• Roster | 
• Schedule | 
• News | 
• Archives | 
• Photos 

Feb. 21, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

REDHAWKS TRY TO CONTINUE BRACKETBUSTER TREND: After a heart-breaking 56-52 loss to Akron on Tuesday, Miami tries to get back on the winning track when it travels to Valparaiso for a 6 p.m. (ET) game on Saturday, Feb. 23 as part of the ESPNU O'Reilly BracketBuster. The game will be televised on ESPN Classic. The RedHawks also seek their fourth road win in the last five road trips. The RedHawks are 4-0 in BracketBuster games, having faced Missouri Valley Conference programs in the last four BracketBuster matchups.

ABOUT VALPARAISO: The Crusaders enter Saturday's game with a 15-12 mark and a 6-9 Horizon League record. Valparaiso started off the season winning 10 of its first 11 but have lost 11 of its last 16, including a 68-61 loss at Loyola on Wednesday. The teams have played four common opponents, including two Mid-American Conference teams. Valparaiso is 4-0 against like opponents with home wins against Western Michigan (77-65), Ball State (71-58) and Chicago State (90-61) and a road win at Wright State (71-66). Miami is 2-2 against the common opponents with wins against Ball State and Chicago State. Five Crusaders are averaging 9.8 ppg or more, led by Shawn Huff's 11.6 ppg. Jarryd Loyd follows averaging 11.5 ppg and a team-leading 4.1 apg., while Samuel Haanpaa averages 10.0 ppg. Urule Igbavboa averages 9.9 ppg and a team-best 7.0 rpg and Brandon McPherson averages 9.8 ppg. Valparaiso is a long-range threat, averaging an impressive 9.8 made 3-pointers per game and ranked seventh nationally in the last NCAA statistics. The Crusaders are also shooting a solid 40.3 percent from beyond the arc and ranked 14th nationally in the category in the last NCAA statistics. Huff has hit 63 treys this season and is shooting a team-best 45.3 percent from beyond the arc. Haanpaa has 58 treys this season, while McPherson and Loyd have hit 40 and 39, respectively.

THE SERIES WITH THE CRUSADERS: Saturday marks the first meeting between Miami and Valparaiso in program history.

MIAMI VERSUS THE HORIZON LEAGUE: Saturday marks Miami's 52nd meeting with a current member of the Horizon League with the RedHawks owning a 29-22 edge against Horizon League teams. Miami squared off against a Horizon League team earlier this season when the RedHawks suffered a heart-breaking 58-57 loss at Wright State on a buzzer-beating shot. The RedHawks' last win against a Horizon League school was last year when it defeated UIC in Oxford, 72-61.

FAMILY TIES: Miami's Eric and Tim Pollitz have family ties to Valparaiso University. The twins' father, Ken Pollitz, played at Valparaiso, lettering from 1977-79 and serving one year as team captain.

MIAMI IN THE ESPNU O'REILLY BRACKETBUSTER: Making its fifth appearance in the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBuster, Miami faces a member of the Horizon League in a BracketBuster game for the first time. It also marks Miami's third televised game as part of the BracketBuster with its 2003-04 and 2004-05 BracketBuster games also being televised on the ESPN Networks. Miami's previous BracketBuster matchups all have come against Missouri Valley Conference schools. Miami defeated all of its MVC foes in the BracketBuster games, downing Missouri State 75-66 in 2003-04, Wichita State 65-58 in 2004-05, Illinois State 51-49 in 2005-06 and Indiana State 70-58 in 2007-06. The RedHawks had lost all of their return trips resulting from the BracketBuster until this season whe the RedHawks defeated Indiana State on Dec. 4, 74-58.

Miami in the ESPNU O'Reilly BracketBuster:
Feb. 21, 2004	(Oxford, OH)	def. Missouri State, 75-66
Feb. 19, 2005	(Oxford, OH)	def. Wichita State, 65-58
Feb. 18, 2006	(Oxford, OH)	def. Illinois State, 51-49
Feb. 17, 2007	(Terre Haute, IN)	def. Indiana State, 70-58

UP NEXT: Miami resumes Mid-American Conference action and returns home for two of its final three regular-season games when the RedHawks host Ohio at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1. Miami travels to MAC leader Kent State for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, March 4 before hosting Bowling Green to close out the regular season at noon on Sunday, March 9.

GAME TIME CHANGE: Please note the following change in game time for television as part of the MAC TV Package... Sunday, March 9 vs. Bowling Green, Noon (FSN Ohio)

REDHAWKS TO APPEAR TWICE NATIONALLY ON ESPN NETWORKS: The RedHawks will play two of their last four regular-season games on national television on the ESPN Networks. Miami's BracketBuster game at Valparaiso on Saturday, Feb. 23 will be aired on ESPN Classic at 6 p.m. (ET), while the RedHawks' game at Kent State on Tuesday, Mar. 4 will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Game time will remain 7 p.m.

