Other schools are also competitive within their conferences such as Dayton and Xavier from the A-10.  But of course these are basketball only schools who do not get near the attention in or out of state as the Buckeyes with their huge student and  alumni base.  The only three Universities that have won national titles in both football and basketball over the last 50 years are Michigan, Florida and the Ohio State.  Coincidence?  I think not!  But the conference that hosts the most Ohio schools is the Mid-American conference.   To the Big Ten boys and especially Ohio State this is nothing more than the ‘little sisters of the poor.’  The utter disdain and lack of respect the Buckeyes show this conference cannot be understood unless you go to one of these Universities.  Six of the twelve athletic programs in this strong and historic Mid-Major are from Ohio and the Buckeyes play exactly one of them a year in football AND basketball combined if they are feeling charitable.  This year they chose Ohio University for their charitable contribution on the hardwood but of course played it at home.  The one program they will not play no matter what is Miami of Ohio.  You see the Miami RedHawks, even with their unique identity crisis, is one of the best Mid-Major programs in the country. The boys from Columbus do not want to risk losing any of their mystique with a potential loss to a program from ‘their’ state who are not worthy.   The RedHawks will just have to continue being the dominant program in the mighty MAC because as a wise man once said ‘you can only swing with the girls they put on the dance card!’

The RedHawks might not be in the Big Ten but they are much of a machine in men’s basketball as the Buckeyes are in football.  Somehow this program continues to get solid recruits who choose to surpass bigger schools for the good life of Oxford Ohio.  Yes, Miami of Ohio is actually a campus in the Southwest corner of the state that was given a name before they found the site to build it in a city that became Oxford.  It is a beautiful campus in the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area and has been ranked as the best place to go to school by Forbes.  As former coach Dick Shrider puts it ‘All I ask is just to get a boy up here in spring when the grass is green and the coeds are walking around in those sweaters’ referring in recruiting to the beautiful oxford campus. But that was then and this is now and going to college is not the same four or five year journey it was in the good old days.  The kids want to ‘one and done’ or stay in college only as long as they can flaunt their talent and move on up.  And that is even more true of the really good ones.  The RedHawks have never had one of those types here but they have had a few studs who have hung their coat on the racks here for a while.  Who are these guys? 

Well, Sophomore Swing man Ron Harper might already be the best player already to ever play for the RedHawks.  That is quite a bit to say after only one year here but this 6’6 185 from Dayton took Oxford by storm.  Harper is a phenomenal talent.  He is one of the most gifted athletes in the country.  But he is way more than that.  He is a competitor who strives to make everyone around him better.  He is an unselfish superstar who does not get near the publicity that he should.  He will carry a team on his back offensively if needed to or shut down the other team’s best scorer or per usual, both.  He is one of the best rebounding wings in the country.  He will drive past, around or over you but the will get to he hoop if he needs to get there.  His desire to win is only equaled by his motivation not to fail.  There is not a teammate, Coach or fan in Miami that does not have the utmost respect for this one of a kind player.  Harper was not heavily recruited by major colleges due to believe this or not a stuttering problem he has in high school in Dayton (big mistake Flyers as this kid can flat fly up and down the court).  That has given this kid the extra little chip on his shoulder that motivates Harper to be able to compete with the best wings in the country.  

 Supporting the superb Harper in the backcourt is junior playmaker Phil Lumpkin.  A solid quarterback for this team, Lumpkin is nowhere near the talent of Harper.  He gets by on smarts and skills.  He works hard but also can play a little hoop.  Hedric actually tried others last year attempting to get a little more oomph at this position but Lumpkin was by far the best distributor on the team.  He can score some but would rather pass.  Lumpkin was content running the show and the glorious break the RedHawks showcased on a consistent basis. This fellow Daytonian has a rapports with Harper and the two play together well and Lumpkin knows what his role is and where his bread is buttered.  He is more than willing to acquiesce to his friend and let him take over the game.   With Harper on his side he did not need to handle the ball all the time as at time the wonderful one would just flat take over the point and go to the hoop.  Lumpkin may not be the best point guard in the MAC but he was the best the RedHawks and most importantly in this hard working town he did what everyone strives to do every day whether it is at an assembly line or cooking at a restaurant.  He got the job done! 

