Miami roster
Here is the numerical roster for the 2012-13 Miami University men’s basketball team, with position, year, height, weight and hometown (Ohio unless noted):
0 — Geovonie McKnight, guard, freshman, 6-3, 175, Middletown
1 — Josh Sewell, guard/forward, junior, 6-5, 202, Louisville, Ky.
2 — Quinten Rollins, guard, junior, 6-0, 185, Wilmington
3 — Allen Roberts, guard, redshirt junior, 6-3, 214, Middletown
4 — Reggie Johnson, guard, freshman, 6-1, 200, Chicago, Ill.
5 — Joe Mezher, guard, sophomore, 6-3, 184, Cincinnati
10 — Jared Tadlock, center, sophomore, 6-9, 208, Conifer, Colo.
12 — Bill Edwards, forward, redshirt junior, 6-6, 245, Middletown
13 — Will Sullivan, guard, sophomore, 6-3, 183, Elmhurst, Ill.
25 — Ryan Hess, guard, sophomore, 6-2, 181, Westfield, N.J. (ineligible to play until 2013-14 season)
33 — Will Felder, forward, redshirt junior, 6-7, 202, Cleveland
35 — Jon Harris, forward, junior, 6-8, 206, Twinsburg
40 — John Hawkins, center, sophomore, 7-0, 260, Troy, Mich. (ineligible to play until 2013-14 season)
50 — Drew McGhee, center, redshirt junior, 6-11, 236, North Ridgeville
55 — Vince Legarza, center, redshirt senior, 6-9, 265, San Francisco, Calif.
The new version of Miami University men’s basketball is coming along.
What does that mean for RedHawk fans who watched the team stumble to a 9-21 record last season, one of the worst campaigns in school history?
“I think we can be competitive. As far as what that means in terms of a record, I don’t know,” said first-year head coach John Cooper, who took over in April after veteran coach Charlie Coles went into retirement.
“Could we be further along? Possibly, maybe not. What I’m happy with is that I think they’ve tried. They’ve tried to get better and put in the effort. I’m excited about getting a chance to kick this off and find out where we are. We’re going to find out right away.”
MU opens the season at sixth-ranked North Carolina State on Friday night and faces No. 2 Louisville on the road Nov. 18. In between will be the home opener against Grambling State on Tuesday.
Cooper has injected some enthusiasm into the program with his affection for up-tempo basketball. He directed Tennessee State to a 20-13 record last year.
“One of the things we’ve got to face and get tougher with is the fact that we haven’t won,” Cooper said. “We’ve got to learn how to win and understand how that happens. It’s hard when a team has struggled. If you haven’t had that success, it’s hard to call on it.
“Do we need to be a little more consistent with our effort on a daily basis? Absolutely. It goes back to our mental toughness. We’ve got to be tougher, and we need to be more vocal. I think they’ve done a good job of sticking together. What I’ve seen, I like.”
Miami lost its top two scorers, Julian Mavunga (16.4) and Brian Sullivan (10.3), to graduation and a transfer, respectively, yet returns six players who have started at least 10 games in the last two years.
Junior forward Jon Harris (8.5) and junior point guard Quinten Rollins (7.7) are the leading returning scorers for a team that was picked last in the Mid-American Conference East Division media poll.
“The critics are going to be the critics, and they’re going to criticize you regardless,” said redshirt junior guard Allen Roberts, a Middletown native who missed last season with a knee injury. “We’ve been working hard since we got on the court with Coach Cooper in the summertime. It’s just how we approach the season.”
Rollins will run the show at the point. “He’s got to step up and be a leader for us,” Cooper said.
The RedHawks may not have a superstar, but they’ve got quite a few athletes that are suited to Cooper’s style of play. The most significant newcomer could be 6-foot-7 forward Will Felder, a redshirt junior who sat out last season after transferring from St. Francis (Pa.).
He led the way in MU’s 73-64 exhibition victory over Maryville (Mo.) by tallying 15 points and nine rebounds. Felder averaged 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his last season at St. Francis.
“He brings a great motor for the game,” Cooper said. “You’ve got to love the tenacity that he plays with. He’s explosive and has the ability to shoot the basketball. For him, it’s tightening things up and not giving in to fatigue at any time.”
There are plenty of potential scorers. Redshirt junior Bill Edwards of Middletown, who sat out the majority of last season with a wrist injury, and Harris can play inside or on the perimeter, as can junior Josh Sewell. Redshirt junior center Drew McGhee shot 59.2 percent from the floor in 2011-12 and came on strong down the stretch.
“We’re continuing to get Bill in great shape, but his skill level is terrific,” Cooper said. “It’s getting him to understand the speed and passion that you have to play with on every possession. Jon Harris, with his size and length, can certainly help us and pose some matchup problems.”
The centers are McGhee (6-11), redshirt senior Vince Legarza (6-9) and sophomore Jared Tadlock (6-9), who was healthy for the exhibition game, but did not play.
“Vince and Drew have got to bring a physical presence to the game and a bit of a nasty streak,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t take ability to run the court and run to the rim and those types of things offensively. Defensively, they’ve got to be factors. They’ve got to make people score over them.
“Their basketball I.Q. is terrific. Are they the fleetest of guys? No. But now you’ve got to be able to think the part and be able to get where you want to get and figure out how to do it. There’s no need tricking anybody at that size. Let’s be physical. Let’s be tough.”
Sophomore guard Will Sullivan has the ability to be a defensive stopper and a quality shooter, according to Cooper. And freshman guards Geovonie McKnight of Middletown and Reggie Johnson figure to be in the mix right away.
“I think they’re both body ready,” Cooper said of the freshmen. “Geo is playing some point, and I think it’s going to make him a better overall player by understanding that position. He’s learning to play with pace.”
Defensively, full-court pressure will be a significant part of Miami’s arsenal, though Cooper said halfcourt man-to-man proficiency is a must.
He’s not sure who will be the team’s best shooters, but Cooper has a lot of guys that can hit the 3.
“I know one thing about shooting,” the MU coach said. “Shooting’s confidence. You start making shots, and it’s contagious.”
Cooper likes the RedHawks’ depth and said their conditioning is improving. He wants the squad to shoot 75 percent from the foul line and wasn’t pleased with its 18-of-28 effort against Maryville.
Cooper said he’s still formulating a starting lineup. Legarza, Rollins, Roberts, Sullivan and Felder started in the exhibition game.
“We have so many new things that are being thrown at them, and what are they retaining? Sometimes you don’t find that out until you get in a game situation,” Cooper said. “At this time of year, you show me a coach that feels good exactly where he is now, and I’ll show you someone who’s probably not coaching. Our nature is not necessarily to be content.”
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