MIAMI BASKETBALL

Steele optimistic new players can keep MU winning

By MIKE SMITH
There is a different vibe about Miami men's basketball these days. 
Just two years ago, the RedHawks finished below .500 overall (15-17) and right at .500 (9-9) in MAC play. Both marks were improvements over the previous year.
Head Coach Travis Steele's third year at the helm showed more tangible results as . . . 

---

Travis Steele is starting his fourth year as the RedHawks head coach. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . the 2024-25 team won a record 25 games overall and went 14-4 in MAC play. That was the most conference wins since 2005-2006.

Last year's RedHawks were a No. 2 seed in the MAC tournament and came up just short of an NCAA bid with a 76-74 loss to Akron in the championship game. 

Several notable names -- guard Kam Craft (Georgia Tech), center Reece Potter (Kentucky) and Mekhi Cooper (Lindenwood) left through the portal. All were significant contributors, Craft led the team in field goals attempted (381) and field goals made (170). Potter was part of the rotation at center, while Cooper averaged 23.7 minutes, including time at point guard.

Despite the departures, Miami has legit hopes for another productive season. Indeed, the recent MAC coaches preseason poll ranked MU second behind defending champion Akron. Two RedHawks were named to the preseason All-MAC teams: Peter Suder (1st team) and Eian Elmer (2nd team).

While the positive views are appreciated, Steele declared his team is focusing on the work to be done.

---

Brent Byers can score inside or from the perimeter. (MVSmith/MRO)

"We had a really good year last year, but that was last year," Steele said Monday in his season-opening press conference. "You've got to earn (your reputation) every day. ... You've got to press reset, which is hard. You can't skip any steps."

Given the departures, fans may wonder about the source of optimism surrounding this year's RedHawks team. 

One big reason is significant quality among the returning players. In addition to Suder and Elmer, center Antoine Woolfolk, forward Brent Byers and point guard Even Ipsaro were significant contributors who could start in the home and season opener against Old Dominion. That contest -- part of the MAC-SBC challenge series -- will be played Monday at  Millett Hall (7 p.m.).

Beyond the talented returnees, Six new players are also part of the RedHawks optimism. Only one is a transfer. The other five are freshman. Nonetheless, Steele has already seen signs of significant quality in the newcomers.

"Those guys can all impact our team. There's no question in my mind," Steele said, adding,  "They've (just) got to find that consistency."

---

ALMAR ATLASON

MORE NOTES AND/OR STEELE OBSERVATIONS

ABOUT THE INCOMING TRANSFER • • • • • Almar Atlason hails from Iceland but played at Bradley for his first two seasons of college ball. The 6-8, 235-pound forward averaged 5.7 ppg. and 2.0 rpg. last year. He started 12 games and appeared in 36 contests. Atlason connected on 40.7 percent from the field, 39.5 percent on threes and 63.5 percent on free throws. 

"He's won a lot of games in his first two years of college basketball -- and he's played in those games," Steele said. "So, not only has he seen it, but he was in it, which I thought was really important. 

Also important is the junior's versatility. "He can play the five (spot). He can play the four. He's not position-strict, which I like. (It) gives us more flexibility as far as our lineups." 

With the departure of Potter, Atlason may at times be part of the depth behind Antoine Woolfolk at center. "I love his ability to shoot the ball and his ability to think. He sees things," Steele said of Atlason. "The way we play, we shoot a lot of threes. He can shoot them at a very, very high clip, which I like."

---

TREY PERRY

ON THE FRESHMEN • • • • • Two of the incoming freshman could figure into depth at spots where MU lost players to the portal. Tyler Robbins is a 6-10 player who Steele said has "really impressed" in the preseason. "He's got incredible hands and he can score."

• Trey Perry is a 6-2 freshman point guard from nearby Lakota East High School. He is likely to eventually fit into some kind of rotation behind Ipsaro at point guard. "He's big enough and he's strong enough. ... I think he can make an impact at that spot," Steele said. Trey "has been very impressive. He's had some great days. He can really score the ball."

CAPTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS • • • • •  Steele said the team's three captains - Suder, Elmer and Ipsaro "have done a tremendous job" in helping MU's new personnel. 

---

Antoine Woolfolk is a key player inside. (MVSmith/MRO)

WOOLFOLK FACTOR • • • • • After averaging 7.7 ppg last year, Steele is anticipating more from his center piece this season. 
 
"I think Antoine is going to make a really big jump. I think offensively, you're going to see him take a big step forward. We've got to get him the ball more than we have in the previous years ... He's going to be a bigger focal point in our offense."

Woolfolk played in 34 games and averaged 21.6 minutes per game.As 7-1 sophomore Reece Potter developed, he saw more action, which was especially helpful when Woolfolk got in foul trouble. In nearly half the games, Woolfolk was whistled for at least four fouls. Asked about help at the five spot this year, Steel indicated Atlason and Robbins would be part of the solution. Jackson Kotecki (6-9, junior) also returns.
​
"Kotecki's gotten a lot better. He hasn't play (that much) in the two previous years, but he's been around," Steele said.  "He's taken his game to another level, as well. So I think we've got plenty of size for the battle of the MAC and to compete for championships."

---

Evan Ipsaro's experience is a valuable asset for Miami's offense. (MVSmith/MRO)

IPSARO ON POINT • • • • •  Noting a point guard's critical role in keying the offense, Steele indicated the RedHawks are in good shape with the return of Ipsaro. 
​
"The quarterback of your team is so important. (He's) a guy that can process information and make the game easy for everybody on both ends," Steele said. "Evan had a really good finish to the season last year. I thought his second half of the season was tremendous. ... He's an absolute dog on the floor. He makes the game easy for everybody. He's as good of a true point guard as I've ever coached. He's tremendous the way he competes. " 

When Ipsaro is out, MU can use the freshman Perry or sophomore Luke Skaljac, who concentrated on the two guard spot in 2024-25. 
"It's hard to learn the point guard spot as a freshman, because not only do you have to know your spot, you've got to know everybody else's spot, as well," Steele said.  You've got to set the table to get us in to whatever we need to be in offensively, and then you need to be the head of the snake defensively. 
,,, He's really grown in that area."

---

Eian Elmer is one of several legitimate 3-point threats in the RedHawks lineup. (MVSmith/MRO)

KEEP THE THREES COMING • • • • •  Miami was second among MAC teams in 3-point goals and first in 3-point percentage last year. Despite the loss of Craft, the treys should continue. 

"We've got a lot of guys who can make them,... They'll still take a lot of threes. There's no doubt about it," Steele declared.

Both Elmer (40.0%) and Brant Byers (41.4%) connected on at least 40 percent from beyond the arc last season. Steele called Byers "as good as any shooter in college basketball" and a player who has "really improved off the bounce. He's worked hard on it."

REBOUNDS  • • • • • Miami ranked eighth among MAC teams in both rebounding (34.1 rpg) and offensive rebounding (9.4 rpg). 
​
"I thought we were pretty good on the defensive glass (last year)," Steele observed. "The offensive glass got better than we were the year before. Our offensive rebounding number is never going to be great (due to our spacing) ... but it did improve 5.5 percentage points last year from the previous year. ... I think with Tyler's size and Almar's size, we're bigger than we've been.  It helps out with rebounding."

MORE FREE THROWS, PLEASE • • • • • The RedHawks were 11th of 12 MAC teams in free throws attempted 2024-25. 
Given the roster and his desire to be aggressive, Steele said, "I think we can get to the free throw line more this year. ... I think we can drive the ball a little bit more."

---

Peter Suder was a preseason First Team All-MAC pitch by coaches, as well as numerous other publications. (MVSmith/MRO)

MIAMI ROSTER - CLICK HERE

MIAMI SCHEDULE - CLICK HERE​