The monsters of Millett Hall

Dec. 2, 1968, saw the birth of a pillar to Miami University athletics: Millett Hall, which became home to volleyball as well as the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Over the storied history of Millett, an astonishing number of icons have passed through Oxford to perform at the humble venue. Dimming the bright lights required by Hollywood performers and replacing the stage with the hardwood, Miami’s own stars have captured the imagination of RedHawk fans, leaving an indelible mark on campus.

Now, with the future of Millett unknown due to potential demolition, remodeling or relocation, it is important to remember those who made the hall the iconic part of campus it is. Immortalized in the iconic Red and White in both basketball and volleyball, these players make up the monsters of Millett.

Women's volleyball

Karen Lepley (1989)

In the late 1980s, Miami volleyball saw several stars emerge from Millett, none as decorated as Lepley.

Lepley won medals in two nonolympic competitions for Team USA. In addition to finishing First Team All-MAC, Lepley won Player of the Year for an outstanding 1988 season. She is part of the prestigious 1,000 kills and digs clubs. Miami honored Lepley with an induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

The Tepe Twins (1987)

It may be unfair to link Kathy and Wendy Tepe together, but a quick look at the volleyball record book proves their statistical performances are nearly identical.

Wendy holds seven career top 10 records and eight single-season top 10 records, and she leads in three individual records. She still remains the RedHawk leader in solo blocks in a career (108).

Kathy has an equally impressive resume, holding a top 10 spot in seven career records, 11 single-season records and two individual records. Kathy holds the highest attack percentage in a match (.938) and the most service aces (eight) in a match.

Stephanie Otten (1995)

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Otten's resume is as impressive as the team she played on, as she led the RedHawks to their first at-large bid to the NCAA volleyball tournament. She holds the Miami record for career kills with 1,528. Her statistical dominance has led her to be top 10 in three other statistical categories and hold five single season top 10 records.

Women’s Basketball

Lauren Dickerson (2020)

One of Miami’s most prolific scorers, Dickerson reached 1,000 career points faster than any RedHawk and remains the only player to score more than 2,000 points. Her 2,208 points ranks first in program history, and Dickerson remains second in assists with 595 and sixth in steals with 250. She leads the RedHawks in total shots attempted, and the shooting paid off as she holds the record for the most 20 point games.

Mary Ann Myers (1982)

One of the first female Miami athletes to have her jersey retired, Myers remains seventh in scoring with 1,600 points. She also holds the record for steals (409), which would place her top 25 in NCAA women’s basketball history. As proficient a pickpocket as she was, Myers distributed the basketball on an elite level, finishing her career with 336 assists – 10th all time – with three of the top seven assisting seasons in Miami history.

Heather Cusick (2003)

With her jersey hanging up high in the rafters, Cusick has dominated the stat sheet like no other. She never missed a contest, starting in 113 of 116 games. During her phenomenal junior season, she was voted MAC Player of the Year.

Cusick’s name has climbed to the top of every scoring statistic, as she currently sits fifth in total points (1,728), fourth in made triples (230), third in steals (307) and holds the all-time assists record at 596. Her efforts did not go unrewarded by the university, as she won 2002 Miami Athlete of the Year to cap off her reign of dominance.

Men’s Basketball

Charlie Coles (1965)

It would be a disservice to any list of Miami basketball luminaries to not mention Coach Coles. Although he would go down as one of the better players in Miami history, holding the 10th-best career scoring average, his work with the clipboard is why he’s featured on this list.

Through his combined body of work, there may not be a more influential person in Miami basketball than Coles; his iconic No. 10 jersey hangs as a testament to his greatness.

At the helm for 21 years, Coles won more games than any coach in Miami basketball history with 263 and remains the winningest coach in the MAC. He led Miami to three NCAA tournament appearances, the National Invitational Tournament twice, along with two trips to the College Basketball Invitational.

Ron Harper (1986)

Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper’s dominance at Miami remains unmatched: No player in Miami basketball history has tallied more minutes (4,164), points (2,377), rebounds (1,119), blocks (173) or steals (287). Harper holds Miami’s single-game scoring record with a 45-point performance against Ball State in 1985.

Harper won MAC Player of the Year in 1985 and 1986 and won three-straight All MAC First Team honors. Very few players will ever come close to the impact of Harper on the history of a collegiate basketball team. His number 34 is rightfully retired.

Wally Szczerbiak (1999)

Arguably the most synonymous name with the Miami basketball program, Szczerbiak’s impact on the court makes him one of the most recognizable RedHawk alumni. He stands alone as the most efficient 3-point shooter in Miami history (.431). He finished his career with the most points in a single season (775) and the second-most career points (1,847).

Szczerbiak led the RedHawks to their first ever Sweet 16 appearance in 1999, which helped him finish as a finalist for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award. He was selected sixth overall in the 1999 NBA Draft, and his iconic No. 32 has been retired at Millett.

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meneghcj@miamioh.edu