Dec. 9, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
PREGAME RALLY: Miami alumni and fans are invited to join the Miami University Alumni Association and the Red & White Club at In Between Tavern and Restaurant, 307 Sycamore Street on Thursday December 10, as we rally prior to the Miami - Cincinnati basketball game. Food and drink specials will be offered - no reservations necessary. The fun starts at In Between Tavern at 5:30, and moves to US Bank Arena for the 8:30 p.m. tipoff between the RedHawks and Bearcats.
MIAMI CONTINUES RUGGED SIX-DAY, THREE-GAME STRETCH: Just two days after a 64-42 loss to Temple, Miami continues a rugged six-day, three-game stretch when the RedHawks travel to U.S. Bank Arena for an 8:30 p.m. game against No. 19 Cincinnati on Thursday. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Miami has two days rest to prepare for its second straight local rival as the RedHawks host Wright State at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13.
ABOUT CINCINNATI: The No. 19 Bearcats enter Thursday's game with a 5-1 overall mark that includes a second-place finish at the always-tough Maui Invitational. In that tournament, Cincinnati opened with consecutive wins over No. 24 Vanderbilt (67-58) and No. 22 Maryland (69-57) before dropping the championship game to Gonzaga (61-59) for its only loss of the season. The Bearcats are led by the inside-outside combo of Yancy Gates and Deonta Vaughn. Gates, a Big East All-Rookie Team selection in 2009, comes into the contest averaging 12.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest while Vaughn, a senior, chips in 12.0 ppg to go along with 4.8 assists. Highly touted freshman Lance Stephenson is a third Bearcat averaging double-figures, posting 10.7 ppg.
THE SERIES WITH THE BEARCATS: Thursday marks the 145th meeting in the series between Miami and Cincinnati. Ohio is the only team to meet the RedHawks on the hardwood more often at 183 all-time meetings. The Bearcats have won the last ten meetings between the teams, beginning with an 82-62 win Nov. 30, 1991. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 91-53. Miami's last win was in Oxford on Dec. 1, 1990, 72-64.
UP NEXT: The RedHawks return home to face Wright State at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, before taking a five-day break for final examinations. It will be Miami's final home game until Jan. 12 when the RedHawks host Kent State. Sunday's game is part of Rivalry Week for Miami Athletics.
BICENTENNIAL REUNION WEEKEND: This weekend, Miami men's basketball welcomes back its alumni for a Bicentennial Reunion Weekend. Men's basketball alumni in attendance will be recognized during Sunday's game against Wright State.
ROAD WARRIORS: Miami played its first five games away from Millett Hall over a 10-day stretch and logged 4,095 round-trip miles during its travels. During non-conference play, Miami will log approximately 7,412 round-trip miles of travel, which includes trips to Towson, Md., Lexington, Ky., Albuquerque, N.M., Milwaukee, Wis., Boulder, Colo., and local trips to face Cincinnati and Xavier.
ODDS `N ENDS: Head coach Charlie Coles coached his 400th game at the helm of the Miami program on Tuesday against Temple ... junior guard/forward Antonio Ballard made his first start of the season against Temple ... Ballard started 16 games a season ago for the RedHawks ... over a four-game stretch heading into the Dec. 8 Temple game, junior guard Rodney Haddix II averaged 15.0 ppg and was in double figures for scoring in each game ... Haddix did not score against the Owls ... he is averaging 12.0 ppg over Miami's last five games ... both of Miami's freshmen--Allen Roberts and Orlando Williams--have seen action in all eight games this season, averaging 6.9 and 12.5 minutes per game, respectively.
WINBUSH FOR THREE: Junior forward Nick Winbush drilled eight 3-pointers at Kentucky, which ties for third on Miami's single-game charts and set a then-Rupp Arena record for 3-pointers by an opponent. Winbush was an impressive 6-for-6 from beyond the arc in the first half and was 8-for-10 from 3-point range for the game. His eight treys tie for the seventh most nationally made by a player in a game this season. He led all scorers with a career-high 26 points. Through eight games this season, Winbush is 22-of-45 from beyond the arc, nailing 48.9 percent of his 3-point attempts. In the latest NCAA statistics (Dec. 7), Winbush tied for eighth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage.
SERVING UP TREYS: As a team, Miami is averaging 8.1 3-pointers per game. In addition to their record-setting performance at Kentucky (15), the RedHawks have tallied nine treys against New Mexico and Evansville, seven against Louisiana Tech, Nicholls State and Dayton, six at Towson and four against Temple. Although it is early to talk about records, if the RedHawks keep up this furious 3-point shooting pace they could eclipse the season record of 243 held by the 1993-94 squad. The No. 2 single-season total is 222 during the 1999-2000 season. Miami has hit 64 treys over eight games.
