Can be found here!
In the photo you can see Coach Steele giving Senderoff an Italian hand gesture “Ma guarda questo”: “Take a look at him, he is clearly a fool!”
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Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster of “Field of 68” at MAC Media Day. Entertaining interview with Steele and Eian “Elmer’s Glue” Elmer. (May have to scroll back to find it.)
https://x.com/thefieldof68/status/1848741103551520927?s=46&t=kkeF2AzE13jVd9hF623X4A
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Couple of things Steele said that I thought stood out (that I hadn’t heard him bring up before):
- He likes NIL, but believes that in addition to paying the player to transfer, that the player’s former school also gets paid… to me this is similar to how the pro soccer world does transfers.
- He’s learned that in the MAC (tho this kinda applies in every conference) you need to be able to win when you don’t shoot well. I definitely saw this problem last year; when Miami shot well they could look like a top MAC team, but when they didn’t they had almost no chance of winning.
Okay, I’m officially jazzed to get the season going.
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I am really looking forward to 2024-2025. Our sophomores should be getting a lot of playing time. It should be a fun team to watch and follow.
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I’ve been to all the MAC football stadiums, so this year I’m trying to start the MAC basketball tour. I have only been to Ball State for a roadie. Hoping to go to a Saturday contest at Kent , Akron or Western. Anyone know the best basketball venue in the MAC?
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I’d guess the Stroh Center for nicest? @DICK would know, I’m guessing he’s seen them all. As much as I hate to say it, OU’s Convo Center is a fun place to watch a game—that’s probably the best atmosphere.
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Yep, The Stroh is nice, but Toledo’s is also good. I can support having a Stroh sized bldg in our future.
I support having a Stroh’s too. It’s fire brewed.
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Well played
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I’ve been to Akron and Kent before I ever chose Miami as a school (so it’s been a few years) but I thought Kent had a great gym
I have some good memories of watching victories in the upside down wok that is the Convo.
I disagree on Kents gym. It is bright. But the seats are awful (even the good ones) - old time high school feel. The upper section has a lot of obstructed view
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Interesting that Coach Senderhoff said that Sullinger isn’t on scholarship this year because he entered the portal, but no scholarships were available when he decided to return to Kent. So effectively Kent has 14 scholarship level players this year. On contrast, Miami only has 11 scholarship level players this year because Coach Steele decided not to use all his scholarships and later gave them to 2 walk-ons.
IMO, Senderhoff’s strategy to use all his scholarship is the better one. Seems like common sense to me.
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I think “scholarship level player” is a fickle designation
Sure we could debate the quality of the scholarship players, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. Steele is punting on 2 scholarships and I think that is a mistake. Senderhoff is not only using all 13 of his scholarships but is also bringing back one of his best players without a scholarship. I am no mathematician, but 13 is better than 11. We all know that some of our 11 scholarship guys are going to be whiffs, so I’d rather have the 2 extra swings just in case.
Another Steele-ism that rubs me the wrong way is that he “only recruits players in the portal that he knows or someone on his staff knows.” Why? Isn’t it possible there is a player outside the staff’s network of contacts that could help the team and also fit the culture of the team? Makes no sense to me to live by such a rigid rule and limit the pool of talent you are recruiting.
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This all begs the question, how much better is Kent State’s 12th scholarship player than Eli Yofan? If you know, more power to ya!
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I’ll add, next year looks like Miami will have a full 15 scholarships (well 14 if we’re discounting Eli, which I don’t want to do). So I chalk the situation this year up to not seeing a great fit for any more one-year players, plus avoiding chemistry land mines, than an annual Steele maxim.
Hope you are right about this being a one off. Also, maybe we could have found another one year player in the portal if we would have recruited outside the network of guys the staff already knew!
Maybe.
I’m excited about this team. I’m fine with the roster and can’t wait to watch them play.
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