Seven Miami University men’s basketball players announced their return to the RedHawks next season on X from March 20-27, while three players – redshirt sophomore wing Kam Craft, sophomore guard Mekhi Cooper and sophomore center Reece Potter – entered the transfer portal.
The RedHawks are coming off a historic 25-9 season that brought them to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship for the first time since 2007, but they fell short against the University of Akron Zips. Miami brought in more than 20 wins for the first time since 1998-99.
Miami’s roster consisted of just one graduating player: Dan Luers. The remaining players included four juniors, eight sophomores and three first years.
The official Miami men’s basketball account announced the returns of junior guard Peter Suder, junior forward Antwone Woolfolk, sophomore wing Eian Elmer, sophomore guard Evan Ipsaro, sophomore forward Jackson Kotecki, first-year guard Luke Skaljac and redshirt first-year wing Brant Byers for the 2025-26 season.
Each player shared a similar reasoning for his return: finishing the job by winning a MAC championship.
“I think it goes back to that same thing: We just want to win that MAC championship, and we like it here,” Byers said. “How close we got without getting the result – I mean, we couldn’t have been any closer – that was a big draw for a couple of us to come back because we want to win that MAC championship.”
Suder and Woolfolk arrived in Oxford last season as incoming transfers from Bellarmine University and Rutgers University, respectively.
Peter Suder holds the ball against Eastern Michigan in game one of the MAC tournament on March 13
In his first season with the RedHawks, Suder emerged as the team’s top scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game and leading the roster with 94 free throws on 121 attempts. He scored 20 or more points during six games this season, including a career-high 42 points against Air Force Academy on Dec. 2, 2024.
Despite playing his first year with Miami, Suder held more experience than most of the RedHawks in 2024-25. After his time in Oxford so far, he couldn’t see himself playing anywhere else next year.
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“I don’t know why you would want to leave, in my opinion,” Suder said. “I get that you could go in the portal and make a ton of money somewhere, but [like] a lot of people say, the grass isn’t greener at a lot of places. I’m super happy here at Miami. I’m obviously coming back, and the guys that are coming back are really excited as well for the next season.”
Woolfolk averaged 7.7 points per game, and he proved to be a key component to the Miami defense that allowed 72.7 points per game, the third-lowest in the MAC. The 6-foot-9 forward led the roster with 182 rebounds and 29 blocks, and he finished the season with 37 steals, the fifth-most on the team.
The other returners include sophomores Elmer, Ipsaro and Kotecki, who played their second seasons under head coach Travis Steele in 2024-25.
During his first year at Miami, Elmer averaged seven points per game and finished with 139 rebounds, 31 steals and 20 blocks. For his sophomore outing, he improved in nearly every category, averaging 11 points per game as a starter while leading the team with 137 defensive rebounds and 50 steals.
Evan Ipsaro celebrates the RedHawks' win over Eastern Michigan on March 13 at the MAC tournament
Ipsaro saw a similar improvement in multiple facets. He particularly impacted the game during conference play, where he brought in double-figure points seven times, including a 14-point performance in the first round of the MAC tournament against Eastern Michigan University on March 13.
Byers and Skaljac will also return for their sophomore seasons after playing their first year with the RedHawks.
Skaljac proved to be a distance-threat last season after sinking 31 triples, the fifth-most on the roster, on 70 attempts, making him one of the most accurate RedHawks from behind the arc (.443).
Redshirt first-year wing Brant Byers takes a shot from deep at Kent State on Jan. 18
A slow start to the non-conference slate preceded multiple dominant performances from Byers in MAC play. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 10.8 points per game against conference opponents and put up a season-high 22 points against Northern Illinois University on Feb. 25. His performance during the season earned him the MAC Freshman of the Year award on March 12.
“As a first-year collegiate player, I’d say [the season] went really well,” Byers said. “It definitely exceeded my expectations, that’s for sure. Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, but to get to the championship game and be in the position that we were in, I would say is where we want to be. We just have to finish it off next year.”
In an era where many players enter the transfer portal looking to jump from a Group of Five to a Power Five school, Byers chose to stay with Miami, citing the coaching staff and his familiarity with the roster as his primary reasons.
“Obviously the coaching staff, I’m already comfortable with them,” Byers said. “I’m comfortable with all the guys, I’m friends with all the guys. I want to win the MAC championship, and getting as close as we did, that made it hurt all the more, but that makes us want it 20 times more.”
Miami returns several vital players to its strong offense, but the RedHawks may play without one of their most important players next season, Craft, as well as two sophomores of the “Fab Five” class, Cooper and Potter.
Sophomore center Reece Potter lines up against Eastern Michigan's DaSean Nelson at Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland on March 13
Following Miami’s loss to the University of Akron Zips in the MAC championship, Craft entered the transfer portal on March 18 according to 247sports.com.
Craft transferred to Miami ahead of 2024-25 to reunite with Steele after playing two seasons at Xavier University. He instantly became one of the best scorers for the RedHawks, putting up 20 or more points in seven matchups and averaging 13.6 points per game.
Craft led the MAC with 97 3-pointers and shot 43.1% from behind the arc, positioning him as the 14th-most accurate 3-point shooter in the country.
During Miami’s victory over the University of Toledo Rockets on Feb. 11, Craft joined Suder as the only other RedHawk to have a 40-point game this season. He sank nine triples on 14 attempts and contributed 40 points total.
While his final destination remains undetermined, Craft’s presence in the transfer portal will likely attract the eyes of Power Four programs.
Cooper and Potter joined Craft in the transfer portal at the end of March. Both sophomores played two full seasons at Miami along with fellow sophomores Elmer, Kotecki and Ipsaro.
Cooper started in all 34 games and averaged 5.8 points per game during the 2024-25 season. He shot 64-171 (.374) from the field and ranked third on the roster with 42 steals.
The RedHawks may also be without their tallest player in Potter. The 7-foot-1 center scored 15 points against Eastern Michigan in the MAC tournament and caught 110 rebounds on the season while blocking the ball 21 times.
With three missing pieces, the RedHawks have an opportunity to search the transfer portal for any current players. However, Miami has already recruited five high school players.
The current players weigh their opinions on the coaching staff’s recruits, but Suder said the team has full confidence in Steele and the other coaches in steering the program in the right direction.
“A lot of the guys that came here on visits [are] great dudes,” Suder said. “I’m excited for them to come. But whenever we come in the summer, those guys better be ready, because we got a lot of experienced guys coming back, and we’re going to be competing from June all the way until hopefully April.”
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