Wednesday, January 02, 2002
Coles: Time for Miami to turn around
Improvement issue as MAC play opens
By Ian Duthie
Enquirer contributor
OXFORD — The Miami basketball team is trying to regroup after its embarrassing 60-23 loss Saturday at Dayton, one of its worst offensive performances in school history.
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MIAMI at WEST. MICH.
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• When: 7 p.m today.
• Where: University Arena (5,800), Kalamazoo, Mich.
• Records: MU 3-8 (0-0 Mid-American Conference), Western Michigan 6-5 (0-1).
• Series: MU leads 76-34 (last: 2001, MU 77-50).
• Radio: WMOH-AM (1450).
MIAMI
Player-Ht-Yr-Avg
Danny Horace-6-5-Fr.-7.3
Juby Johnson-7-1-So.-9.0
Alex Shorts-6-8-Sr.-15.5
Doug Davis-6-3-Sr.-7.9
Chester Mason-6-3-So.-6.6
Coach: Charlie Coles (97-68, sixth season; 188-152, 12th overall).
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Player-Ht-Yr-Avg
Steve Reynolds-6-7-Sr.-16.5
Robby Collum-6-1-Jr.-13.1
Ben Reed-6-3-Fr.-12.0
Taylor Bro-6-7-Jr.-2.8
Reggie Berry-6-4-So.-7.8
Coach: Robert McCullum (13-26, second season; same overall).
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“As a coach, you don't worry about what happened, you worry about what's getting ready to happen,” coach Charlie Coles said.
What is getting ready to happen for Miami is the beginning of Mid-American Conference play. The RedHawks (3-8) tip off tonight at Western Michigan (6-5).
Coles says it's the most important time for his team to play its best basketball.
“There is nothing that I think that we can't do even now,” Coles said. “I think we can win our league championship; I think we can go to the NCAA Tournament; I think we can achieve all those things. Whether the players do or not, they are responsible for that.”
Coles wants added commitment and effort to get better, which he has yet to see from his team. Coles, who as a player liked nothing more than practicing in an empty gym, can't understand why no one on his team takes time outside of practice to improve his game.
“If I were a player, I would come in the gym all the time and shoot, because that seems to be something we don't do very well,” Coles said.
Miami ranks last in the MAC with 39 percent field goal shooting and has a conference-worst average of 57.3 points a game. Senior point guard Doug Davis, who was expected to be Miami's best outside shooter, has been slowed by a nagging hip pointer and has missed his last 17 field goal attempts.
The team's top four offensive threats — Alex Shorts, Danny Horace, Juby Johnson and Davis — combined to make only one of 35 shots and score three points in the ugly loss to Dayton. Coles knows he does not have a consistent shooter and wants his team to work harder and pass the ball more to get better shots. If the RedHawks can find a way to score, their defense, which ranks second in the MAC in scoring (64.3 ppg), will keep them in games.
“The coach in me says we are going to be all right,” Coles said. “I have some hope.”
Opening league play with a road victory would bolster that hope. Western Michigan already has played a conference game, a 77-73 loss to Marshall Dec.22. The Broncos finished last season 7-21 with all their victories coming in MAC play.
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Coles: Time for Miami to turn around
