MU braces for hottest team in MAC

RedHawks take on Akron squad that has won 11 of last 12 games.

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Reds' six-game winning streak broken
5/26/12
Annual Warrior Soccer Classic kicks off today
5/26/12
Dragons' rally falls short against Lansing
5/26/12
WSU baseball ousted from tournament
5/26/12
> More sports headlines

By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer Updated 8:11 AM Wednesday, February 15, 2012

OXFORD — The Miami University men’s basketball team is coming off its most lopsided win of the season, a 69-50 rout of Central Michigan.

The RedHawks are playing better. MU coach Charlie Coles likes the improvement he’s seeing. But the battles continue.

Miami will hit the road tonight to face Akron, one of the nation’s hottest teams. The Zips have won seven straight and 11 of their last 12.

“Right now, they’re the best team in our league,” Coles said of Akron, which is 18-7 overall and leads the Mid-American Conference East Division with a 10-1 mark. “They’ve got eight or nine good players. They’ve got at least four guys on the floor at all times that can score.”

The Zips’ balance is impressive. They have nine players averaging between 10.6 and 5.3 points per game. Junior center Zeke Marshall (10.6) and senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic (10.0) are the only two in double digits.

These teams engaged in a dogfight Jan. 7 at Millett Hall. Akron won 65-60, pulling away from a 58-all deadlock in the final 61 seconds.

“We kind of broke down at the end of the game,” Coles recalled. “As the game wore on, they got some easy baskets. Our defense didn’t hold up like we wanted it to.”

Asked if the Zips are playing better now, the Miami coach replied, “I don’t worry too much about the other guys. I know we’re playing better. In my mind, that’s what’s important.”

Coles pointed to improved shooting and better defensive play as signs of the RedHawks’ progress. He said Miami has been getting more contributions in recent days, mentioning senior forward Adam Thomas and junior center Vince Legarza.

“I’ve felt good about our team most of the year,” Coles said. “Our guys have worked very, very hard. I evaluate my team based on our improvement and try to be truthful about our improvement beyond wins and losses.

“We’ve had some losses that were tough to swallow, but that’s part of it,” he continued. “Basketball is such a long year. I always tell our team, ‘Sometimes you lose, but you win. And sometimes you win, but you lose.’ What that means is, did you play to your potential?”

MU is 8-15 overall and sits in last place in the MAC East (4-7). The RedHawks have three wins in their last four games.