Miami Redhawk preview.
Miami Redhawk preview.
Again, I recommend that everybody picks up a copy of the BLUE RIBBON YEARBOOK
One of those who will be counted on strongly this season is Michael Bramos (#24, 16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg), a 6-5, 221-pound senior who topped Miami in scoring last season, finishing fifth overall in the MAC. Bramos scored 30 points or more four times but also brings more than a scoring touch. He finished third in the MAC in blocked shots and had four games with multiple blocked shots, bringing a defensive intensity to his wing spot.
"He has been our second-best player the last two years [behind Tim Pollitz]," Coles said. "He has a great shot and can really take advantage of the smaller guys defending him. He will be one of our glue guys, but I would like to see him improve on moving without the ball."
Bramos missed the final five games with a hand injury, but that appears healed and Bramos was able to participate in an off-season tournament in Greece without any recurring injury issues.
The other glue guy that will have critical role this season is Kenny Hayes (#14, 12.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg), a 6-2 senior who will be moving more to the point from his shooting guard spot. Hayes played some at the point last year, but his forte was filling the hole as a solid perimeter shooter. Hayes scored in double figures in 16 of Miami's final 20 games and shot better than 50 percent a dozen times. But the Miami coaches believe Hayes can make the transition to point guard on a regular basis.
"He wound up at the point in most games last year," Coles said. "He is really good off the dribble and forces other teams to defend him honestly. He will have to work on pene-trating and pitching and finding the open man, but we think he will be able to take advantage of his ability to score and get to the free-throw line a bit more too this season."
The RedHawks will have some additional opportunities for players in the backcourt after Alex Moosman, a 23-game starter in the backcourt last season, transferred.
Depth, and competition for minutes, could come from several players with game experience but who have not really stepped up yet. Carl Richburg (#5, 1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg), a 5-9 senior, has battled injuries throughout his career but has been a good defender who still needs to work on his transition game to earn more playing time.
Also in the backcourt, the RedHawks could turn to Isiah Carson (#10, 1.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg), a 6-1, 211-pound senior, or Rodney Haddix (#1, 1.0 ppg, 0.6 rpg), 6-3, 205-pound sophomore, for some depth. But, like Richburg, both Carson and Haddix have battled injuries. Haddix in particular struggled last season having to play with a shoulder harness, but off-season shoulder surgery corrected the problem.
Also expected to enter the fray at the two guard spot will be Kramer Soderberg (#12), a 6-0 freshman. Soderberg was the 2007-08 Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri, two-time all-state out of St. Charles West High School and averaged 24.4 points while shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc.
At center, the RedHawks return Tyler Dierkers (#2, 6.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg), a 6-8, 235-pound senior who is the top returning rebounder and assist man.
"His freshman year I was at a loss where to play him," Coles said. "But he came on strong in his second year and is the most unselfish player I have ever coached. We're going to work on him improving his jump shot, but we also want to do for him what we did for Monty St. Clair a couple of seasons ago and run some plays for him, set some screens and flair out. He's not a post player, but he can get to the basket and reverse the ball real well."
Likely to log some backup minutes at center again this season will be Adam Fletcher (#41, 1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg), a 6-8, 230-pound junior who excels as a screener. Fletcher started five times last season in 28 appearances.
While one Pollitz will be missing, another will be back. Eric Pollitz (#21, 5.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg), a 6-5, 208-pound senior wing, and twin brother of Tim, was one of four Miami players to appear in all 30 games last season, making 17 starts. Pollitz will be in the mix for a starting role this season thanks to a good perimeter shooting touch (.447 3PT) and a propensity for crashing the offensive glass for rebounds.
Competing for a starting spot at the wing -- or potentially at the four -- will be Nick Winbush (#20, 2.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg), a 6-7 sophomore with a steady jumper as well as Antonio Ballard (#35, 3.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg), a 6-4 sophomore who played in one game last season and was red-shirted but could provide some depth now that he has recovered from his injury issues.
Considered the team's best jumper, Dwight McCombs (#22, 0.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg), a 6-8 sophomore, will get more playing time at the four this year. McCombs has shown solid shot-blocking skills but his offensive game has lagged in development.
Among the newcomers this season, the RedHawks are particularly high on the prospects of Julian Mavugna (#4), a 6-8, 255-pound freshman power forward who can score inside and has a dependable mid-range jumper. Mavugna was a two-time all-state selection at Brownsburg High School in Indianapolis, averaging18.9 points and 9.7 rebounds a year ago. He's expected to compete for a starting role, or at least crack the rotation this season.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: A-
INTANGIBLES: B+
"You have to have good depth in college basketball if you are going to compete for a championship," Coles said. "You can't play with just six guys."
The RedHawks return seven players with starting experience from last season, but despite Coles' assertion about depth, Miami leaned heavily on a starting rotation last season that included four players that logged an average of 30 or more minutes per game.
That is likely to change this year.
"Last year I probably relied too much on some of our starters, but we feel we have some really nice depth this season, and several of our guys are going to have a chance to make contributions," Coles said.
With a strong core of returning starters, a couple of impressive recruits, a healthy bench, and a strong non-conference schedule behind it by the time MAC play rolls around, Miami should be in position to claim a MAC East title, something Coles does not see as presenting additional pressure.
"We like being a favorite," Coles said. "If we can improve our rebounding, really just match our opponents in rebounding, something that we struggled to do last season, we should be right there."
