Jan. 18, 2005

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Coles' Thoughts:
ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN: "Eastern Michigan is a veteran team with Markus Austin, Michael Ross and James Jackson, who have been a big part of their program and who are the guiding force behind this year's team. They are flanked by two very talented players in John Bowler, who is one of the better players in our league right now, and Darryl Garrett, who is one of the top freshmen in the league. Most definitely this is an improved team and a very good team."

KEYS TO THE GAME VERSUS EMU: "First, we've got to get off to a better start offensively and not bury ourselves early in the game. We've been doing that on the road since the Cincinnati game--at Cincinnati, at Kent State and at Buffalo. It's very hard when you have to catch up the whole game. The second thing we have to do is play defense the entire game. The third thing that has to happen is for us to get some contributions off the bench. When we get that, we play pretty good. When we don't get that, we don't play as well. We can get those contributions off the bench, but our guys just have to dig deep."

ON MIAMI'S IMPROVED REBOUNDING: "We've got to continue to have the type of rebounding we had against Buffalo. Some of the things we did on offense helped us get offensive rebounds, and we need to continue that and go from there."

ABOUT THE EAGLES: Eastern Michigan heads into Wednesday's contest with a 9-6 overall record and a 3-3 Mid-American Conference mark. Last week, Eastern Michigan lost games to Bowling Green (63-79) and at Akron (76-68). Four Eagles are averaging double figures in scoring: John Bowler (15.0), Darryl Garrett (14.6), Markus Austin (12.1) and Michael Ross (11.3). James Jackson leads the team on the boards, averaging 7.5 rpg, while Bowler follows with 6.5 rpg. In league action, Bowler is averaging 17.8 ppg and Jackson averages 9.0 rpg. Additionally, Ross leads the team with 30 steals and 45 assists.

THE SERIES WITH EASTERN MICHIGAN: Wednesday marks the 59th meeting between Miami and Eastern Michigan with the RedHawks holding a 39-19 lead in the all-time series. The RedHawks are 16-11 when playing in Ypsilanti. Last season, Miami notched a 74-46 win in Oxford. The last time the teams met at the Convocation Center, the RedHawks claimed a 73-58 win. Eastern Michigan's last win in the series was on Mar. 4, 1998, in the MAC Tournament Championship game, 92-77. Miami's last loss at EMU was on Jan. 31, 1998, 71-67.

MASON AND HORACE CLOSING IN ON MILESTONES: Both senior guard Chet Mason (Cleveland, Ohio/South) and senior forward Danny Horace (Cincinnati, Ohio/Western Hills) are closing in on milestones. Mason needs just 10 points to become the 29th player in program history to record 1,000 career points, however, Horace follows closely behind, needing just 21 points to notch his 1,000th career point. At Buffalo, Mason moved onto Miami's career rebounding chart, ranking ninth with 677 boards, and is 23 away from recording his 700th career rebound. Horace posted his 600th rebound against Northern Illinois and currently owns 632 career rebounds. Horace needs 44 rebounds to move onto Miami's career top-10 chart.

HORACE AND ST. CLAIR RANK AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Two RedHawks are among the top statistical leaders, according to CNNSI.com. Senior forward Danny Horace ranks ninth in rebounding (10.5), while sophomore center Monty St. Clair (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) ties for 32nd in 3-point shooting percentage (.500).

MASON HITS CENTURY MARK ... AGAIN: When senior guard Chet Mason took the court against Central Michigan, it marked his 100th career game played at Miami. Mason started his 100th game for the RedHawks one game later at Buffalo and has made 95 consecutive starts. He also has moved onto Miami's career minutes played chart against CMU. He ranks eighth with 3,307 career minutes.

GOING WITH WHAT WORKS: Miami has used the same starting lineup--Danny Horace, Nathan Peavy, Monty St. Clair, William Hatcher, Chet Mason--through its first 13 games to carve an 8-5 mark, its best record since the 1998-99 squad started the season 12-3. It is the first time since the 1989-90 season Miami has used the same starting lineup this far into the season. In 1989-90, Tim Stewart (F), Lamont Hanna (F), Jim Paul (C), Karlton Clayborn (G) and Jamie Mercurio (G) started the first 25 of Miami's 29 games en route to a 14-15 record that season.

HOME SWEET HOME: With home wins over Purdue, Findlay, Ball State, Liberty, Northern Illinois and Central Michigan, Miami is 6-0 at home this season and has won seven straight dating back to the 2003-04 campaign. The RedHawks own a 343-110 all-time record (.757) in the confines of Millett Hall. Miami needs just one more home win to secure its 17th consecutive home winning season.

HOME SWEET HOME TAKE 3: While playing on its home court has been favorable for Miami, it also likes to shoot the three in Millett Hall this season. Over its six home games, Miami has knocked down 55 of its 119 3-point attempts for a 46.2 shooting percentage beyond the arc. On the road, Miami is hitting just 33.9 percent of its treys.

ROAD BUMPS: While Miami has had much success on its home floor, posting a 6-0 mark at home, playing away from Millett Hall has not been favorable for the RedHawks. Since going 2-1 on the road to start the season (Xavier, 66-54; Butler, 48-61; Wright State, 59-54 OT), Miami has dropped four straight road contests (SMS, 63-69; Cincinnati, 53-77; Kent State, 49-68; Buffalo, 56-67).

