Miami Ohio basketball takes on Ohio in Battle of the Bricks, undefeated RedHawks at 24-0

Miami Ohio basketball’s historic 24-0 season faces its ultimate test tonight. The undefeated RedHawks host Ohio University in the Battle of the Bricks on February 13 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. With the nation’s only remaining undefeated team preparing for primetime showdown, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Perfect Season Becomes National Story

Miami Ohio basketball arrived at this moment as a Cinderella story. The RedHawks ascended from mid-tier MAC program to the nation’s conscience when Arizona fell to Kansas on Monday night. That defeat left Miami standing alone as the only undefeated Division I men’s basketball team.

The achievement carries stunning national weight. Miami leads the nation in scoring at 92.7 points per game. The team owns the nation’s best field-goal percentage at 52.7 percent. Attendance at Millett Hall has climbed to record levels as fans sense something special unfolding.

Historic Records Already Broken

But even before the Ohio showdown, Miami Ohio basketball has rewritten program history. When the team reached 20 wins, they shattered the MAC record for best season start, surpassing Western Michigan’s 19-0 mark from 1975-76. The 24-game winning streak now extends beyond Kent State’s 21-0 conference streak from 2001-02.

The home win streak of 28 consecutive victories ties the longest in the nation. Last season, Miami set a single-season program record with 15 straight home wins. This year’s pace has already doubled that achievement, signaling a program transformed.

Key Players Drive Undefeated Bid

Eian Elmer, the wing from Cincinnati’s Taft High School, has emerged as a dynamic scorer. The junior led the team with 18 points and nine rebounds in Saturday’s 90-74 win at Marshall. Peter Suder, Luke Skaljac, and Antwone Woolfolk provide scoring depth few MAC teams can match.

“Miami leads the nation in scoring at 92.7 points per game, owns the country’s best field-goal percentage at 52.7% and sits eighth nationally in three-point shooting at 29.8%.”

— Columbus Dispatch, College Basketball Analysis

Coach Travis Steele Has Quietly Changed Everything

Travis Steele arrived as the 28th men’s basketball head coach at Miami in March 2022. The former Xavier associate coach inherited a program seeking direction. In four seasons, Steele has engineered the most stunning turnaround in mid-major basketball in recent memory.

His contract extension through 2032 signals the university’s confidence. Miami first entered the AP Top 25 poll on January 26, 2026, for the first time since February 1999. The move marked the first MAC representative in 27 years to crack college hoops’ elite rankings. Steele’s vision of pace, spacing, and efficient offense has created something special.

Can Legendary Rivalry Provide the Test Miami Needs

The Battle of the Bricks carries names beyond basketball. This rivalry between Miami and Ohio University reaches back to 1908, when both schools competed in football. The term references the two oldest universities in the State of Ohio, their historical contest played on brick-lined fields.

But this night belongs to basketball. Ohio University enters at 13-12 overall, 7-5 in MAC play, seeking an upset. Senior Jackson Paveletzke leads the Bobcats with 16.6 points per game. Yet Miami’s depth and efficiency suggest another victory for the undefeated RedHawks. The 9 p.m. ET tipoff will stream on ESPN, watched by millions hoping to witness the undefeated season continue.

Michael Brown

Michael Brown is a seasoned sports journalist bringing years of experience covering professional athletics and sporting culture. With a keen eye for breaking stories and player dynamics, this veteran journalist delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive insights from the world’s biggest sporting events. His passion for the game shines through in every story, keeping fans connected to the action both on and off the field.