Miami’s Eian Elmer knows how to have fun at UD Arena. He won a state title here in 2022 with Cincinnati Taft. (Photos Courtesy Miami University Athletics)
Miami won 31 straight games before losing, but they don’t care. They are in Dayton to win against SMU and have fun doing it.
Dayton, OH – The nation knows Miami University as Miami, Ohio. The distinction between the school in Oxford and the one in Florida is necessary in those circles.
But in these parts, it’s just Miami. And in these parts, it’s respected for its academics and revered for its beautiful campus.
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And for some pretty good basketball through the years.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and basketball and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com. Follow on X @jw_gilbert
Former Miami greats Ron Harper, Wally Szczerbiak and Wayne Embry have name recognition in the history of college and pro basketball. But the casual fan who may know those names probably don’t know their connections to Miami.
Harper led Miami to three NCAA appearances and won five NBA titles with the Bulls and Lakers. Szczerbiak led Miami to the Sweet Sixteen in 1999. Embry was a five-time NBA all-star and is in the pro basketball hall of fame as a contributor. He was the first black general manager in the NBA.
Now, the names Peter Suder, Eian Elmer, Brant Byers, Luke Skaljac and head coach Travis Steele have made Miami basketball relevant again. And they’re having a lot of fun doing it thanks to Steele.
Their 31-0 regular season created late-season sellouts of 10,000 at Millet Hall.
“The sold-out crowds is a plus to what we’ve done of just winning basketball games,” senior Peter Suder said. “They’re not going to come unless you win. It’s been a lot of fun this year to see Millett sold out, and we hope that continues in the future.”
The unbeaten streak landed them on 9 p.m. Friday ESPN games, made them a common topic of conversation on TV and social media.
“I can’t say it’s something that any of us expected, but it’s something that we’re trying to take advantage of and enjoy the moment.” – Brant Byers on the media attention Miami has gotten this season
“It’s been a pretty unreal experience just opening your phone and seeing a Miami logo or a picture of someone,” sophomore Brant Byers said. “I can’t say it’s something that any of us expected, but it’s something that we’re trying to take advantage of and enjoy the moment.”
Their weak strength of schedule compared to middle-of-the-pack Power 5 teams with double-digit losses was fodder for much debate. When they lost to UMass in the MAC tournament and the chance at an automatic bid, some said they didn’t belong. Others disagreed.
Some wonder how close they were to being left out. But no matter how many bids were stolen by tournament champions in multi-bid leagues, Miami was always going to be in. While some fuss about their schedule, the committee didn’t what the hellfire that would have come with leaving an unbeaten regular season in the MAC out of the field.
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For the first time this season, Miami has to rebound from a loss. And they have to do it against SMU (20-13), an ACC team well-acquainted with responding to losses, in Wednesday night’s second game.
Peter Suder says it feels weird to lose. But he’s ready to make amends Wednesday night.
“It’s definitely weird getting our first loss, not going to lie,” Suder said. “Thirty-one straight is unheard of. But we’ve got guys that go through the process every single day and went through the process last year and just get better whether it’s a win or a loss.”
Pressure, though, has yet to rattle the RedHawks. They’re having too much fun playing for a coach who found the fun again in basketball while coaching his son’s fourth-grade AAU team the year after Xavier fired him.
“One of the best things I’ve ever done,” he said. The kids thought they were going to learn a lot from me, and I learned a lot from them – just how to have fun again. We all work hard, but you want to have fun.”
Steele translated that fun to his team. He says it’s the biggest reason they have been able to deflect the outside noise, the extra attention and the internal pressure that, minus the fun, could have festered.
“He’s an ultimate player’s coach,” Suder said. “He just instills confidence in us on a daily basis, and that’s the main thing outside of the Xs and Os. You’ve got to have guys that go out there and believe in themselves, and when the coach believes in you, special things can happen.”
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Tonight, the RedHawks will play for fun and all the mid-major teams who believe they are good enough to compete with the big-time programs from the big-time leagues. They like where they are. They just want everyone else to know that they can play.
SMU isn’t a big name by any means. But in the age of conference expansion they are an ACC team. That’s why they get credit for being a 20-13 team and get a pass for an 8-10 conference record.
The RedHawks respect the Mustangs and certainly take them and their superior size seriously. But they aren’t scared. They believe they can score with anybody. They believe they can survive and advance as much as any team from the ACC.
Travis Steele didn’t make it at Xavier, but he has transformed Miami in four seasons.
“At the end of the day, it’s March Madness, anything can happen,” Luke Skaljac said. “We’re not really thinking about it like that. We’re just thinking about it like it’s two good teams playing against each other, and we’re trying to win.”
Elmer knows what it’s like to win at UD. He helped lead Cincinnati Taft to the Division III state championship there in 2022.
“Ás soon as I walked in, just got hit with a whole bunch of nostalgia,” he said. “We’re even in the same locker room as when we won state. I have great memories of this place and I want to continue to make some more.”
All it takes is starting a new winning streak.
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