January 9, 2026 • 12 mins
Former Local12 reporter Jed DeMuesy joined us to talk about his beloved undefeated Miami Redhawks. He's our new Miami guy.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And Kevin had a one hour long press conference, which
will play the hits of coming up after the top
of the hour. Tonight an early evening tip off in Toledo,
It's Savage Arena. The undefeated Miami RedHawks Travis Steels team
is sixteen and zero, obviously unbeaten in MAC play. They
battle the Toledo Rockets, who are also unbeaten in MacPlay.
(00:23):
That game is at six o'clock. Miami was good enough
for thirtieth in the latest AP Top twenty five Men's
College Basketball poll. And so you know, we've got Chad
Brendle who joins us to talk about the Bearcats, and
we've got Rick brooring double duty with Xavier and NKU basketball,
and our very own Drew by Drew Wester.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Heidi is our ud guy.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I think we just made Olivia Ray or Indiana University person.
We needed a Miami guy or a Miami person. Jed
Demuci stepped up, formerly of Local twelve, and said, I'll
be that guy. He loves the RedHawks, he's excited about Miami.
I hear he's starting to look at stub Hub for
like Sweet sixteen tickets. Always with us to talk about
Travis Deel's undefeated team, Hi Jet, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Fees are just astronomical on Ticketmaster for these for these
sites with how are you mo? I'm happy to I
will carry the flag for the RedHawks. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Miami was good last year and lost a heartbreaker in
the MAC Tournament title game. Right, That's a game that
they frankly should have won. So I guess it shouldn't
be a huge surprise that they're good this year. But
they're sixteen to er. How surprising is that?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, I think because they were successful last year and
because they really had Akron on the ropes in that
MAC Championship game, I think a lot of teams at
a higher level took notice and kind of didn't want
to put them on the roster because, you know, the
way the quad systems work, the juice didn't really work,
(01:55):
the squeeze to schedule Miami. You know Acron. I think
this year played Purdue, which obviously produce a top opponent,
but a lot of teams that are high mid major
teams I think had a problem scheduling teams at at
a higher level. And Travis Steel has mentioned that he
said it takes two to tango and Miami ended up
(02:15):
with the schedule that you know, Ken Palm says isn't
very good. There aren't a lot of really good max
schedules just because I don't think teams think that it's
worth bringing in Akron and potentially losing. I mean, Kansas
State brought in Bowling Green and lost this year, So
I don't think they're going to be scheduling Bowling Green
anytime soon. So you know, I think a lot of
(02:36):
people will say, oh, you know, Wright State's broadcast when
they were down ten points to Miami said Miami hasn't
played anybody, which a little nonsensical when you're losing to
the team. But you know, Wright State has some nonsensical
things in their past. But I just think when you
look at when you look at what they've accomplished, they
don't have to apologize. I'm sure that Travis understands that
(03:00):
it's a much better way to go about getting tested
before MAC play, getting tested so you can go in
and win the MAC tournament as opposed to being undefeated.
But hey, sitting at sixteen and zero, they figured it
out and they've won in different ways, and you know,
I don't think they should have to apologize for being
(03:20):
where they are.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
If teams aren't gonna play you, there's nothing you can do.
And that's the thing about that, though, is it's not
going to change. I with more success this year, and
you know, we'll see how the rest of the season unfolds.
It it's still early January. It ain't like that's going
to change anytime soon.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, And Miami's used to having to apologize. You know, Sorry,
we have a really beautiful campus. Sorry, we're one of
six schools that has a Super Bowl winning quarterback in
the US President. Sorry, Chuck Martin's really good at his job.
I mean, this is just the latest in a long
line of things that people expect Miami to apologize for.
And again they face adversity losing Evan if So, as
(04:00):
you know, they're the facto leader on the court to
an ACL injury. They just ripped off the red shirt
of Justin Kirby, so they're going through the process of
figuring out who's going to be there when the bell
rings and the MAC Tournament. There hasn't been an at
large team to go to the NCAA Tournament from the
(04:20):
MAX since Miami did it in nineteen ninety nine. And
that's only this that's the second to last appearance Miami
has had in the NCAA Tournament. They went my senior
year as well, thanks to Doug Penno hitting a big
three to send them to the tournament. But Miami's been
to the tournament twice since nineteen ninety nine. So this
is a big deal in Oxford.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So I think in college basketball, at particular at the
level where you know they're mainly one bid leagues, we
don't celebrate winning a regular season conference championship enough because
I don't want to say anybody can win three games
in three days or four games in three days. But
I think the real of a team's quality and debt
and mental toughness is getting through the ten week gauntlet,
(05:05):
playing on the road, surviving the dog days. And so
let's talk about this season in those terms. First, if
there is something that Miami fans should be worried about
as they navigate the max schedule, what is it?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Oh, I mean everybody. I mean they're getting everybody's best
shot Toledo tonight, is I mean Toledo's favored tonight. I
think by a point and a half. They're the model
of consistency. I think Todd Kowalchik, their head coach, has
had seven to twenty win seasons at Toledo, so going
to their place, miam hasn't won at Toledo, I think
since twenty eleven, So todight it's a tough test. You
(05:41):
got Kent State always tough. Buffalo is having a good year.
