Akron promises to test RedHawks

Coach Coles says team is up to the challenge after enduring tough schedule all season.

Miami's Kenny Hayes (14) drives the paint and scores Saturday, Jan. 16, against Ohio University at Millett Hall in Oxford. Miami (5-11, 2-1 MAC) travels to Akron to play the Zips (12-5, 2-1) tonight, Jan. 20. Contributed photo by Robert Leifheit

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 8:06 AM Wednesday, January 20, 2010

OXFORD — For perhaps the first time this season, Miami University basketball coach Charlie Coles and his players like the way they’re playing. More than a glimmer of hope is seeping through.

“I think because of the schedule we’ve played it brought us together as a team,” junior guard Antonio Ballard said. “We definitely learned from our mistakes, and it’s starting to pay off.”

The RedHawks, whose strength of schedule is ranked No. 2 in the nation, will take a two-game winning streak into Akron tonight, Jan. 20, and will put their newfound optimism to the test against the team favored to win it all in the Mid-American Conference.

And it will, indeed, be a test, according to Coles.

His RedHawks might have put teams like Kentucky (18-0), Louisiana Tech (17-2), Temple (15-3), Xavier (12-5), Dayton (13-4), Cincinnati (12-6) behind them, but Coles doesn’t see any breathers coming up during the MAC season.

Certainly not the Zips, who are bound to be in an ugly mood following their 13-point loss at Buffalo on Sunday.

“Our margin of error still is not very good,” the Miami coach said. “If you take the balance of our league, it’s better than it used to be. When I took over, Buffalo and Akron weren’t very good, and those were four wins on the table. That’s not so anymore.

“This is a good test for us,” Coles continued. “We’ve won a couple games now and we go on the road. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

What the RedHawks had for one of the few times all season in their 79-67 win over Ohio on Saturday was a dominant inside game. Miami, which is ranked 11th in the MAC in rebounding margin, had an eye-popping 43-22 advantage on the boards.

“I was proud of the way we rebounded,” Coles said.

But Akron also will be a test for a Miami defense, which has yet to put it all together.

“Akron probably has the most versatile offense in the our league,” Coles said of the Zips, who lead the MAC in shooting percentage and have seven players averaging seven or more points per game.

“They run their sets very well and have a lot of kids who can shoot,” he said. “Hopefully we can guard them inside. They have a great post-up game.”

Since 2000, Miami and Akron have faced each other 22 times, and in 18 of those games, the winning team has scored fewer than 70 points.

Coles said he hopes tonight’s game will follow suit.

“Akron is capable of scoring a lot of points,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.