OXFORD — The championship rings have been handed out and the memories of an unforgettable season will forever be part of Miami University men’s basketball history.
Now comes the challenge of doing it all over again.
After completing a perfect 31-0 regular season and reaching the NCAA Tournament, the RedHawks enter the 2026-27 campaign with a different roster, renewed expectations and a familiar message from fifth-year coach Travis Steele.
Last season is over.
“Last year’s last year,” Steele said. “You gotta flush that down a toilet, and you gotta move forward. And, you know, for us, it’s about, again, not skipping any steps in the process of becoming a great team.”
Miami, which finished 32-2 after defeating SMU in the NCAA First Four and falling to Tennessee in the first round, opens its season Monday, Nov. 2, on the road against James Madison.
The RedHawks were picked to finish first in the MAC preseason coaches poll, which is a reflection of the program’s emergence as one of the conference’s top contenders.
Steele, however, isn’t interested in preseason recognition.
“I could absolutely care less,” Steele said. “They’re preseason rankings. They don’t mean anything. And you can’t listen to that stuff. That’s what I’ve told our guys.”
Junior guard Luke Skaljac, one of Miami’s captains, shares that approach.
“Last year, obviously, was a special season going undefeated in the regular season, but we got a new team now,” Skaljac said. “We’re ready to move on. Did the banner and the ring ceremony, got it out of the way, and now we’re just focused on today’s practice and getting better for James Madison.”
That transition comes with significant personnel changes, including the departure of Ian Elmer and the return of several key contributors who helped establish Miami’s winning culture.
Steele said the talent is there to make another championship run. Whether the RedHawks can develop the chemistry, toughness and consistency necessary to sustain that success remains the biggest question.
“I love our talent. And I love what we can be,” Steele said. “The talent’s there, but we’re not there yet.”
A dynamic backcourt
Miami’s greatest strength could be its guard play, particularly the combination of Skaljac and Evan Ipsaro.
Ipsaro returns after suffering a season-ending knee injury this past December. Before the injury, he averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.33 steals through 12 games.
His return gives Miami another experienced ballhandler and scoring threat alongside Skaljac, who has embraced an expanded leadership role entering his third season.
“He’s a great player, great leader, and he makes everyone else better,” Skaljac said of Ipsaro. “Just to see what he went through last year, being out basically a whole year, to get back and already be ready into game form, it’s been great.”
Steele has been particularly encouraged by Ipsaro’s progress over the past month, although the coaching staff intends to manage his minutes carefully early in the season.
“I want him to be great in March,” Steele said. “He didn’t play for, I mean, 10 months. That’s a long time.”
Steele said Ipsaro has developed a more controlled offensive approach, improved his ability to change speeds and become more comfortable shooting from beyond the arc.
The opportunity to play Ipsaro and Skaljac together could give Miami one of the MAC’s most versatile backcourts.
“When you have two dynamic playmaking guards that can take care of it and make others around them better, boy, it makes you sleep well as a coach,” Steele said.
Skaljac said their chemistry will allow Miami to maintain the offensive identity that made the RedHawks so difficult to defend last season.
“Me and Evan are just really good playmakers, so we make everyone else around us better,” Skaljac said. “We just play off each other, and everyone else feeds off from it.
“I’ve been trying to grow in that aspect of just becoming a more vocal leader. I know I can do it, and I’m ready to step up for that.”
New faces, expanded roles
Miami welcomes five newcomers, while counting on several returning players to assume larger responsibilities.
Among the most intriguing developments is the transformation of senior forward Almar Atlason, whose offseason conditioning could dramatically change Miami’s frontcourt versatility.
Atlason spent much of last season playing center out of necessity. Steele challenged him following the NCAA Tournament loss to Tennessee to improve his conditioning so he could move more naturally to power forward.
Atlason responded by reshaping his body and expanding his offensive game.
“He’s had an incredible offseason for us, and I think he’ll have an all-conference type of year for us,” Steele said.
Steele believes Atlason’s improved mobility will allow him to defend perimeter-oriented forwards while retaining the strength needed to battle traditional post players.
His offensive versatility also has improved, with Steele praising his perimeter shooting, post scoring, ballhandling and ability to operate in ball-screen situations.
The RedHawks also expect contributions from returning forward Justin Kirby, whose athleticism and rebounding ability should help compensate for wing Eian Elmer’s departure. Kyle Waltz is another player poised for a larger role after adding approximately 15 to 20 pounds during the offseason.
“He’s had days in practice where he’s been our best player,” Steele said of Waltz.
Among the newcomers, transfer Stevie Elam brings immediate scoring potential.
“He could lead us in scoring. It wouldn’t shock me,” Steele said. “He’s that type of scorer, shooter.”
Transfer Preston Copeland is expected to provide athleticism, shot blocking, rebounding and a physical presence around the basket.
Rich Rolf, another transfer from Centerville, brings perimeter shooting, size and experience — although an injury has limited his preseason preparation.
Freshman big man Alan Horton has impressed Steele with his physicality, mobility and finishing ability, while freshman Anthony Fresh has demonstrated considerable offensive potential despite the inconsistencies that typically accompany a first-year player.
“Is one guy gonna necessarily replace Eian? Probably not,” Steele said. “But we have a lot of talented guys there, too.”
Building chemistry and finding an identity
Miami offered an early glimpse of its potential with an 86-56 exhibition victory over Indiana University East on Oct. 26 at Millett Hall.
The game also provided Steele with a reminder that talent alone will not guarantee success.
Despite the comfortable victory, Steele was dissatisfied with his team’s effort and communication.
“We didn’t play hard,” Steele said. “I didn’t love our connectivity, either.”
The exhibition did provide valuable minutes for Ipsaro and fifth-year forward Antwone Woolfolk, both of whom are working their way back into game rhythm.
Miami’s ability to defend, rebound and play together will be critical as Steele works through different lineup combinations.
Steele said the team’s experience will be tested immediately.
James Madison finished 18-15 last season and was picked second in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll. The Dukes are led by third-year coach Preston Spradlin and feature preseason all-conference selections Gage Lattimore, Preston Fowler and K.J. Windham.
“There’s no better way to start the season,” Steele said. “We love road games.”
Miami will make its home debut against Bellarmine on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. The RedHawks begin conference play Dec. 2 against Central Michigan.
Keeping the momentum alive
Beyond wins and losses, Steele said he hopes last season’s success has created something lasting within the Miami basketball program.
The RedHawks played before sold-out crowds at Millett Hall during their historic run.
Steele wants that atmosphere to become the standard rather than the exception.
“We can make our own memories, and we can make this a really, really hard place to play,” Steele said. “We can make this special for everybody.”
The program’s recent success also has strengthened its recruiting appeal, although Steele emphasized that identifying players who fit Miami’s culture remains more important than collecting talent.
“Talent’s part of the equation, but it’s not the equation,” Steele said. “The character, the competitiveness, being a great teammate, and bringing guys that embrace the process — that works for me.”
The RedHawks enter the season knowing another undefeated regular season is unlikely to be the measure of their success.
Instead, Steele said he wants a team capable of competing for championships when March arrives.
That process begins Monday in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where Miami will try to establish an identity separate from last year’s accomplishments.
“We gotta be ourselves, play to our systems, play to our strengths,” Skaljac said. “And we gotta have that culture, be together all 40 minutes of the game.”
