Middleton’s Musings: 5 Takeaways from Miami Men’s Basketball exhibition against IUE

The Indiana University East Red Wolves drove 45 minutes across state lines to Oxford, Ohio, to take on the Miami University Men’s Basketball team in an exhibition game on Monday, Oct. 26.

The regular season for the RedHawks begins on Monday, Nov. 2, but a late-scheduled tune up was a chance for Head Coach Travis Steele to see his team’s from work last season be immortalized in the rafters, while also looking ahead to 2026-27.

The RedHawks came away with an 86-56 win, with 13 of the 17 players rostered taking the floor in some capacity. And while it was a victory for Miami by a wide margin (to be expected against a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA, school), it was one that had its ebbs and flows and didn’t provide the coaching staff much of a reprieve. 

Here are some takeaways before the season begins with a match against James Madison University on Nov. 2.

Evan Ipsaro and Luke Skaljac lead the way statistically and vocally.

The ovation when senior and junior guards Evan Ipsaro and Luke Skaljac were announced in the starting lineup, despite only a partial crowd, was the biggest received of any RedHawk players. Skaljac came into the season as the backup point guard behind Ipsaro and stepped up when his counterpart went down with his season-ending injury. And he earned every minute, leading the team in assists per game and finishing the season on the All-Mid-American Conference Third Team as a sophomore.

As for Ipsaro, the excitement for his long-awaited return was palpable not just by those in the stands but also by the big smile on his face the entire time he was on the floor. Even with a technical foul called on him early in the first half, his scrappiness defensively, playmaking and voice on the court was 

“I think at half they had like I want to say 11 assists, zero turnovers between the two of them,” Steele said. “They were really making the right plays, getting guys good looks. When you have two guys out there on the court that can do it at the same time, it makes you hard to guard.”

Watch out for Anthony Fresh and Justin Kirby. 

During the second half, fans had the chance to watch the roster’s new faces, including freshman guard Anthony Fresh. 

Committing to Oxford in January, Fresh plays a smooth game on and off the ball. In transition, he plays with intelligence, finding pockets of open space to release a shot or find another option as play advances. 

According to Steele, the coaching staff thought about red-shirting him. However, with new NCAA eligibility rules in place as of this academic year, there’s not really a point. This gave him even more opportunities to make an impression, which he did against the Red Wolves.

“(Fresh) didn't play for the first 30 minutes, and he came in and he was impactful right away,” Steele said. “(He) got a big offensive rebound right away. Obviously, (he) banged in a couple shots. His ceiling is very, very high. You can see his upside. 

“Anthony has shown glimpses (of) how talented he is. How he moves, how he shoots. He's got to continue to mature with the process, and he's learning a lot right now. We're throwing a lot at him, but he's had big time days where he's looked like he did tonight.”

In the exhibition, Fresh finished with six points, one assist, two rebounds, one steal and a turnover.

Sophomore guard Justin Kirby was redshirted through the first half of last season but made an impression as soon as he stepped on the floor. He averaged 6.2 points per game, 0.57 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.

But after an offseason to prepare for a full year, Kirby came out flying against IU East.

Kirby played most of the first half and finished with the second-most points on the team (15). He also finished with a team-high six rebounds using his unimpeachable athleticism and awareness to find open areas in the lane and outjump the opponent.

Physicality a priority on defense

While the pace lessened in the second half, the physicality did not. 

Early in the contest, with the adrenaline of being back on the court for a game for the first time since March Madness, the RedHawks defense was stingy and very physical. 

Of course, some of this led to unnecessary fouls and some heated trash talk moments early on, but it’s undeniable that the RedHawks set the tone. 

As for what that means moving forward, physicality will be the name of the game defensively. 

Structure matters, but becoming a hard team to play against – one that is not just physically tough, but is unbreakable with their schemes and connectivity on the floor – stems from a scrappy, ‘let’s win every battle, let’s make them hate playing us,’ mindset. 

“You’ve got to play with an edge,” Steele said. “I think that's really important. You want to make them feel you. We do have to talk more. I always say you can hear great teams, and defensively, if you don't know what you're doing, a lot of times it is hard to communicate. So we have some new guys trying to figure some things out, terminology and how we do things schematically, that we’ve got to get better on. But our guys are trying to play with physicality.”

Atlason’s Improvement and Maturity

Easily the most improved player on the floor was senior forward Almar Atlason. 

The Iceland native fired three pointers, as Miami fans came to expect last season when he came off the bench. However, the biggest improvement was his frame.

Atlason lost weight over the offseason, which was showcased in his mobility around the floor. Most importantly, he didn’t lose much, if any, strength. His physical frame looks much more equipped for someone who Steele wants to play as his power forward. 

“I think he's had as good of an off season as anybody in our program,” Steele said. “He's playing more in his natural position, which I think will help him defensively. I thought he did a great job guarding the ball tonight against guards. He can guard bigger forwards too. He's talking, too. 

“He's really trying to lead. He obviously can score and all that too. I think you'll see his versatility on offense, his ability to post up and handle shots. He can do a little bit of everything for us so I'm really excited about the off season he's had and about the season he's going to have this year.”

Atlason led the RedHawks in points against IU East, finishing the game with 19 points. He also hauled in four rebounds. 

For a Miami team that loves to play with speed, it was necessary for Atlason as the power forward to help stretch the floor while maintaining strength, and he did just that over the offseason. It was on display in the exhibition, and it’s clear he’s more confident in his game with the ball, as well. 

Look for Atlason to have a big season as a starter this year. 

It’s good to be back

The players went through their pregame routines and put on their game jerseys. The coaches did the same, putting on their black Miami Basketball quarter zips, game planning, leading the way from the sideline and watching film after the clock hit zero. 

For both parties, seeing fans in Millett Hall again is an exciting time, especially with the buzz the program generated last season. The off-season is long in college athletics, and the energy on the floor was a tangible example of that. 

“These are the dog days of the season,” Steele said. “We get 30 practices in 42 days before you play your first game. We're at the tail end of it now. We’ve got a lot to get better at. There's no question about that. 

“There’s low-hanging fruit that we’ve got to clean up. We'll watch the film and we'll get better. I think those guys get excited. You're finally able to beat up on somebody else that isn’t yourselves every single day in practice.”

But the excitement in the stands and on the sideline for an exhibition game was a sign of the hope to come in the year ahead. 

The press area was full of smiles before game time. The photography areas were the same. Watching fans, regardless of how many there were, sit down with popcorn, nachos or just something to drink getting ready for the action ahead brought a jolt of energy to everyone in the building.

College basketball returning is always a special feeling, and after the year the RedHawks had last season, Millett Hall has a special aura about it. So, welcome back, everyone.