FREE THROWS: Although the RedHawks' free-throw shooting percentages have been anything but consistent, with team game percentages ranging from .333 to .944, Miami has been able to knock down charity tosses in clutch situations. In games decided by 10 points or fewer and in all overtime games, Miami is hitting a stellar 80.0 percent of its free throws, going 32-for-40 from the line. Its opponents are 13-of-17 (.765).

SIRIUS RADIO COVERAGE: During the month of January, Sirius Satellite Radio will pick up four Miami men's basketball broadcasts, starting with the Saturday, Jan. 8 tilt at Kent State and the Jan. 15 game at Buffalo. The remaining two broadcasts are Jan. 22 vs. Ohio (Channel 142) and Jan. 30 vs. Akron (Channel 110). The Miami Sports Network team of Steve Baker, Joe Barry and Tim Bray will be providing the broadcast.

BOARD BANTER: Miami owned the glass in its first six contests of the season, outrebounding opponents in all six games. Prior to the Buffalo game, however, the RedHawks outrebounded their opponents in just three of their previous six games. Against the Bulls, Miami returned to early-season form, outrebounding Buffalo by a 12-rebound margin (40-28), its largest spread of the season. Miami hauled in an impressive 17 offensive boards and had 23 defensive rebounds.

MASON DISHING IT OUT: Last week, senior guard Chet Mason averaged an impressive 7.0 assists per game, doling out eight assists against Central Michigan and six versus Buffalo. He ranks third in MAC-only games, averaging a stellar 5.40 assists.

BULL NOTES: Miami posted its largest margin on the glass, outrebounding Buffalo 40-28 ... twice previously Miami had outrebounded an opponent by 10 boards ... senior guard Chet Mason posted his second double-double in as many games and his third of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds ... Mason also dished out a game-high six assists ... senior forward Danny Horace notched 15 points and junior guard William Hatcher added 14 as the other two RedHawks to score in double figures ... Mason made his 100th career start against Buffalo.

THE LAST TIME...: Although the 2004-05 just nearing the halfway point, senior forward Danny Horace is averaging a double-double (16.2 ppg, 10.5 rpg) ... the last time a Miami player averaged a double-double for the season was Ron Harper in 1985-86 (24.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg).

DOUBLE-DIGIT DANNY: For the third time in his career, senior forward Danny Horace opened the season manufacturing a double-double. Horace knocked down 15 points and pulled down a career-high-tying 14 rebounds against Purdue on Nov. 19 for the eighth double-double of his career. Horace tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds in Miami's season opener against Liberty last season and ignited his career with 11 points and 14 rebounds at UNC Wilmington in the RedHawks' season opener his freshman year. The only season Horace failed to produce a double-double in the season-opener was his sophomore campaign when the RedHawks started the season at Purdue. Horace tallied three points and two rebounds against Purdue that year.

AND SPEAKING OF DOUBLE-DOUBLES: In eight of Miami's first 13 games, senior forward Danny Horace has recorded double-doubles. Horace now owns 15 career double-doubles. Horace has been the RedHawks' leading scorer in seven of the RedHawks' first 13 games and its leader in rebounding in 10 contests.

HAUSFELD PROVIDES SPARK OFF BENCH FOR `HAWKS: After a two-game absence due to injury, junior guard Josh Hausfeld (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) saw his first game action in three weeks and did not skip a beat against SMS and has provided a spark off the bench for the RedHawks offensively and defensively over the past seven games. Hausfeld went 5-of-7 from the field (.714), including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc (.667) to amass 14 points against the Bears. With the RedHawks trailing by 12 points midway through the second half, Hausfeld drilled three-straight treys on a 9-0 Miami run to pull the RedHawks within three. He knocked down a jumper to tie the game, 53-53, with 6:29 remaining, evening the score for the first time in more than 20 minutes of play. He also scored 14 points against Northern Illinois, going 5-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-7 beyond the arc. More recently, Hausfeld went 5-for-6 from 3-point range (.833), which ties for fourth on Miami's all-time single-game 3-point percentage chart. His five treys tie his career-high. Over the past seven games, Hausfeld is averaging 7.9 ppg and 22.9 minutes per game and has knocked down a team-best 16 treys.

MIAMI'S FULL MONTY: Not only is sophomore center Monty St. Clair a solid post presence for Miami, St. Clair sparks Miami in many different areas. St. Clair ties for the team lead with 20 treys and owns a team-best .500 3-point shooting percentage, ties for second with 12 steals, is third with a .706 free-throw percentage.

20/20 VISION: Over a two-game stretch (Nov. 29 and Dec. 4), two Miami players recorded 20-plus point games in each contest. Against Findlay on Nov. 29, forwards Danny Horace and Nathan Peavy (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) each notched 22 points--a career-high for Peavy. In Miami's win over MAC foe Ball State on Dec. 4, guard Chet Mason produced 21 points, while Horace added 20.

THE ROARING 20's: Four times this season, senior forward Danny Horace has tallied 20 or more points, including a stretch three-straight games: 22 points against Findlay (Nov. 29), 20 points versus Ball State (Dec. 4) and a career-high 27 points at Wright State (Dec. 8). His most recent 20-point game was on Jan. 5 against Northern Illinois when he led all scorers with 23 points.