 Senior center Wayne Embry is the immovable force in the middle.  A brut of a player, Embry loves his role.  That role is to guard the castle and knock anybody out of the way that tries to come near it.  He is a solid offensive player best known for his brutal picks and his ability to roll to the basket.  He and Harper might have the best pick and roll game this side of the Big O and Paul Hogue.  Embry can finish off the dish but is more proud of his bone jarring picks that usually open up much space for Harper to do his magic on the way to the rim.  Embry also delivers great board work.  At six foot eight and a solid 240 he knows how to screen off players and get the rebound.  Embry averaged over fourteen points a game last year and almost 12 boards but it would have more if he did not get into foul trouble so often.  He did not even average 30 minutes as he was disqualified a staggering 9 times.  When you play as physical as Embry that will happen and he does not mind because he knows that he has to set those screens and defend the huge monsters of the MAC (Thurmond anyone) if his team has a chance of competing.  Embry is a very astute player who fully understands the game and what it takes to succeed and that means guarding much bigger guys in the paint well as this wonderfully intelligent Ohioan will tell you it is not always about the size of the dog in the fight but about the size of the fight in the dog (well that could be a more famous Ohioan but hey who’s haggling over such a great quote).   No matter where he ends Embry will use his mind first to become a huge addition to any franchise that loves to have a smart, articulate big man around to do his job. 

Starting next to Embry will once again be the brick that is Dick Walls.  At 6’7 250 pounds he is even beefier than Embry and these two combined eat up more space in the key than Chris Farley trying on new suits.  Walls hails from Fort Recovery Ohio and that is just what you will need to go after he sets one of his infamous screens.  I think the term wall was coined after someone saw this kid screen out somebody going for a rebound.  His name is Dick Walls but it might as well be Brick because that is all you will ever hear the student section though as some might argue they are too far away to make a difference in Millett Hall.  Walls does not bring much offense to the court and does not block shots but he forms, with Embry, one of the most physical pair of post players in the Midwest.  Of course many think there is no need to have two of the same style players on the team especially since neither is exactly a rim protector but for the RedHawks in this tough as nails conference it works. 

Senior Fred Foster and Junior Archie Aldridge (the double initial team) are solid forwards who in a straight up death match to see who will start at the 3 for the RedHawks.  A gifted scorer who is a little undersized to be banging too much underneath, Foster got by with smarts and toughness and a nice jump shot.  This Springfield Ohio kid has been a mainstay in the Redhawk since he stepped on campus.  His contributions with his scoring and smart play are huge ingredients to the overall success of this team.  At six five 210 he is not big enough for the low post grind but is solid on the boards.  He is much better suited for the wing role but he does have a big time challenger.  Aldridge is similar to Foster but got more time down low.  This Middletown kid left high school as the number two scorer in that school’s history behind only the great Jerry Lucas.  Also six five and a bit heftier at 212 (these guys are almost clones) Aldridge gets by on work ethic and pure determination.  Like Foster, he got some minutes at the four and showed he could help on the boards and can score.  He can also defend anyone from a four to a shooting guard and his versatility was something Hedric loved.   This will probably end up being some sort of platoon with both getting time at the three and crossing over up front to help out.  Like most RedHawks, Aldridge might not be huge but he gets the job done with heart and desire and this incredible work ethic they must teach in Oxford. 

