 39 treys during that stretch. While Bramos has been a 3-point machine over the past several games, it is senior guard Kenny Hayes who is leading Miami in 3-point field goal percentage this season, shooting 53.3 percent (16-of-30). As a team, Miami has hit a MAC-leading 42.2 percent from 3-point range for the season and 52.0 percent during its four-game win streak from Dec. 3-13.

THIRTY-SOMETHING: For the fifth time in his career, senior forward Michael Bramos reached the 30-point scoring plateau with 31 points against Northwestern State on Dec. 6. Bramos became just the seventh player in program history to record 30 or more points in a game five or more times in a career. He ties LeVern Benson and Dave Zeller for fifth on Miami's career 30-point game list. Wally Szczerbiak and Fred Foster each recorded nine 30-point scoring efforts during their careers, while Wayne Embry and Ron Harper achieved the feat 13 times apiece.

ROARING 20's: Senior guard Kenny Hayes and senior forward Michael Bramos have teamed up to score in the 20s a combined six times. In Miami's season opener against Weber State, Hayes scored a game-high 24 points, 17 of which came in the first half. At Wright State (Nov. 24), he led all scorers with 20 points, the seventh time he reached the mark during his Miami career. Bramos scored 22 points against No. 4 UCLA (Nov. 13). At Temple (Dec. 3), Bramos amassed 26 points, 21 coming in the second half. After posting 31 points against Northwestern State (Dec. 6), Bramos tossed in 26 points against UW-Milwaukee (Dec. 11) and 28 against Valparaiso (Dec. 13), marking the 19th 20-plus point scoring performance of his career.

ODDS `N ENDS: Miami captured four of the first five Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week honors with Michael Bramos earning the weekly award on Nov. 17, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 and senior guard Kenny Hayes garnering the award on Dec. 1... sophomore guard/forward Antonio Ballard suffered an injury to his right hand and is projected to be out for six weeks ... Kenny Hayes will have surgery on Jan. 7 on his right wrist for an injury sustained during the Dec. 6 game against Northwestern State ... he will be out indefinitely ... in his final year of eligibility, senior guard Eric Pollitz is currently pursuing a master's degree in sports studies ... Pollitz earned his bachelor's degree in sports studies from Miami University in May 2008 ... freshman guard Kramer Soderberg had his jersey No. 20 retired by St. Charles West High School on Dec. 22 ... Soderberg scored 2,490 career points, 19th most in state history, and is just the second player in school history to have his jersey retired, joining former Kansas standout Ryan Robertson ... for the second time in two years, senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers had flirted with becoming just the second player in program history to record a triple double ... Dierkers had 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists at Northwestern State on Dec. 30 ... against Mississippi State last season, Dierkers had 10 assists, nine rebounds and seven points.

MAC NUMBERS: As a team, Miami ranks among the top three Mid-American Conference statistical leaders in six categories in games played through Jan. 3, while two individuals have combined to place their names among league leaders in numerous statistical category. Miami leads the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage (.429) and rebounding defense (32.2), while ranking second in scoring defense (61.1), 3-point field goals (7.18) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.307). The RedHawks rank third in free-throw percentage (.703).

Michael Bramos: 3-point field goals (1st, 3.36 per game); scoring (2nd, 19.0 ppg); 3-point field-goal percentage (2nd, .487); free-throw percentage (4th, .816); blocked shots (4th, 1.09 per game); minutes played (6th, 32.91).

Tyler Dierkers: Free-throw percentage (3rd, .828); rebounding (4th, 7.1 rpg); defensive rebounds (4th, 4.45 rpg); offensive rebounds (6th, 2.64 rpg); field goal percentage (t-11th, .467); steals (12th, 1.55 spg); minutes played (1st, 35.91).

CAREER NIGHT FOR FLETCHER: A native of St. Albans, W. Va., and playing the first game in his home state since joining the RedHawk program, junior center Adam Fletcher had a solid outing at West Virginia on Dec. 20. Fletcher scored six of Miami's first 10 points. He tied a career high of eight points and played a then-career-high 31 minutes. In the following game at Northwestern State (Dec. 30), Fletcher again set a career-high for minutes played with 38 against the Demons.

WINBUSH UPS SCORING OUTPUT IN LAST FIVE: Over Miami's last six games, sophomore forward Nick Winbush has been one of Miami's strongest scoring contributors off the bench, averaging 7.2 ppg during that stretch. At West Virginia, Winbush knocked down a career-high 11 points, going 4-for-6 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range.

FRESHMEN MAKE EARLY CONTRIBUTIONS: Two of Miami's three true freshmen have seen action in all of Miami's games this season, making early contributions. Forward Julian Mavunga was the first to see game action, coming off the bench in the first half against Weber State on Nov. 12. Mavunga recorded six points and played 11 minutes. Guard Kramer Soderberg entered the game in the second half against the Wildcats, nailing a quick long-range 2-point field goal and then driving to the bucket and tossing in a layup late in the game to give Miami its first lead since the start of the half. Mavunga is averaging 2.4 ppg and 2.0 rpg in an average of 9.6 minutes of action, while Soderberg averages 2.2 ppg in an average of 9.1 minutes per game this season.

BRAMOS BECOMES 33rd MIAMI PLAYER TO SURPASS 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Behind a 22-point effort against No. 4 UCLA on Nov. 13, senior forward Michael Bramos became the 33rd player in Miami men's basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points. Bramos needed just nine points to reach the benchmark entering the game. He owns 1,187 career points.

HAYES TIES SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE RECORD: Sinking 7-of-7 3-pointers against Weber State, senior guard Kenny Hayes tied a single-game 3-point field-goal percentage record at Miami. (Craig Michaelis went 6-for-6 against Nebraska on Nov. 27, 1989.) Hayes' seventh trey of the game may have been the most critical as he nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining in the game. His seven treys against the Wildcats also ties for fifth on Miami's single-game list.

BIG 33: Four current RedHawks share Miami's single-season record for games played (33) with seven other individuals. Senior forward Michael Bramos and senior center/forward Tyler Dierkers played in all 33 games in 2006-07, while senior guard Kenny Hayes and senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz played in all 33 games last season.

THEY ARE MIAMI THROUGH AND THROUGH: All four of the RedHawks' coaches hold degrees from Miami University: Head Coach Charlie Coles earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1965, associate head coach Jermaine Henderson earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1997, assistant coach Ryan Pedon earned a master's degree in sport organization in 2002, while assistant coach Jason Grunkemeyer earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 2001. Additionally, second-year director of basketball operations Jimmy Lallathin is a 2003 Miami graduate.

A MIAMI WIN WOULD ...
•	Up Miami's record to 8-4 on the season.
•	Be Miami's first win at Dayton since Nov. 22, 1997.
•	Be Dayton's first home loss of the season.

A MIAMI LOSS WOULD ...
•	Drop Miami to 7-5 on the season.
• 	Be Dayton's third straight win in series with the RedHawks.
•	Make Dayton 10-0 at home this season.