Sophomore leaders: Miami basketball’s young core sets high expectations

Expectations are high for the Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball team this season. After finishing the 2023-24 season at 15-17 (9-9 in conference play), the RedHawks are looking to the five returning sophomores from last year who made an impression on the team despite their youth.

Mehki Cooper, Eian Elmer, Evan Ipsaro, Jackson Kotecki and Reece Potter each saw extended playing time last season as true first-years, averaging 17.9 minutes per game. Cooper totaled 774 minutes, the third-most on the team. Ipsaro and Elmer totaled 705 and 596, respectively.

Miami finished the year with a first-round exit in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament to the No. 2 University of Akron Zips. However, Cooper said he is confident that the environment and culture built last season will carry the RedHawks far this season.

For Ipsaro, a key moment that brought the team together was a 70-69 buzzer-beater win over the University of Vermont Catamounts at home.

Vermont missed a free throw with four seconds left, and an Anderson Mirambeaux rebound led to Darweshi Hunter’s long shot for the win.

“Because Vermont is a historically good program, especially with how we beat them with a half-court buzzer beater right before Christmas break, it all seemed to flow together,” Ipsaro said.

However, success is never without challenge.

Ipsaro battled ankle and shoulder injuries throughout last season and considers them his largest challenge as a student-athlete.

Cooper had a different struggle, but one that many Miami students can find relatable.

“Getting used to the whole college experience,” Cooper said. “[It was] pretty challenging being a freshman guard and actually playing.”

The athletes have gained respect among the coaching staff for their commitment to the program. Rarely in college athletics, especially in basketball, do you see a team that heavily plays first-years like Miami did last season.

For these five players, seeing the court as much as they did is huge going into the season. Assistant coach Carl Richburg says experience will be an advantage for the RedHawks.

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“The core of our team, with five guys returning, in this landscape, not everyone can say that,” Richburg said. “Especially guys who have played and contributed.”

With the transfer portal and NIL in modern collegiate athletics, it has become harder for smaller programs such as Miami to develop long-term success.

This problem is clearly seen in the football program. Placekicker Graham Nicholson was a large part of the team’s MAC championship run. Four months after the season ended, he transferred to the football blue-blood University of Alabama. Standout receiver Gage Larvadin transferred to South Carolina, and 1,000-yard rusher Rashad Amos transferred to Ole Miss.

The team that finished the year 11-3 now sits at 2-4.

The transfer portal provided the basketball team a huge opportunity to add talent after losing seven players. Four star recruit Kam Craft transferred in from Xavier. Craft previously committed to Xavier to play for current Miami head coach Travis Steele. Craft battled injuries, but is expected to contribute to the RedHawks this season.

With six newcomers on the roster, including two first-years, the coaches see each of the sophomores as leaders in the locker room.

“They are looked at by a lot of guys as veterans,” Richburg said. “As returners, they know what we want.”

Ipsaro is taking a leadership role this year as the captain of the team. The future is bright for the RedHawks, a team that has gone 134-180 in the last 10 seasons.

Miami opens on the road against the Appalachian State University Mountaineers on Nov. 4. Appalachian State finished last year 27-7, winning the Sun Belt Conference. Miami and the emerging sophomore leaders will have a challenge straight out of the gate.

reynol84@miamioh.edu