And yet, as January pushes deeper into conference play, Miami remains on the outside of the Associated Press Top 25 looking in.
At some point, perfection has to matter, right?
Miami’s résumé is not built on hype or flash. We know that. The RedHawks’ KenPom ranking just shot to 88.
“Nobody wants to play us,” Miami fourth-year coach Travis Steele has emphasized during the season.
The RedHawks have been built on consistency, preparation, execution — and culture, clarified by Steele numerous times — which are the traits that often separate great teams from good ones.
Miami is 18-0, the only undefeated team in the country with that many wins, and the RedHawks are doing it with a style that travels — defend, rebound, value possessions and share the ball.
“We’re one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country,” Steele said Tuesday night after Miami’s 100-point performance against Central Michigan. “As long as we’re getting shots up, usually we’re going to get a pretty good result.”
Efficiency is not a buzzword here. Miami plays with purpose. The RedHawks cut hard, sprint for teammates and make the extra pass. Steele emphasized that much of what makes Miami special never shows up in a box score — a point reinforced repeatedly by how his players talk about their roles.
I see it. And that’s because I’m there to watch it. Put my soon-to-be 10-year-old son Gavin — who sits press row every home game — on the AP voting committee for an extra eye. Because apparently if you’re not at Millett Hall — and are a college basketball national ranking system — you won’t either.
Right now, Justin Kirby is the embodiment of Miami’s mindset. Thrust into the rotation after originally planning to redshirt, Kirby has responded by doing exactly what Miami asks of him — stay ready, play defense, sacrifice for the group.
“Not everyone’s going to score,” Kirby said. “All of guys do their role, we’re going to win.”
That attitude is not accidental. Steele recruits winning backgrounds and winning habits, and it shows in how Miami handles success. The RedHawks do not chase style points. They chase process. Practices stay the same. Preparation stays the same. The focus stays narrow.
That discipline has produced results — facts — that are impossible to ignore.
Miami has now won 25 straight home games, a program record that stood for nearly three decades. Millett Hall has become one of the toughest environments in the Mid-American Conference, and not because of luck. The RedHawks defend harder in the second half, rebound better and tighten execution when opponents try to make a run.
“We’ve learned our lesson,” Steele said. “We have to drop the hammer.”
They have — repeatedly.
Critics may point to conference strength or brand recognition, but those arguments wear thin when the wins keep piling up. Miami is not sneaking by teams. It is controlling games. It is scoring in multiple ways. It is developing depth. And it is responding to adversity, whether that means an injury to its starting point guard or late-game pressure.
There is also the matter of respect.
Asked about being undefeated and still unranked, Steele acknowledged the chip on his team’s shoulder but dismissed excuses.
“We can’t control it,” the coach said with firm acknowledgment. “We just have to continue to make a statement every time we step on that floor.”
Miami has made that statement loudly enough. What more does this team from Oxford, Ohio have to do?
The RedHawks received 49 votes in the most recent AP poll and sit No. 2 in the Mid-Major Top 25. That gap — being viewed as elite by one group and ignored by another — is becoming harder to justify with every win.
At some point, the question stops being who Miami has played and becomes who Miami hasn’t lost to.
The answer is simple — no one.
Ranking teams is about rewarding performance, not protecting perception. Miami has done everything asked of it, from November through January, without slipping. An undefeated record, historic home success, elite efficiency and a clear identity should not be treated as footnotes.
They should be treated as credentials.
The RedHawks are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for acknowledgment.
At 18-0, Miami has earned it.
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