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Undefeated Miami men’s basketball looks to keep streak alive

Junior wing Eian Elmer goes for a layup against Western Michigan at Millett Hall on Jan. 6
Junior wing Eian Elmer goes for a layup against Western Michigan at Millett Hall on Jan. 6

Ten months ago, the Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball team ended its historic 2024-25 campaign. 

The RedHawks shattered expectations, turning a 15-17 record from the year prior to  25-9 and making it to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship for the first time since 2007. They set program records with 15 wins at home and 2,740 points, and head coach Travis Steele won his first postseason games since taking over in 2022. 

With two months until this year’s postseason, Miami is looking to raise the bar higher. The RedHawks are undefeated in the regular season with a 17-0 (5-0) record. 

Miami established itself as a formidable opponent before the season even began thanks to a slew of returning characters from last season. Only three players transferred out, and with standouts like senior guard Peter Suder, last season’s leading scorer, a strong group of juniors and a promising group of underclassmen coming back to Oxford, the RedHawks entered the 2025-26 season with a No. 10 preseason ranking among Mid-Majors. 

“Trying to create that connectivity and get our culture established is first and foremost,” Steele said. “We have a lot of continuity from last year’s team, but we also have some new guys too … When we get to the season, when we play against UNC Asheville and things get tight late, we’re built for that. We’ve been through tough moments as a team.”

After coming back from a first-half deficit in the season opener against Old Dominion University, the RedHawks took their first win and never looked back, outscoring each opponent by an average of 20.59 points. With a win over the Wright State University Raiders on Dec. 16, they rose to 11-0 and officially set the program record for best start to a season. 

Miami took its first win in the MAC by downing the Ball State University Cardinals 86-77 on Dec. 20, but it came at a cost. Junior guard Evan Ipsaro, who averaged 13.9 points and shot a team-high 57.1% from the field, tore his ACL during the game and will miss the rest of the season. 

“He’s a warrior,” Steele said. “He’s an incredible teammate, leads by example, and he’s a winner. It’s taken a few games to figure out, we’re playing some freshmen probably more than they were. You lose a guy that’s playing 30 minutes a game, there’s 30 minutes available.”

The RedHawks closed out 2025 with a road matchup against the Bowling Green State University Falcons, who were on a four-game winning streak at the time. Four players scored in the double digits, with Suder and redshirt sophomore wing Brant Byers adding 17 apiece, to keep Miami undefeated. 

Photo by Will Miklautsch | The Miami Student
Sophomore guard Luke Skaljac dribbles against Akron at Millett Hall on Jan. 3

At the start of the new year, Miami’s matchups didn’t get any easier. The RedHawks welcomed Akron, the reigning conference champions, to Millett Hall on Jan. 3 in what would become a close contest. In the end, Miami took the win 76-73 thanks to a 26-point performance from Byers. 

With a midweek victory over the Western Michigan University Broncos, the stage was set for Miami to visit the University of Toledo Rockets in a nationally-televised game. 

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Senior forward Antwone Woolfolk scored a career-high 21 points, and Byers joined him with 20 points of his own followed by junior wing Eian Elmer with 17 to secure Miami’s 17th-straight win. The RedHawks held the lead for the entire game to hand the Rockets their first loss in conference play. 

Steele said the story of Miami’s offense this year has been connectivity. The RedHawks know how to pass the ball and average 36.9 rebounds a game, leading to opportunities for open players to take their shots. Miami leads the MAC shooting 53.4% from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range. 

“We understand what we do well and what we don’t do well,” sophomore guard Luke Skaljac said. “Brant Byers is an insane shooter, and he knows he’s a really good shooter. We understand that if he’s open, we’re gonna find him because he’s gonna make that shot 60% of the time. I feel like we have a good understanding of who each other is and where our spots are on the court. That makes us very hard to guard as well.”

Six players score in the double figures on average, with Byers leading the team at 15.1 points per game. Miami also shoots 78.6% at the free-throw line — the highest in the conference — and averages 28.4 defensive rebounds a game. For Skaljac, defensive rebounding has been integral to the team’s success so far.  

“That’s obviously huge,” Skaljac said. “You want to win the margins: turnovers, defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, points-per-possession, all of that. Us getting really good at defensive rebounding, [that’s] part of our identity, knowing that we’re going to out-rebound the other team every game, and that’s going to give us a good chance to win.”

Despite their undefeated status, the RedHawks know that the season is roughly halfway through. With two more months remaining until the postseason, Miami looks to continue improving each game, starting with its next matchup against the Central Michigan University Chippewas tonight at 7 p.m. at Millett. 

“I could care less about our winning streak,” Steele said. “I love it for our university, I love it for our men’s basketball program and for our players … but the overarching thing for me is are we getting better? Can we get our team to peak at the right time? I do think there’s an art to it, and I think we have a ton of upside.”

@kethanbabu_04

babukc2@miamioh.edu

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