photo credit: Griffin Buck
When someone thinks of college basketball in Ohio, the first team that comes to mind is most likely none other than Ohio State. Being the largest and most well-known college in Ohio, it only makes sense that the Buckeyes are who one would think of.
But a mere two hour drive away from the bustling campus of OSU is the quiet college town of Oxford, Ohio, home to the Miami Redhawks. The brick streets and scholarly buildings covered in ivy paint a picture of academic excellence, but beyond that first impression hides a stellar athletic program with a men’s basketball team who had a perfect record in the regular season.
The Miami Redhawks men’s basketball team completed their season with a flawless 31-0 record, being just the eighth team in NCAA Division I Basketball history to do so.
Sydney Thompson is a senior at Miami and played for the women’s soccer team all four years of her college career. Additionally, Thompson assisted the sports program by helping at different athletic events, especially men’s basketball games.
“I definitely thought they were going to have a good season, especially with how well they did my junior year by making it to the MAC Championship,” Thompson said. “But, I didn’t expect them to do this well.”
The Redhawks were led by standout guards senior Peter Suder and sophomore Brant Byers this season, with each player averaging 14.8 and 14.2 points per game, respectively. Senior Antwone Woolfolk stepped up defensively, totaling 25 blocks and 45 steals this season, according to ESPN.
Sophomore Payton Shepherd is a basketball player at the school and followed the Redhawks this collegiate basketball season.
“Miami was super compatible, connected and worked well under pressure, something that really worked to their advantage this season,” Shepherd said. “Their defense was dominant as well, which is refreshing to see in an age of offense-focused teams in basketball.”
The Redhawks’ success proved to attract new attention to the team, with popular platforms such as ESPN and Bleacher Report covering the previously unrecognized school. The team even received a message from superstar John Cena wishing them luck ahead of their historic entry into the March Madness tournament, according to the NCAA.
But beyond the newly garnered attention from outsiders and national media, Miami’s success initiated a never-before-seen zeal among students for the team and athletics at the school as a whole.
“My freshman year, people would hardly go to basketball games or even other athletic events in general because we aren’t considered a ‘sports’ school, and honestly that hurts a little bit as a retired athlete since I know how much hard work and dedication goes into representing your school,” Thompson said. “But seeing how much the student body has rallied behind our team and even sold out stadiums has been amazing. Going from working a game with hardly any people to having to come in three hours early because there is a sold out crowd is a crazy development. It gives me hope that our school and students will continue to support their athletic programs in the future.”
The age-old question of any accomplished team after a stellar season is whether the program can continue to thrive, dominate and match their success the following season. Miami is no exception.
While the team is Division I, the school is not as well known for athletics as other colleges, leading one to wonder if the program can attract and attain new talent that can continue Miami’s success.
“Miami has a great coaching staff that has built a great culture in the program, and they also have some exciting new recruits that will join the team next season,” Shepherd said. “Going 31-0 again next year would be pretty unprecedented, but I would say the odds of them having another generally successful season come next winter are pretty high.”
Regardless of how Miami’s future plays out, fans, students, players and coaches should be proud of the accomplishments the Redhawk basketball team attained this season. Perfect seasons are rare, and despite their short playoff run, this season was undoubtedly one for the Miami University history books.
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