All about the Bricks: Miami men’s basketball holds pep rally at Brick Street

COLUMN

An undercover Travis Steele walks in through a back entrance, his hat pulled over his face. Looking at him, you would never know he coaches the last undefeated men's college basketball team in the nation.

Behind him looms former RedHawk Wally Szczerbiak, a Miami University immortal. The crowd erupts inside Brick Street Bar. Szezerbiak eggs them on as the rest of the Miami men’s basketball team files onto the stage. With all the excitement around him, Steele keeps his resolve, all of his early season talking points coming back to him. This team lets its basketball do the talking.

Miami has not seen success like this on the basketball court for some time. The No. 23 RedHawks are seeking their first Mid-American Conference championship since 2007 in their hunt for a March Madness bid.

The buzz on campus reflects the fanbase’s longing for relevance on the hardwood. Millett Hall has sold out for three-straight contests, and the fans always bring the noise.

As this iteration of the RedHawks takes over campus by storm, Brick Street and the team decided to take advantage of this new found popularity. In advance of the Battle of the Bricks rivalry, the two collaborated for a first-of-its-kind pep rally at Oxford’s iconic bar.

The excitement was in the air as hundreds of Miami students packed the bar. Free T-shirts and drink deals helped to provide a rowdy yet controlled atmosphere. Before the team arrived, a selection of the Miami marching band, as well as the cheerleaders, framed the stage to add to the fanfare.

More than Miami faithful attended the event. A TV crew from Cincinnati’s WLWT News 5 channel was on hand to capture the moment. As the athletes on the basketball team arrived, fans wormed their way to get to high five and talk to the stars of campus.

Steele’s arrival unleashed a wave of excitement as the band, cheerleaders and fans exploded in a cacophony of noise. Szczerbiak’s arrival was unexpected; however, the current CBS sports personality carried the crowd. Serving as MC, he riled up the crowd, praising the team for all of their hard work this season.

Steele spoke briefly but directly.

“We want to give a great experience for students [and] build a program that is a perennial top 25 team in the country,” he said.

He insisted that with the support of the students, this goal can be achieved anywhere. Steele made his plans clear, and he hopes the tremendous attendance figures at Millett recently will continue. Steele closed by buying the next 100 pitchers of beer before confidently leading his team out of the bar.

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At the request of many Miami fans, Szczerbiak stuck behind to sign autographs. As the band and cheer leaders filed out of Brick Street, Miami pride continued to permeate the surroundings.

It is safe to say that Millett can expect a raucous crowd on hand for this iteration of the Battle of the Bricks rivalry. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

@themeneghetti

meneghcj@miamioh.edu