How 20-0 Miami RedHawks are beating odds as faculty basketball midmajor darlings

Flying to the highest of the record of tales which are turning this 2025-26 season into the most effective faculty basketball has seen in 15-plus years: The 20-0 Miami College RedHawks.

The game does not get a 20-0 crew yearly, however when it does, it is sometimes a high-major program. Reinforcing the specialness of this yr: Arizona (18-0) and/or Nebraska (18-0) might get there within the subsequent week.

However a mid-major reaching 20 video games and not using a scratch is uncommon. How uncommon? Since 1990, solely six groups that might moderately be categorised as “true” mid-majors have opened 20-0, and even inside this record there are a few squads (UMass within the ’90s, San Diego State simply six years in the past) that flex the definition of what constitutes a mid-major outfit.

Now Miami (Ohio) is on the record and simply turned the primary MAC crew to begin a season 20-0, too. It is a pair of wins away from breaking 2001-02 Kent State‘s file for the longest win streak in league historical past as properly. 

Travis Steele’s group has not solely hit this level and not using a defeat, however they’ve additionally began to lean into the drama of all of it. The No. 25 RedHawks might simply be a two-loss crew, however as a substitute they remained excellent of their two most up-to-date video games by taking issues into additional time twice — upping their nationwide profile within the course of. On Saturday, a pair of near-buzzer-beating 3-pointers towards Buffalo led to a 105-102 win, together with the clincher from star wing Peter Suder, who dropped 37 factors.

That is the way you get a nation to begin paying consideration.  

Tuesday evening’s highway escape towards Kent State was arguably much more unimaginable, given the locale and the way the sport progressed within the second half. The din of Kent State’s residence fitness center offered the perfect environment anyplace in faculty hoops Tuesday evening. Miami blew a 14-point lead, and within the closing minutes, it seemed like its first loss was imminent. As an alternative, a Kent State turnover with lower than 15 seconds in regulation led to Miami sophomore guard Luke Skaljac pulling out a depraved Eurostep to create area and tie the sport at 92. The RedHawks dealt with their enterprise in a harsh setting in additional time, profitable 107-101.

“Our guys are unflappable,” Steele informed CBS Sports activities after the win Tuesday evening on the crew’s four-hour bus trip again to Oxford, Ohio. “For those who may very well be inside our huddle in these moments, there’s full and utter perception we’re profitable the sport. I do not care what the scenario is, we’re down 4, down six, up six: do your job. Our guys keep actually, actually centered and truly get tighter as a unit in massive moments.” 

Males of Steele overcoming the percentages

Although Miami’s general energy of schedule is woeful (339th out of 365 groups), the slope of issue in attending to 20-0 is mirrored in its Energy of File rating (21) and its Wins Above Bubble mark (twenty ninth). These are goal indicators of how properly Miami has accomplished towards its schedule vs. what the typical bubble crew would’ve accomplished so far.

In SOR, the RedHawks rank higher than the likes of 16-4 Clemson, 14-4 Villanova, 14-5 St. John’s, 13-5 Louisville, 12-6 Tennessee and plenty of extra.

And this is not the richest program within the MAC, both. Not by an extended shot. Miami is someplace in the course of the pack of the league from an NIL perspective, properly behind the likes of UMass, along with in-state friends Akron, Kent State and Ohio. Which makes probably the most shocking factor about this run all of the extra particular: We’ve got a 20-0 mid-major crew in 2026. 

That was a near-unbelievable proposition as just lately as two months in the past. The RedHawks are doing this at a time when it is by no means been harder for coaches and applications outdoors the power-conference construction to thrive. The hole is widening to regarding ranges.

But here is Miami College, reminding us that it CAN be accomplished. That is an vital improvement amid a time of ever-present anxiousness in regards to the energy construction of faculty basketball because it hurtles towards the again finish of this decade. 