Hedric has a solid bench that he will use often especially whoever doesn’t start between Foster and Aldridge.  Seniors Charley Dinkins, Bob Brown and Jeff Gehring join juniors Rich Hampton and Chuck Goodyear to compete for  limited roles underneath.  One of them will giving Embry much needed rest whether he needs it or not and all of these guys have different skills that Hedric would use depending on the game.  Brown (not to be confused with Bill Brown who is also in the mix here) has contributed in the past but is too small (6’4) to keep up with the Thurmond’s and Share’s of the MAC. Dinkins is another big guy that can set screens and rebound all day though he is limited offensively.  At 6’6 and a svelte 207 from neighboring Cincinnati Dinkins is just a bit too thing for the punishment these guys get down low but he is more than willing and is a good athlete.  He will play but how much depends on how well the new recruits adjust to D-1.  Gehring has a good shot of getting minutes as he can score and does have some range with his jumper.  Gehring is one of the rare RedHawks not from the Buckeye state as somehow Shrider got him to come east after he was named Mr. Indiana basketball.  The 6’6 181 pounder from Indianapolis was a huge get for the RedHawks especially since he first committed to rival Bowling Green who play just up the road.  He decommitted from there after he saw the beautiful campus here and decided to join his twin brother John who had already enrolled.  Jeff has been asked to play inside too often and is better suited for the wing but those spots are full.  Still, with a kid who can score like he can Hedric will find a way to get him on the court.  Hampton is solid all the way around but injuries dare I say ‘hampered’ him last year.  He is also 6’6 but much thicker and will be in the mix for some minutes as he is solid on both ends.   Goodyear (a popular name around these parts) is a 6’4 shooter from Columbus better suited for the three.  He is not beating out Aldridge or Foster but could get some minutes with the emphasis being so much on long-range shooting.  These guys are solid but none of them are exactly the designated defender type off the bench.  For that we look at junior Randy Ayers.  Ayers has worked hard after being a deep bench player and made great strides to get on the court.  Not a gifted offensive player, Ayers has made his name playing defense.  At 6’4 195 from Springfield, Ayers can play any of 3 positions with equal toughness and guile.   He will never be a star but he has a role and he understands what it takes to be this kind of player which is half of the battle.  Senior Levern Benson is an undersized stud who can flat light it up.   Benson, like Gehring, is from Indianapolis and was a huge part of the success of the infamous Crispus Attucks teams that dominated Indiana basketball for years. He was starting before Harper took over and he pulled a Wally Pipp last year when he went down for a few games.  By the time he got back, Harper had completely stole the show around Oxford and Benson will have to settle for an instant offense role off the bench.  He will be just fine doing that.  Fellow Seniors Don Barnette, Don Knodel, David Zeller and John Powell and Sophomore Eric Newsome will be in the mix for the other minutes.  Senior to be Charlie Coles, who got hurt last year, has decided to forego his senior year and become an assistant coach.  Too bad as Coles was a gamer who bleeds Miami red and white but is blue right now.  He could end up coaching the JV team which has also been dominant in the MAC.  Barnette is an incredible ballhandler who was the first black athlete to play basketball for Miami of O.  At 6’0 175 from Springfield Barnette might be the best dribbler in the state and can score as well.  He was the starter next to Benson going into last year until he got hurt.  He is looking to regain his role but he will not only have to beat out Lumpkin but others as well.  Zeller is the primary backup at point guard and is solid.  A 6’1 175 pounder from Springfield Zeller is a good scorer and a solid passer.  He, like Lumpkin, gave up some scoring to run this high motored offense.  Knodel is 5’11 from Hamilton and played some last year with Benson out but will be deep on the bench unless things change this season.  Powell goes 6’0 180 and is a good combo guard who has not played near as much as he would like.  This kid from Franklin Ohio would start for some MAC teams but on the ‘Brackets’ he is trying to just get on the court.  If he wasn’t so loyal he might have already transferred.  Newsome is another undersized scorer, like Benson, who was a stud on JV last year and looking to move up.  As you can see he has many gifted players in front of him and does not even include the incoming recruits but things change fast in college basketball and every coach in the country would like to have the problem of too much depth. 

The Miami RedHawks are one of the best Mid-Major programs in the country.   Behind solid coaching, great recruiting and a machine like attitude the RedHawks have overcome many changes (including a nickname change) to stay atop the MAC.  That should not change this year.  If the conference the RedHawks played in was the ACC or the Big East, Miami of Ohio would be a nationally known program.  They will just have to settle knowing they are the best of what they love to do which is being a great basketball ‘program.’  Of course being the Rodney Dangerfield of basketball does not help much especially in a one-bid conference if you don’t win the tournament?