Miami coach Coles hoping tough games will pay off

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Kenny Hayes (center), a senior guard on the Miami University basketball team, listens to Charlie Coles, the head coach, during a recent practice.

Ron Alvey/Staff photo by Ron Alvey Kenny Hayes (center), a senior guard on the Miami University basketball team, listens to Charlie Coles, the head coach, during a recent practice.

By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 3:03 PM Tuesday, December 8, 2009

OXFORD — Although Miami University’s basketball team has lost five of its first seven games, coach Charlie Coles said he’s trying not to lose patience.

It isn’t easy. Following the RedHawks’ 65-58 loss at home to Dayton on Wednesday, Dec. 2, Coles was frustrated, saying, “We need to win these games. We need to win them, because this doesn’t feel very good at all.”

Cole has had several days to reflect on his team’s slow start. And he remains convinced that playing a difficult nonleague schedule is the right thing to do.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said Monday, Dec. 7, following his team’s practice in preparation for tonight’s home game against the Temple Owls.

“I told the team today we’re actually fortunate,” Coles said. “We’re 2-5, we’ve got Temple coming in and they’re really good, I think they’re a top 50 team. I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘hey, why don’t you play teams you know you could get an easy victory against?’

“My answer is no,” he said. “This usually helps us later in the year, it improves our RPI, and we usually end up with a winning record. Why not Temple?”

Over the last 10 seasons Miami has started Mid-American Conference play with a .500 record or worse eight times, and seven times in the last 10 years the RedHawks have finished with a winning record.

During the 2006-07 season, in fact, Miami went 4-8 before its first MAC game and finished the season in the NCAA tournament.

“I think the players are OK with (the difficult schedule),” Coles said. “It doesn’t look great, the position we’re in, but let’s try to work our way out of it. Why not just be tough about it and go after this game tomorrow?”

A Miami victory over Temple would be regarded as a quality win.

“They’re good,” Coles said. “I think they’re better than they were last year. They’re smart. Fran Dunphy is a very good coach, a lot like John Chaney was ... Ryan Brooks (6-foot-4 senior guard) is a good all-around player, one of the best we’ll face this year.”

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