“Extremely enjoyable, simply the day-to-day is unbelievable,” Steele mentioned. “Within the accommodations, on the bus journeys, practices, shootarounds, lifts. Man, our guys have a TON of enjoyable collectively. Our entire group does. Employees, gamers, we’re a really, very related group. And it was that means final yr, too. Folks see the outcomes, however the day-to-day is even higher than the outcomes.”

Consider, they’re doing this with out their start line guard, which makes it much more outlandish. Miami misplaced its maestro, Evan Ipsaro, to a torn ACL in a Dec. 20 win towards Ball State. 

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“He was pretty much as good as any mid-major level guard in the whole nation,” Steele mentioned. “An absolute monster.”

Skaljac was subsequently compelled into enjoying level, one thing he’d by no means accomplished in faculty. He is making it work and the crew hasn’t slowed — under no circumstances. Miami ranks second nationally in factors per sport (94.6) and is No. 1 in efficient subject aim capturing (60.4%). It ranks top-15 in 3-point accuracy and top-five in 2-point proportion. 

Tuesday evening’s win wasn’t simply the twentieth straight win, it was 20 in a row with not less than 75 factors scored. Prior to now 40 years, the one groups to win 20 in a row and put up 75-plus in each sport are: the famed 1987-88 Loyola Marymount crew that had the most effective offenses ever; the 1990-91 UNLV crew that made it to the Ultimate 4 undefeated; the 1998-99 Duke crew that made the nationwide title sport; and the 2001-02 Duke crew that made the Ultimate 4.

And now: these males of Steele.

The RedHawks popped into the AP rankings this week at No. 25, touchdown within the rankings for the primary time since the times of Wally Szczerbiak. With no extra video games till subsequent Tuesday’s residence tilt vs. UMass, Miami is assured of a rating for the second week in a row. The RedHawks are the primary MAC crew to be ranked for the reason that Nate Oats-coached Buffalo Bulls had been ranked — prepared for this? — each week of the common season in 2018-19. That Bulls crew went 32-4 and acquired as excessive as 14th within the rankings. It earned a No. 6 seed, too. The concept of a MAC college in 2026 taking on an AP rating each week of the season appears almost unimaginable, and that is an indictment of the facility shift over the previous few years with the portal. 

Apart from this, that is nonetheless extremely unusual.

Previous to Buffalo in 2019, the latest MAC crew to earn an AP rating got here in 2007-08 when Kent State popped in for one week in February at No. 23.

None of this has stopped Miami from defying the percentages. One of many key methods to do it: retention. Seven vital rotation gamers from final season’s 25-9 crew that was three factors away from beating Akron within the MAC title sport and reaching the NCAA Match. Miami hasn’t danced since 2006-07. 

It is greater than the roster, although. Steele mentioned 25 individuals who had been in this system final yr carried over into this yr. That could be a large a part of this story. Mid-major teaching staffs commonly lose individuals annually for a wide range of causes. The core in Oxford caught collectively, and in consequence, is authoring one of many feel-good tales in all of sports activities in 2026.

“There is a motive why we introduced them right here,” Steele mentioned, including that many gamers on this roster had been on title-winning groups in highschool. “They’re really easy to educate in these massive moments. I believe retention is every thing in immediately’s panorama. You have acquired NIL, the portal. What is the time period some coaches use, mercenaries? We do not have that.” 

In actual fact, Miami solely added one participant within the portal final season. 

“We recruit a whole lot of highschool guys and I am nonetheless holding on just a little bit to that outdated mannequin: improvement, get our guys higher, now we have enjoyable collectively, we win and I hope meaning one thing,” he mentioned. “I believe it does to our guys.”

How the Xavier failure made Steele the suitable coach for Miami

On March 9, 2022, Xavier was a bubble crew, coached by Steele, that entered the Massive East Match needing to win not less than one sport, if not two, to make sure its credentials to make the NCAAs. Nevertheless it misplaced 89-82 within the opening spherical to Butler. It was Steele’s fourth season with this system and, as anticipated, Xavier was not noted.