You know, they only get one shot at Akron, so
I think, you know, there are definitely teams where you
would say you could take a night off, but if
they're going to continue to be undefeated, it's they're going
to get everybody's everybody's best shot. So I mean, the
(06:03):
goal isn't to finish the season undefeated. The goal is
to is really I understand your point, but the goal
is to get back to the tournament and hopefully that's that.
I know that's what Travis is thinking as well.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Is the Miami University community starting to take notice and
get excited because that has been an issue at times
when it comes to men's basketball and football.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Absolutely, And you know, I was at the game. I
was home in in Cincinnati for the holidays when we
went to the Milligan game, which was probably the best
game you could take your five and four year old
son too, because it was just so many points. But
the community, I think, I think the acting game was
(06:50):
really a step in the right direction because you know,
kids aren't back on campus yet, and just from watching
an on TV, it sounded like there it was a
great environment. Travis said as much after the game and
that he was happy that they were packed in and
but I mean, he has seen this come a long
way in the time that coach Steele has been in Oxford.
(07:11):
You know, I think that there's a lot of I
think he had a big sort of oh my gosh,
what did I just do moment when he when he
first started and now the crowd is coming back. The
level of energy for Oxford can be difficult at times,
that's sure. I remember writing comms about that that the
(07:31):
Miami student when you know, the Doug Penno team was
making a run, like more people need to show up.
So that's constantly on the front burner. I'm hoping to
get Rick Rooring excited. I mean, a couple of days
ago you asked him, you said, you said, hey, can
I ask you a question about another team in the area?
And his response His response was who put you up
(07:55):
to this. That's the response you give when you get
startled by an intervention, not when you're asked to talk
about sort of an undefeated basketball team. So hopefully the
you know, the local media can can get a little
fied up about what's going on too.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
That's that's that's why we're having you on. Let me
ask you this because I think of, like, you know,
growing up as a kid and Herb Syndek and Charlie
Coles had the Red the red Skins, the Red Hawks
in the NCAA tournament on a regular basis. I remember
watching them beat Arizona in a in a high school
classroom in nineteen ninety five in the NCAA Tournament. It
(08:35):
felt like Devin Davis. Then obviously you know Wally's Erbiak,
who I watched play when I was in college. Like,
like Miami basketball mattered this century, it hasn't.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
They've had different coaches.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
The Jack Owens thing didn't work out, John Cooper didn't
work out, Travis Steele.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
It is.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Why is it taking so long for that program to
get pulled out of the morass that it was in.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
That's a great question. I mean, I think it takes
that's that's a million dollar question. I think it took
having a guy, and obviously Jack Owens had ties as well.
I thought really that that he was going to be
the guy to kind of get us get Miami over
the hump, and it didn't happen. I think, if you know,
(09:20):
I think David Saylor deserves a lot of credit. I
think Travis deserves a lot of credit for walking directly
out of you know about probably very frustrating, a very
emotional exit from Xavier and taking something like this on.
I don't I don't know that answer, but what I
can tell you is it takes a guy like Travis
(09:41):
Steele who kind of knows. Maybe it's maybe it's being
a head coach before. Maybe it's being a you know,
being in going in the Big East and having those
seasons and having that experience to know that the things
that you're facing you can face when you come to
the MAC and when you have to recruit and when
you know that you're not going to be you know,
(10:02):
the only guy in some kids living room trying to
convince him to come to your school and maybe having
that pressure of being you know, that high level of
the coach and having the humility to come do it
at a smaller level. Maybe that's the secret formula.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
All Right, you're a Miami guy now, so you know
we'll be checking in.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
I appreciate that, sir. Happy New Year, right.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Back, catch it, thanks so much. Enjoyed the game to night. Yep,
that's our guy, Jeddian.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Last time we had Jeed on he was at the
was a the PGA where Scotti Scheffler got arrested in
Louisville and he was there.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
He was there for that, so we had him on.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So he's sort of our When the best golf from
the world gets arrested, he joins us. And when Miami
is good and Travis Deel's team is is really good.
