Miami game tidbits

Men's basketball

The Zips (13-4, 6-1) will play Miami (9-7, 6-2) tonight at 7 at Rhodes Arena. Some nuggets of information you might be interested in...

• Read the Plain Dealer's preview, which tells about other MAC action tonight as well.


• Ohio News Network will televise the game. Don't let that keep you at home tonight, though. The production of Tuesday's game was sub-Ghoul. Oh, and Bob Huggins will be there.


• Miami has the MAC's best defense, based on points allowed (59.5).


• Miami is a decent road team, beating Northern Illinois and Ball State on their own turf.


• Miami is also a streaky team. They have gone on losing slides of four and two. They also have had winning streaks of four and five. Currently, Miami has lost two straight.


• The Zips will bust out their gold uniforms tonight, and keep them the rest of the home season.


• Don't let Miami's crummy overall record fool you. Coach Charlie Coles doesn't schedule a bunch of cupcakes like Buffalo did. The RedHawks nonconference schedule was the 22nd strongest in the country. I hope you're sensing my disgust for Buffalo being overrated for so long this year.


• Miami also is a good rebounding team. The RedHawks are second in the MAC in rebounding margin at 4.0.


• Here is the Beacon Journal's preview from Tom Gaffney, who was right on the money with a conversation we had on Tuesday.


• Like Akron, Miami spreads around the scoring. Three players (William Hatcher, 14.8; Nate Peavy, 10.6; and Tim Pollitz, 11.8) average in double figures.