LONG RANGERS: Three of Miami's top four 3-point shooters have hit over 48 percent of their 3-point attempts. Junior guard Rodney Haddix II is 12-of-24 from 3-point range for a .500 shooting percentage, while sophomore forward/center Julian Mavunga has drained 7-of-13 treys for a .538 shooting percentage. Junior forward Nick Winbush leads the team with 22 3-pointers this season and has a .489 shooting percentage from long range.
DOUBLE-TIME: Three times in the last six games, sophomore forward/center Julian Mavunga has recorded double-doubles, while junior forward Nick Winbush recorded his first career double-double against Temple (Dec. 8). Winbush recorded 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against the Owls. Mavunga's first two career double-doubles came in the World Vision Classic/Basketball Travelers Tournament when he amassed 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds against Louisiana Tech (Nov. 20) and followed that with a 12-point, 10-rebound performance against Nicholls State (Nov. 21). Mavunga poured in a career-high 18 points and chipped in 10 boards against Evansville (Nov. 28).
SEASON-HIGH MARKS: Although the RedHawks are just eight games into the 2009-10 season, they posted some pretty high marks against Evansville on Nov. 28. Miami recorded its most points in a game this season (82) and also posted its best field-goal percentage of the season (.534), hitting over 50 percent of their shots in each half, including a season-high for a half with 55.6 percent in the second half. Miami dished out a season-high 16 assists. The RedHawks also scored 40 or more points in each half, tying a season-high mark for points in a half with 42 over the opening 20 minutes, which they also achieved at Towson. Miami also tied its most rebounds in a game this season with 36, also hitting that mark against Towson.
REDHAWKS SET 3-POINT RECORD: Draining 15 3-pointers at Kentucky on Nov. 16, Miami set a program record for 3-point field goals. It ties for the 17th most made in a game nationally this season. The RedHawks went 15-of-26 from beyond the arc, receiving long-range field goals from junior forward Nick Winbush, junior guard Rodney Haddix II and guard/forward Antonio Ballard, senior guard Kenny Hayes and freshman guard Orlando Williams.
NEAR PERFECT: Against the Nicholls State Colonels, junior guard Rodney Haddix II was near perfect from the field, hitting 6-of-7 field goals, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while draining all six of his free-throw attempts. Haddix's lone miss of the night came with 2:04 to play in the game.
FOR STARTERS: Freshman guard Orlando Williams got his first career start against Evansville on Nov. 28. He became the fourth RedHawk this season to earn his first career start, joining sophomore guard Kramer Soderberg, junior guard Rodney Haddix II and sophomore forward/center Julian Mavunga.
20/20 VISION: Miami had two players score in double figures against Nicholls State on Nov. 21. Senior guard Kenny Hayes led all RedHawks with 23 points, while junior guard Rodney Haddix II tallied a career-high 21 points. The duo also scored 22 and 20 points, respectively, against California (Pa.) in exhibition action earlier this season.
HAYES NAMED PRESEASON MAC ALL-EAST DIVISION: RedHawk senior guard Kenny Hayes was selected to the East Division All-MAC Preseason Team, the conference office announced on Oct. 28. Hayes was an Honorable Mention All-MAC selection in 2007-08. He started last season strong, averaging 13.9 ppg and shooting an impressive 53.3 percent from 3-point range through eight games before suffering a season-ending wrist injury in early December. He received a medical redshirt, allowing him to return to the hardwood this season. Hayes was joined on the East Division All-MAC Preseason Team by Akron's Brett McKnight and Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens, Rodney Pierce (Buffalo) and Chris Singletary (Kent State). The West Division All-MAC Preseason Team was comprised of Eastern Michigan's Brandon Bowdry and Carlos Medlock, David Kool (Western Michigan), Jarrod Jones (Ball State) and Darion "Jake" Anderson (Northern Illinois.
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 ... • Be Miami's first win in the series since Dec. 1, 1990. • Snap a two-game losing skid. • Be Miami's first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 11/10 Boston College on Dec. 20, 2001.A MIAMI LOSS WOULD ... • Be Miami's third straight loss of the season, equalling its most consecutive losses this season. • Be Miami's 11th consecutive loss to Cincinnati. • Drop the RedHawks to 2-7.
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