After a magical run last season, Miami Men’s Basketball sets its sights on 2026-27
“We went 31-0, and that's still an unforgettable moment, but the goal obviously is to win it again.”
How does a team get better than perfect?
Before last year, an undefeated regular season occurred in 2020-21, when the University of Gonzaga Bulldogs went 24-0. The time before that was in 2014-15 with the University of Kentucky Wildcats under longtime head coach, John Calipari.
However, the Miami University Men’s Basketball team under Head Coach Travis Steele accomplished that feat in the 2025-26 season, and is looking to not just walk away with a regular season championship, but with postseason awards and success as well.
The RedHawks men’s basketball team fell in the Round of 64 in the March Madness tournament to the University of Tennessee Volunteers. The 78-56 final score was a hard way for a season like that to end for the fans, especially the players, as the team was also eliminated in a first round upset during the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament.
Now, for a RedHawks team that is bringing back a large proportion of players who lived that experience, the goal is teaching the new ones the winning process.
Miami has five new faces on the bench, led by an exodus from three of the RedHawks’ most impactful players last season. Brant Byers and Eian Elmer transferred to Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin, respectively, and Peter Suder graduated and signed a two-way contract with the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls.
Steele and his staff brought in three transfers – sophomore guard Stevie Elam from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, sophomore forward Preston Copeland from Ball State University and Rich Rolf, a redshirt senior from Youngstown State University.
With Byers and Elmer gone, two players who were 10th and 11th highest in three-point attempts, Miami needed to find shooters to try and replace their production from behind the arc. Elam and Rolf were brought in to do just that, while Copeland’s athleticism and rim presence on both offense and defense made him stand out to Miami.
The freshmen coming into the program have the coaching staff excited.
“We recruited Alan Horton, and he was my number one target in the whole class,” Steele said. “I felt like he really fit our program. He doesn't play like a freshman. He's super physical and strong. He’s going to be really good.”
Joining Horton is guard Anthony Fresh.
“He’s very talented, high upside and his best basketball is definitely going to be ahead of him,” Steele said. “He’s had some really good moments here in the preseason so far, probably even more than a guy like Kirby had last year at this point. He’s got to get a little bit more consistent, but the talent’s there.”
While the RedHawks did bring in some new faces, arguably the most impactful piece of the puzzle is two familiar faces returning to the floor, senior guard Evan Ipsaro and forward Antoine Woolfolk.
Ipsaro suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the opening MAC game of last year, leaving him on the bench while the RedHawks achieved greatness and program history. However, he was still an important part of the team from the sideline. Now, he gets to lead from the court once again.
“I feel really good now,” Ipsaro said. “During the summer, I didn't go home; I just stayed here. I did physical therapy. … I just got cleared two weeks ago, and I feel really good, honestly.”
On the other hand, Woolfolk is on the right end of an executive order from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, after the NCAA passed the aforementioned new eligibility rules for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Executive Order 2026-04D gives Ohio universities the option for all eligible student-athletes from the high school class of 2022 to compete, despite the NCAA’s interpretation of the new eligibility rule.
Last season, Woolfolk started every game and averaged 23 minutes per night. He and senior forward Almar Atlason split duties at the center position.With Horton available as a backup, Atlason will move to his natural position of power forward and Woolfolk will continue as the starting center.
Atlason, along with Ipsaro and junior guard Luke Skaljac, were voted as captains for the RedHawks in this upcoming season. The Reykjavík, Iceland native, had “as good of an offseason as anybody in our program,” according to Steele.
Last season, he averaged 9.9 points per game with the third-highest three point attempts on the team and a 36.4% conversion rate. Now, after starting only one game last season and playing in just 18, he’ll be the starting power forward with experience in the moments of utmost importance.
Another key returner for Miami is sophomore guard Justin Kirby.
Kirby spent all of non-conference play last season as a redshirt before Ipsaro’s injury called him into action. From there, he averaged 6.2 points per game, 0.5 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. And while those numbers may not put him on the All-MAC teams, the adjustment from redshirt to backup guard is one he’s excited to use to make him more comfortable moving forward.
“It was definitely weird,” Kirby said. “I didn't really have a feel of anything. I just hopped into MAC play. I did what I do best, and it worked out.”
“I'm grateful I got that opportunity, and I trusted my coaches I trusted myself, my family and everyone around me,” Kirby added.
As for the goals for the Miami men’s basketball team, the answer varies depending on who is asked. Perfection is lofty, and for some, like Steele, the end goal is better habits, a better understanding and staying present.
“Our goal is to be the most connected team in the MAC that's committed to getting better every day,” Steele said. “I think at the end of the day, you'll like the results that you get if you're truly, truly committed to that mission.”
On the other hand, there is a sense of unfinished business around the men’s basketball team practices at Millett Hall. And with a large group of returners who saw the magic they could produce in the gymnasium, around campus and around the nation, there’s no reason they can’t make more noise.
“I think we want to make it to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight,” Ipsaro said. “I don't think there's any reason we can't make a run. … We’ve just got to go out there and prove it.”
The RedHawks begin the 2026-27 season on the road against the James Madison University Dukes on Nov. 2. They enter that game not just with excitement, but with a chip on their shoulder too.
Last year didn’t end the way the group wanted it to, and if they didn’t feel like they had something to prove before, they do now.
“We went 31-0, and that's still an unforgettable moment, but the goal obviously is to win it again,” Kirby said. “But this year's different. We have some new guys. We have some returners. We're going to keep going at it and keep pushing ourselves.”
