Diaper Dandy Redhawks Look to Grow Up Fast in Rebuilding Year
Kyle Alexander
Issue date: 12/12/09 Section: Sports
In today's results driven society, most people evaluate success based on the final outcome rather than one's journey throughout the experience. Students focus on the final grade instead of their personal growth during the duration of the course. Similarly, fans often judge their team based on wins and losses, ignoring players' development as the season progresses.
As the 2009-2010 Miami men's basketball season gets into full swing, it's critical that fans take an in-depth look at the team. For them, the final score won't be their sole measure of success.
On paper, one would expect this year's team to struggle as they face an difficult schedule, squaring off against perennial NCAA Tournament forces such as Kentucky, Dayton and Xavier. Aside from the difficult matchups, these fresh-faced RedHawks must rely on an inexperienced lineup to replace last year's MAC Player of the Year, shooting guard Michael Bramos.
"What we lose in seniority and experience, we gain in athleticism and greater physical ability," says Associate Head Coach Jermaine Henderson. "We should have greater depth on our team, not only at the perimeter positions, but also at the post."
Head Coach Charlie Coles has no illusions about the younger, inexperienced RedHawks lineup.
Although, the RedHawks return three starters in red shirt junior Antonio Ballard and red shirt seniors Adam Fletcher and Kenny Hayes, the team will also need to rely on a raw group of underclassmen talent to create the necessary depth to survive the rigors of a tough MAC schedule. The fresh faces on the RedHawks roster provide the team with great athleticism, allowing Coach Coles to favor a fast-paced tempo that creates more scoring opportunities by attacking the basket.
"I think we have some good athletes and I think when we go to our bench, the players ... are as good as anybody we have ever had in the past," Coles says. "That provides us with great depth and means we have a really strong team."
The RedHawks' young lineup will give the team the ability to stretch defenses, creating matchup problems. Guards Ballard, Hayes, junior Rodney Haddix II and sophomore Kramer Soderburg give the RedHawks versatility in their ability to attack defenses by beating opponents off the dribble and knocking down the outside shot. The evolution of sophomore forward Julian Mavunga gives the RedHawks a strong low post presence. Like his predecessor, Tim Politz, Mavunga is growing into a strong scorer, using both his size and speed to create shots in the paint.
"Julian Mavunga has grown a lot this off season," Hayes says. "I think he has the world of potential and will one day be the player of the year within the conference. Although, he's still young, fans will see him grow before their eyes into an unstoppable force."
Then there's junior forward Nick Winbush, who's learning four positions to increase his role within the offensive scheme. Winbush creates a vital mismatch for the RedHawks His athleticism and ability to knock down the outside shot forces interior defenders to guard a highly skilled perimeter player. The youthful energy of freshman guard Orlando Williams provides Coach Coles with a spark off the bench.
"Orlando's got what we call in athletics, a 'motor,' meaning that he's hard to stop," Henderson says. "You could wake Orlando up in the middle of the night and he's ready to play ball."
It's this type of energy that Miami fans should look for in this year's men's basketball team. While the final score is important, the team's journey to get there is just as critical. If Miami fans pack Millett this winter, they may be able to create the home court advantage this young group of RedHawks needs to make their mark.
As the 2009-2010 Miami men's basketball season gets into full swing, it's critical that fans take an in-depth look at the team. For them, the final score won't be their sole measure of success.
On paper, one would expect this year's team to struggle as they face an difficult schedule, squaring off against perennial NCAA Tournament forces such as Kentucky, Dayton and Xavier. Aside from the difficult matchups, these fresh-faced RedHawks must rely on an inexperienced lineup to replace last year's MAC Player of the Year, shooting guard Michael Bramos.
"What we lose in seniority and experience, we gain in athleticism and greater physical ability," says Associate Head Coach Jermaine Henderson. "We should have greater depth on our team, not only at the perimeter positions, but also at the post."
Head Coach Charlie Coles has no illusions about the younger, inexperienced RedHawks lineup.
Although, the RedHawks return three starters in red shirt junior Antonio Ballard and red shirt seniors Adam Fletcher and Kenny Hayes, the team will also need to rely on a raw group of underclassmen talent to create the necessary depth to survive the rigors of a tough MAC schedule. The fresh faces on the RedHawks roster provide the team with great athleticism, allowing Coach Coles to favor a fast-paced tempo that creates more scoring opportunities by attacking the basket.
"I think we have some good athletes and I think when we go to our bench, the players ... are as good as anybody we have ever had in the past," Coles says. "That provides us with great depth and means we have a really strong team."
The RedHawks' young lineup will give the team the ability to stretch defenses, creating matchup problems. Guards Ballard, Hayes, junior Rodney Haddix II and sophomore Kramer Soderburg give the RedHawks versatility in their ability to attack defenses by beating opponents off the dribble and knocking down the outside shot. The evolution of sophomore forward Julian Mavunga gives the RedHawks a strong low post presence. Like his predecessor, Tim Politz, Mavunga is growing into a strong scorer, using both his size and speed to create shots in the paint.
"Julian Mavunga has grown a lot this off season," Hayes says. "I think he has the world of potential and will one day be the player of the year within the conference. Although, he's still young, fans will see him grow before their eyes into an unstoppable force."
Then there's junior forward Nick Winbush, who's learning four positions to increase his role within the offensive scheme. Winbush creates a vital mismatch for the RedHawks His athleticism and ability to knock down the outside shot forces interior defenders to guard a highly skilled perimeter player. The youthful energy of freshman guard Orlando Williams provides Coach Coles with a spark off the bench.
"Orlando's got what we call in athletics, a 'motor,' meaning that he's hard to stop," Henderson says. "You could wake Orlando up in the middle of the night and he's ready to play ball."
It's this type of energy that Miami fans should look for in this year's men's basketball team. While the final score is important, the team's journey to get there is just as critical. If Miami fans pack Millett this winter, they may be able to create the home court advantage this young group of RedHawks needs to make their mark.
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