By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

OXFORD - Western Hills High School graduate Danny Horace gave Miami quality minutes Saturday in his return after missing two games with a right ankle injury, but fitting him back into the lineup won't be easy, coach Charlie Coles said.

Even though he said he felt he was at only 60 or 65 percent, Horace went 4-for-5 from the field while scoring 11 points and snaring seven rebounds in Miami's 56-50 loss to Ball State at Millett Hall on Saturday. Still, fitting Horace back into the starting lineup is not as simple as putting a piece back into a puzzle.

"When you add a player, it changes the story line," Coles said. "We're not the same team that we were in the last three games, but we will be better in the next two games.

"Danny looks like he played a good game, and he did, but he's got to get in synch with us."

SMITH RETURNS: Assistant coach Frankie Smith returned to Miami's bench Saturday after missing the previous two games with complications from hernia surgery.

Smith is known for wearing colorful suits for games, including a magenta-based outfit for Miami's game at Dayton in December, but he wore a relatively conservative khaki outfit for the Ball State game Saturday. He set it off with a colorful tie.

Smith says his daughter, Madison, 12, picks out his suit and ties for each game.

HISTORY LESSON: Miami's last loss to Ball State at Millett Hall was Feb. 12, 1992, by a 44-43 score.

FRESHMEN STATUS: Freshman Eric Van Buskirk (Loveland) started three of Miami's first four games, but he hasn't played in any of Miami's four games in January. Scholarship freshman Tyler Jones (Grant County, Ky.) has played a total of two minutes in two games.

ON THE ROAD: After playing three consecutive home games, Miami goes on the road to play Central Michigan at Mt. Pleasant before returning home to play Eastern Michigan at Millett Hall Saturday.