BLOCK PARTY: Over the last four games, Miami has amassed 26 blocked shots as a team, which is an average of 6.5 bpg during that stretch. The RedHawks recorded 10 against Central Michigan on Feb. 9, which was the most by a Miami team since Jan. 10, 1996 against Toledo and tied for second on the RedHawks' single-game list. They followed that with nine blocked shots at Western Michigan on Feb. 12, which tied for fifth on the single-game charts, and recorded five against Buffalo on Feb. 16 and two against Akron on Feb. 19.

BUILDING BLOCKS: Junior forward Michael Bramos has been a shot blocking machine. Bramos has amassed 15 blocked shots in Miami's last four games (3.75 per game), accounting for more than 57 percent of Miami's blocked shots during that stretch. He ranks third among MAC statistical leaders in blocked shots in both overall and league-only games. Bramos set a career high of five blocked shots against Central Michigan on Feb. 9 and has had four blocked shots in the RedHawks' next two games. Bramos has 84 career blocked shots and has catapulted himself into fourth place on Miami's career blocked shot chart.

BANGING THE BOARDS: Over Miami's last six games, junior center Tyler Dierkers has stepped up his efforts on the boards, averaging 8.3 rpg. Dierkers recorded a career-high 13 rebounds at Buffalo on Feb. 16 and has compiled nine or more boards in six games this season, including four of the RedHawks' last six games.

THIRTY SOMETHING: For the third time this season, junior forward Michael Bramos hit the 30-point plateau, pouring in a game-high 32 points against Central Michigan on Feb. 9. Bramos went 9-of-16 from the field, including 3-for-6 from 3-point range, while knocking down 11-of-12 free-throw attempts against the Chippewas. Bramos also recorded 30 points in back-to-back games against Mississippi State on Nov. 25 and a career-high 36 points against Dayton on Nov. 28, becoming just the sixth player in Miami basketball history to score 30 points in back-to-back games.

DOUBLETIME: For the fifth time this season and the ninth time in his career, senior forward Tim Pollitz recorded a double-double, amassing 18 points and 13 rebounds against Western Michigan on Feb. 12.

ROARING 20s: Eclipsing 20 points for the third straight game against Toledo on Feb. 6, junior guard Kenny Hayes strung together a series of 20-point scoring efforts. Hayes has scored 20 points in four of Miami's last nine games and has the most consecutive 20-point games by a RedHawk this season. Junior forward Michael Bramos notched consecutive 20-plus point scoring efforts twice this season, most recently on Feb. 9 and Feb. 12, and back-to-back 30-or-more point games against Mississippi State and Dayton earlier this season. Senior forward Tim Pollitz and Bramos lead the team in 20-point scoring games with six apiece, while Hayes has four.

20/20 VISION: Junior guard Kenny Hayes and senior forward Tim Pollitz scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, against Toledo on Feb. 6, marking the first time since Feb. 24, 2007 against Buffalo that two Miami players scored 20 points in the same game. Nathan Peavy scored 24 points and Tim Pollitz scored 22 points against the Bulls.

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Miami's post players have been the RedHawks' top assist men this season. Senior forward Tim Pollitz has 82 assists this season and averages 3.28 apg, while junior center Tyler Dierkers has recorded 73 assists and averages 3.04 apg. The duo accounts for 46 percent of the team's assists. Dierkers ranks second in assists per game by a center, according to Allan Spear at Stats, Inc, behind Samford's Travis Peterson (3.19 apg).

THE HAYES HAS LIFTED: Junior guard Kenny Hayes started the season off scoring in double figures in his first two games, including 18 points in Miami's season-opening win against Xavier. After a somewhat foggy 11-game stretch where Hayes scored in double figures just three times and averaged 7.3 ppg, it seems that the fog has lifted as he has scored in double figures in the RedHawks' last 12 games, including three straight 20-point efforts from Feb. 2 - Feb. 9. He is averaging 17.7 ppg over Miami's last 11 games and shooting 51.9 percent from the field, 49.0 percent from 3-point range and 86.0 percent from the free-throw line. In MAC play, Hayes is averaging a team-leading 16.2 ppg.

MAKING THE MOST: In a 29-point win against Toledo on Feb. 6, Miami set numerous season highs. In addition to posting their largest margin of victory, the RedHawks scored their most points (76), had their most field goals (32), field goal attempts (64) and rebounds (46). Miami also produced its most points in the paint (46) and second chance points (21) and tied their most fastbreak points of the season (10). Additionally, Miami recorded its second-most assists with 21.

POLLITZ RECORDS 500th CAREER REBOUND AND 200th CAREER ASSIST: With four assists and six rebounds at Ball State on Feb. 2, senior forward Tim Pollitz recorded his 200th career assist and 500th career rebound. Pollitz, who surpassed 1,000 career points earlier this season, owns 1,301 career points, 538 career rebounds and 215 career assists.