It went to the NIT and, after profitable its first sport by 4 factors towards Cleveland State, Steele was rapidly fired the following day by Xavier AD Greg Christopher, who was eying Sean Miller and making an attempt to get forward of South Carolina (who would additionally supply Miller a job within the ensuing days). On account of his firing, Steele was the primary Xavier coach for the reason that Seventies to not take the crew to the NCAA Match throughout his tenure.

That is a significant résumé stain, but it surely did not cease Miami from wanting Steele and it did not have an effect on Steele’s confidence in his teaching acumen. In actual fact, it finally did the alternative.

“I do know I’d not be the coach I’m immediately if I did not have my expertise I went by means of at Xavier,” Steele mentioned. “It was a tough second once I acquired let go, however I used to be appreciative of the chance I used to be given there. I do not know the way many individuals are able to change into a head coach till you get your toes moist, not to mention how many individuals can do it on the P5/P6 stage until there’s a lot assist round you.” 

He might have taken a yr off or simply landed on a high-major employees elsewhere.

However he nonetheless wished to be a head coach. 

The Miami job opened that very same cycle in 2022 and he chased it. Crucially, athletic director David Sayler gave Steele full management of this system and trusted him to convey the RedHawks out of the muck. Steele interviewed like he had nothing to lose (as a result of possibly he did not) and mentioned it needed to be his imaginative and prescient completely, in any other case go rent someone else. 

“It was carte blanche, full management of every thing over this system and being affected person on this panorama,” Steele mentioned. “All people desires instantaneous success yearly due to the portal and NIL. We needed to construct it the slow-and-steady means.” 

There was no deviation from the plan. Steele informed Sayler the primary yr wouldn’t be good and it wasn’t: 12-20. Yr 2 had some enchancment at 15-17, together with 9-9 within the league. The RedHawks made their bounce final yr to the higher echelon of the MAC, and now they are a nationwide story. 

Steele does not hesitate to speak about what did not work at Xavier, why he was prepared in some respects but in addition not prepared in others to be a head coach at a power-conference program.

“You look again at these moments, and I did, and it harm when it occurred, and also you ask what might I’ve accomplished totally different?” Steele informed me. “What might I’ve modified? I have been in a position to implement that right here at Miami. You reside and also you be taught on learn how to construct tradition. I’ve acquired my non-negotiables on the employees, bringing in the suitable younger males, type of play. I by no means even acquired to educate offensively the way in which I wished to educate at Xavier. Right here, I have been in a position to do it my means since Day 1.”

Steele’s extra clear-eyed, levelheaded now about what the job truly is. What’s this season-by-season journey about for everybody? That is trickled all the way down to his gamers. Watch his crew: It is enjoyable, however composed. It is a full of life group however by no means out of kinds. The belief within the huddle is simple to see by means of a TV display screen. Because the wins preserve piling up, the gamers are having fun with it all of the extra. They are a massive deal on campus proper about now, however Steele mentioned there is no outdoors strain on this group.

“They do not really feel any strain in any respect. Dwell life, take pleasure in it, have enjoyable, play for each other,” he mentioned. “It is wonderful when you consider others how you do not really feel any strain. If you play for the man subsequent to you and never for your self.”

Statistically, the highway sport towards Kent State was the hardest one remaining on Miami’s schedule. When’s the primary loss going to return? No one in Oxford’s apprehensive about that proper now. KenPom offers the crew a 4.5% likelihood of working the common season desk, however after the previous two video games it is onerous to low cost the magical component to this crew. If 20-0 is feasible, why not 24-0? Why not 27-0? Why not 31-0?

That is the glory lifetime of a 20-0 crew within the bus league that’s the MAC. After the four-hour trip throughout Ohio, Steele walked in his door at 2:54 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning. He stole just a few hours of sleep, then was again within the automotive shortly after breakfast and readying for the following win. It is a story that feels as enjoyable now as it’s unfinished.

With love and honor, the Miami RedHawks are beginning to flirt with historical past. Let’s examine how excessive they soar.