Travis Steele and his University of Miami team did not waver under the pressure of being ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 for four weeks while they were off to the best start in school history.
Now that they are the last undefeated team in Division I, Steele and the RedHawks don’t expect their approach to change.
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Miami (24-0) became the last undefeated team after Top-ranked Arizona lost 82-78 at Kansas on Monday night. He also owns the nation’s longest winning streak heading into Friday night’s game against Ohio on ESPN.
“It’s funny you mentioned pressure because I had a friend of ours, he has season tickets to Marshall, and he said to my father-in-law, ‘I can’t believe how loose Miami is. It looks like they’re having a lot of fun.’ And that’s our group,” Steele said. “I mean, we have a real love for each other, and I think when you try not to do it for yourself, but rather for other people, you don’t feel as much pressure. I firmly believe in that, and I think that’s why our group hasn’t let the pressure affect us at all. “
The RedHawks are 5-0 since entering the rankings, including a 90-74 victory at Marshall last Saturday. They surpassed the best start in Mid-American Conference history, previously held by Western Michigan at 19-0 in 1975-76. Miami also holds the longest winning streak in conference history, breaking the 21-game mark set by Kent State’s 2001-02 team, which made it to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
Miami leads the nation in scoring, averaging 92.7 points per game. He is also first in field goal percentage at 53.6%, sixth in 3-point percentage at 39.8% and eighth in scoring margin at 18.4.
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Steele believes his team has made the most progress on defense. Over the last three games, Miami has held opponents to 41.2 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from 3-point range.
Steele also wants to cut down on turnovers after having 13 in each of the last two games.
“I feel like we’ll score over 90 every game if we commit 10 turnovers or less,” he said. “We’re very efficient offensively, but I want more shot attempts. And then just protect the paint defensively.”
Sophomore guard Brant Byers, last year’s MAC Freshman of the Year, leads the RedHawks in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game, while senior guard Peter Suder, a first-team preseason All-MAC selection, is averaging 13.9.
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Miami could have another record crowd at Millett Hall on Friday night. Its final home game, Jan. 31 against Northern Illinois, drew 10,640 to the 57-year-old arena, surpassing the previous mark of 10,634 set in 1976 against Cincinnati.
At the Northern Illinois game, Ron Harper, a five-time NBA champion and leading scorer in school history, received an honorary diploma. Miami graduate and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Wayne Embry also attended the game.
The last two home games each attracted more than 9,000 fans. Miami is tied with Akron and Duke for the longest home winning streak in the country at 28 games.
“I think we put together a good product for them to be able to encourage and support them, and it’s been a lot of fun to see that kind of rally in front of the crowds that we have here at Millett,” Steele said.
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