By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

Miami's men's basketball team sacrificed a day of practice to exams this week.

Whether the day off refreshes the RedHawks or leaves them unprepared for undefeated Butler, today's 8 p.m. opponent at Millett Hall, remains to be seen.

Miami didn't have to put in a lot of bookwork to realize that this Butler team is just the latest produced by what has become an outstanding Division I mid-major program. The Bulldogs have earned six consecutive postseason berths.

"They've been on a roll for six years," RedHawks coach Charlie Coles said. "You won't find a better mid-major program - except, maybe, Gonzaga."

Miami, 3-0 at Millett Hall, is 3-4 following a 68-58 loss at No. 13 Xavier Monday. The 6-0 Bulldogs knocked off Bradley 75-70 Tuesday to extend to 22 their streak of consecutive wins over nonconference opponents.

Defense is the primary reason Butler is off to the best start in the history of the program. The Bulldogs allow 52.3 points a game, second in the nation. Miami is 14th at 56.7 points a game.

"Their defense is very good, and they really know how to play offense," Coles said. "They move the ball very, very well. If you check the stats, I think you'll find they have a .488 shooting percentage, and that's very good. They make shots, and they can defend, and they don't turn the ball over.

"We knew that when we scheduled them. We knew they would add to the schedule. When you add them to Purdue and Maryland and Dayton and Xavier and Cincinnati, this is the toughest schedule we've ever played."

Butler brings a strong Greater Catholic League look to its first visit to Oxford since February 1989.

St. Xavier graduate Joel Cornette, a 6-foot-10 senior, is the starting forward-center, and Moeller product Mike Monserez, a 6-6 junior, starts at guard after transferring from Notre Dame.

Another St. Xavier graduate, Mike Marshall, is on second-year coach Todd Lickliter's staff.

Coles is more concerned with Butler's size than its heritage. Miami returned four of its top five rebounders - juniors Chet Mason, Juby Johnson and Gene Seals and sophomore Danny Horace - and 77 percent of its rebounding from last season, but the RedHawks have been outrebounded in all but one of their games this season and have a -5.1 per game rebounding average deficit.

The per-game averages of Horace, Johnson and Mason - the three starters - all are down from last season's full-season totals, and Horace and Johnson's averages are lower than what they put together in the first seven games of last season.

Much of that again can be attributed to the caliber of Miami's opponents. Purdue, Maryland, Western Michigan, Dayton and Ohio Dominican replaced UNC-Wilmington, George Mason, Evansville, Notre Dame and Southern California among the RedHawks' first seven opponents this season.

"They've got size," Coles said of the Bulldogs. "They may even outrebound us, but they're more of a finesse team. They are a timely rebounding team. They're not Xavier or Cincinnati or Dayton. They get a lot of long rebounds.

"They're getting great dribble penetration. (Senior) Brandon Miller is one of the best point guards I've seen. They kind of go inside with the dribble, then outside, then back inside. They don't just come down every time and pound it in."

Butler at Miami

Tipoff: 8 p.m. today, Millett Hall (9,200), Oxford.

Records: Miami (3-4), Butler (6-0).

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

TV: Ch. 64.

Series: Butler leads 8-1.

MIAMI

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Juby Johnson	Jr.	6-5	13.1
Danny Horace	So.	6-5	10.7
Chet Mason	Jr.	6-3	10.3
Bryan Reed	Sr.	6-6	3.1
Matt Jameson	Sr.	6-1	2.7

Coach: Charlie Coles (110-82, 7th season; 202-166 overall).

BUTLER

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Brandon Miller	Sr.	6-0	13.8
Darnell Archey	Sr.	6-1	11.2
Mike Monserez	Jr.	6-6	10.5
Joel Cornette	Sr.	6-10	10.2
Lewis Curry	Sr.	6-7	6.2

Coach: Todd Lickliter (32-6, 2nd season; same overall).