COLES MOVES INTO SECOND ON MAC'S ALL-TIME LEAGUE WIN LIST: Miami's 65-52 win against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 26 put head coach Charlie Coles in sole possession of second place on the MAC's all-time league win list. Coles currently owns 182 MAC wins and is 12 wins away from tying the record of 194 set by former Toledo head Coach Bob Nichols. Coles is in his 12th season guiding the Miami program and his 18th season as a head coach in the Mid-American Conference. With a 64-57 win against Buffalo on Jan. 20, Coles earned his 200th win at the helm of the RedHawk program. He needs just two wins to reach 300 wins for his career.

DIERKERS LEADS MAC IN ASSIST/TURNOVER RATIO: Junior center Tyler Dierkers leads the Mid-American Conference with a 1.92 assist/turnover ratio.

WEEKLY MAC TELECONFERENCE: Miami head coach Charlie Coles will be available for comment during the weekly MAC Coaches Teleconference, which began Monday, Jan. 7 and runs through the end of the season. Coach Coles is scheduled to be on the teleconference from 10:57 a.m.-11:04 a.m.

BACK-TO-BACK 30-POINT EFFORTS FIRST SINCE 2004: With 30 points against Mississippi State on Nov. 25 and a career-high 36 points against Dayton on Nov. 28, junior forward Michael Bramos recorded the first back-to-back 30-point scoring games since Juby Johnson in 2004. Johnson had 31 points at Kent State on March 3, 2004 and 30 points against Marshall on March 6, 2004.

BRAMOS HAS CAREER NIGHT AGAINST FLYERS: With an impressive 36-point effort against Dayton on Nov. 28, junior forward Michael Bramos had a career night. Bramos went 11-of-17 from the field (.647), including and whopping 9-of-15 from 3-point range (.600). His nine treys rank second on Miami's single-game chart, just one off the school record of 10. He knocked down seven of his nine 3-pointers in the first half. His 36 points were the most scored by a Miami player since Wally Szczerbiak scored 43 points against Washington on March 12, 1999 in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, Bramos had a career-high four blocked shots against the Flyers, accounting for all of Miami's blocked shots.

DIERKERS CLOSE TO TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Junior center Tyler Dierkers came close to a triple-double against Mississippi State on Nov. 25. Dierkers ended with seven points and career highs of nine rebounds and 10 assists. His 10 assists are the most by a Miami player since Alex Moosmann handed out 10 assists against UIC last season. Dierkers leads the team with 28 assists on the season and accounts for more than 35 percent of the RedHawks' assists this year.

BRAMOS AND POLLITZ NAMED TO ANAHEIM CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Junior forward Michael Bramos and senior forward Tim Pollitz were named to the five-member Anaheim Classic All-Tournament Team. The RedHawk duo join Southern California's OJ Mayo, who was named tournament MVP, Southern Illinois' Randal Falker and Mississippi State's Jamont Gordon. Miami was the only school with two all-tournament team selections.

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, first-year administrative assistant Jimmy Lallathin is a 2003 Miami graduate.

POLLITZ TABBED PRESEASON MAC ALL-EAST DIVISION: Miami senior forward Tim Pollitz was named to the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Preseason All-East Division Team. Pollitz was one of five players on the Preseason All-East Division Team, joining senior forward Jeremiah Wood (Akron), senior forward Mike Scott (Kent State), senior forward/center Leon Williams (Ohio) and junior forward Jerome Tillman (Ohio). The Preseason All-West Division Team is made up of senior guard Peyton Stovall (Ball State), senior guard Giordan Watson (Central Michigan), junior guard Carlos Medlock (Eastern Michigan), senior guard Kashif Payne (Toledo) and senior center Joe Reitz (Western Michigan).

TWO REDHAWKS CLOSING IN ON CAREER TOP-10 CHARTS: Senior forward Tim Pollitz and junior forward Michael Bramos rank on or are closing in on several Miami career top 10-charts. Additionally, Bramos needs 156 points to become the 33rd RedHawk to amass 1,000 career points. Tim Pollitz • His .573 field-goal percentage ranks first all-time at Miami. • Needs 29 more field goals to tie the 5th place total of 595. • Needs 100 points to tie the 10th-place total of 1,401.

Michael Bramos • Needs 25 blocked shots to tie the 3rd-place total of 109. • Is 22 3-pointers away from tying the 10th-place total of 129. • His .808 free-throw percentage ranks 6th all-time at Miami.

A MIAMI WIN WOULD ... • Be Miami's fifth win in a ESPNU BracketBuster game, improving the RedHawks to 5-0 in the event. • Up Miami's record to 14-12 overall. • Be the RedHawks' fourth road win in their last five road trips. • Make Miami 1-0 in the all-time series with Valparaiso. • Be the Crusaders' first loss to a MAC school this season.

A MIAMI LOSS WOULD ... • Hand the RedHawks their second straight loss. • Be Miami's first loss in an ESPNU BracketBuster game. • Drop Miami to 4-9 on the road. • Make Valparaiso 3-0 against MAC schools this season. • Give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead in the all-time series with the RedHawks.