By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

When the Miami RedHawks beat Ohio Dominican on Nov. 27 to give Charlie Coles the 200th victory of his career, the 13-year coach downplayed the milestone.

"If you're 35 or 40 years old, 200 wins means something," said Coles, 60. "Now, just being around the guys and being able to win means something.

"Actually, getting 500 wins as a (Mid-American Conference) school - now that means more to me, because this is the school I went to and the school I'm coaching at."

Miami has realistic expectations of becoming the first program to record 500 MAC wins this season. The RedHawks are six victories short going into their conference opener today against Western Michigan at Millett Hall.

Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game against Wright State, which is scheduled to start at 2.

Miami and Western Michigan were the second and third current MAC teams to join the conference. They both entered in the second season of its existence - the 1946-47 season, one season after Ohio joined Butler, Cincinnati, Western Reserve and Wayne State as charter members.

The RedHawks are 494-286 in 55 seasons of MAC play, a conference-best .663 winning percentage. Ohio is next with 444 wins. Miami's 20 MAC championships are more than twice the number won by any other program.

Miami has lost only four conference openers when they have been played in Oxford and just 13 of 55 overall. The most recent was last season at Western Michigan, when the Broncos pulled out a 69-63 overtime win.

Like the RedHawks in the MAC East, the Broncos have been picked to finish second in the West Division.

They're playing like the favorites. Western Michigan (4-1) has reeled off four consecutive wins after a season-opening, two-point loss to Princeton. The streak includes wins over Michigan and Detroit in which the Broncos were led by 6-foot-7 junior forward Anthony Kann, who averaged a double-double with 16.5 points and 13.0 rebounds.

WMU features last year's MAC Freshman of the Year, 6-foot-3 sophomore Ben Reed, who has come back and regained his starting job after a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in February.

Miami is coming off a crucial win over Dayton during which the RedHawks finally found the outside touch they needed to make their motion offense effective.

Western Michigan at Miami

Tipoff: 4p.m. today, Millett Hall (9,200), Oxford.

Records: Miami (2-3, 0-0 Mid-American Conference), Western Michigan (4-1, 0-0).

Radio: WCKY-AM (1360), WMOH-AM (1450), WFMG-FM (101.3).

TV: None

Series: Miami leads 76-53.

MIAMI

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Chet Mason	Jr.	6-3	9.6
Matt Jameson	Sr.	6-1	2.6
Juby Johnson	Jr.	6-5	14.0
Bryan Reed	Sr.	6-6	3.2
Danny Horace	So.	6-5	11.6

Coach: Charlie Coles (109-81, 7th season; 201-165 overall).

WESTERN MICHIGAN

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Mike Williams	Jr.	6-8	15.8
Robby Collum	Sr.	6-1	14.2
Anthony Kann	Jr.	6-7	12.0
Ben Reed	So.	6-3	8.0
Reggier Berry	Jr.	6-4	4.6

Coach: Robert McCullum (28-35, 3rd season; same overall).