MIAMI NOTES

Basketball, football, softball notes

By MIKE SMITH
RedHawk fortunes continue to shine on several fronts as we reach mid-January. 
BASKETBALL

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•  The Miami men's basketball team is off to its best MAC start (3-0) since 2005. With a very winnable game at Northern Illinois (4-11, 0-3 MAC), MU could carry a six-game win streak into Saturday's showdown at perennial MAC title contender Kent State (11-4, 2-1 MAC).
• Miami entered the College Insider Top 25 Poll at No. 25. See the list HERE
• This could be Miami's last basketball meeting with NIU ... for a while, anyway. The Huskie football program is moving to Mountain West next year, and other sports are headed elsewhere -- to be determined. 
• The Mid-American Conference announced Monday that Miami . . .

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. . . will host Troy University on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m., as part of the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge.
The Trojans currently hold a 10-6 record (3-2 SBC) on the year. The RedHawks previously traveled to Appalachian State, where they took down the Mountaineers 77-63 in November as part of the Challenge.
•  As a team, the RedHawks rank fifth nationally in effective field goal per centage (0.588), seventh in threes per game (11.2), seventh in three-point percentage  (.404), 12th in field goal percentage (.499), 13th in turnovers forced per game (16.13)  and 14th in turnover margin (4.9). Miami also leads the MAC in 10 statistical categories,  including scoring offense (83.5) and scoring margin (11.9). 
• Individually, Kam Craft ranks second in the MAC with 17.0 points per game, third in three-point field  goal percentage (.457, 13th nationally) and has knocked down 3.5 threes per game  (first in MAC and eighth nationally)
 • Mekhi Cooper leads the entire conference with a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio (51st nationally), is seventh in the conference with 1.5 steals per game and is also tied for seventh in assists per game (3.5)
 • Eian Elmer is sixth the MAC in three-point field goal  percentage (.431), tied for third in steals per game (1.9) and tied for seventh in blocked  shots per game (0.8)
 • Luke Skaljac leads all players in the MAC with a .516 three-point field goal percentage.
 • Peter Suder is 13th overall in the MAC for scoring (14.6), ninth in field goal percentage 
(.526), tied for eighth in steals per game (1.4) and tied for seventh in assists per game (3.5)
 • Antwone Woolfolk is second overall in the MAC with a .621 field goal percentage, 10th in blocks per game (0.7) and he is also tied for eighth in the conference for his rebounding each game (5.9)

FOOTBALL
•  After landing former MAC MVP and Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn (Baylor in 2024) in early January, Miami seems to be working on replacements for departing receivers Javon Tracy (Minnesota) , Reggie Virgil (Texas Tech) and Cade McDonald -- among others. Cordale Russell (6-3, 203) is coming to the RedHawks from Colorado. Now, there is word that Keith Reynolds (5-10, 170) is leaving Washington to join MU. Both are redshirt freshmen. 
Former Iowa tight end Grant Leeper committed to Miami in Decenter and TD Brady Kosin (Indiana) are also joining the RedHawks program. 

SOFTBALL
•  Softball America has released its preseason softball player rankings and on Tuesday it released its All-American list. Miami outfielder Jenna Golembiewski ranked tenth in the country overall and was named to the First Team All-America list.
In her junior (2024) season, Golembiewski started in all 57 games, hit .394 with 28 home runs and 78 RBI and added a .474 on-base percentage and a .944 slugging percentage. She was named an All-American (Second Team Softball America, Third Team NFCA) and earned spots on First-Team All-MAC and First-Team All-Region. She finished second in the NCAA with 28 home runs, only behind former teammate Karli Spaid. USA Softball named her a top-25 finalist for National Player of the Year.
The senior ranks fourth in school history with a .348 career batting average and 46 home runs.

•  First-year head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate has announced Miami softball's 2025 schedule. The RedHawks will play seven games versus teams in last year's NCAA Tournament, while looking to once again defend their Mid-American Conference regular season and conference tournament titles.
 
Miami opens the season with five games in Tempe, Ariz. The RedHawks will play Maryland (Feb. 7), Arizona State (Feb. 7-8), Minnesota (Feb. 8) and Utah (Feb. 9) in a two-day span. The following week Miami squares off with App State (Feb. 14), South Carolina (Feb. 14-15), Georgia State (Feb. 15) and Winthrop (Feb. 16) down in Columbia, SC.
 
The RedHawks arguably face their toughest non-conference challenge from Feb. 21-23 in Huntsville, Ala. After opening with James Madison on Feb. 21, the RedHawks face three NCAA Tournament teams in less than 24 hours. Miami competes with Auburn (Feb. 22), Ole Miss (Feb. 22) and Mississippi State (Feb. 23).
 
Miami closes out the month of February at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. Miami competes with St. Thomas (Feb. 28, March 1), North Dakota State (Feb. 28) and Minnesota (March 1).
 
Miami hits the road on March 5 to play Dayton, before hosting Michigan State (March 7-8), Northern Kentucky (March 8-9) and Stonehill (March 11). Other non-conference games include home contests versus Marshall (March 18) and Butler (April 9) and a road trip to Purdue (April 23).
 
The RedHawks, who have won every MAC Regular Season and MAC Tournament Championship since 2019, begin conference play at Kent State (March 14-15). Other road conference games include trips to Western Michigan (March 28-29), Ball State (April 11-12), Ohio (April 18-19) and Bowling Green (April 29).

SEE COMPLETE SCHEDULE HERE