And yeah, the the criticisms of the schedule, I think
there's there's a difference between criticism and an observation. You
could observe their schedule and go whole boy non conference.
Just the metrics will tell you as much it leaves,
(11:04):
it leaves a little to be desired. I think that's
the most gentle way I could put it. There's only
so much about that that Travis Steele and his staff
and the athletic department can control. But in MAC play
they've gotten off to a great start. Offensively, they are
fun to watch. Last year's team was a lot of
fun to watch. They should have won the MAC title
game against Akron last year, and yeah, that's it's obviously
(11:26):
about getting to the NCAA Tournament, but Miami hasn't won
a conference regular season championship in twenty one years, and
so don't I don't think anybody should sneeze at that accomplishment.
They are not there yet, and they have a tough
game tonight, but it's it's cool when Miami's good. And
you know, I do remember in the nineteen nineties, as
much as we certainly talked UC and Xavier and Kentucky,
(11:49):
basketball in Indiana was still you know, relevant with Bob
Knight as a kid, Miami was, you know, a bigger
part of the landscape than it has been. And hopefully
Travis is getting it back to where it used to be.
And hopefully they have their name called on selection Sunday,
either as an automatic qualifier or perhaps against all odds,
(12:09):
an at large team. We will see that is obviously
not likely, but still it's cool to see the RedHawks
having the season that they are all right, we got
an hour to go. Five point three seven, four nine,
fifteen thirty. We did all guests in the four o'clock hour,
and now we've got a ton of time to talk
with you.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
We'll hear some Duke Tobina audio, will play the hits.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
We'll talk about what he said and didn't say, and
sort of the message that he sent this afternoon on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports station
And Kevin had a one hour long press conference, which
will play the hits of coming up after the top
of the hour. Tonight an early evening tip off in Toledo,
It's Savage Arena. The undefeated Miami RedHawks Travis Steels team
is sixteen and zero, obviously unbeaten in MAC play. They
battle the Toledo Rockets, who are also unbeaten in MacPlay.
(00:23):
That game is at six o'clock. Miami was good enough
for thirtieth in the latest AP Top twenty five Men's
College Basketball poll. And so you know, we've got Chad
Brendle who joins us to talk about the Bearcats, and
we've got Rick brooring double duty with Xavier and NKU basketball,
and our very own Drew by Drew Wester.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Heidi is our ud guy.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I think we just made Olivia Ray or Indiana University person.
We needed a Miami guy or a Miami person. Jed
Demuci stepped up, formerly of Local twelve, and said, I'll
be that guy. He loves the RedHawks, he's excited about Miami.
I hear he's starting to look at stub Hub for
like Sweet sixteen tickets. Always with us to talk about
Travis Deel's undefeated team, Hi Jet, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Fees are just astronomical on Ticketmaster for these for these
sites with how are you mo? I'm happy to I
will carry the flag for the RedHawks. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Miami was good last year and lost a heartbreaker in
the MAC Tournament title game. Right, That's a game that
they frankly should have won. So I guess it shouldn't
be a huge surprise that they're good this year. But
they're sixteen to er. How surprising is that?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, I think because they were successful last year and
because they really had Akron on the ropes in that
MAC Championship game, I think a lot of teams at
a higher level took notice and kind of didn't want
to put them on the roster because, you know, the
way the quad systems work, the juice didn't really work,
(01:55):
the squeeze to schedule Miami. You know Acron. I think
this year played Purdue, which obviously produce a top opponent,
but a lot of teams that are high mid major
teams I think had a problem scheduling teams at at
a higher level. And Travis Steel has mentioned that he
said it takes two to tango and Miami ended up
(02:15):
with the schedule that you know, Ken Palm says isn't
very good. There aren't a lot of really good max
schedules just because I don't think teams think that it's
worth bringing in Akron and potentially losing. I mean, Kansas
State brought in Bowling Green and lost this year, So
I don't think they're going to be scheduling Bowling Green
anytime soon. So you know, I think a lot of
(02:36):
people will say, oh, you know, Wright State's broadcast when
they were down ten points to Miami said Miami hasn't
played anybody, which a little nonsensical when you're losing to
the team. But you know, Wright State has some nonsensical
things in their past. But I just think when you
look at when you look at what they've accomplished, they
don't have to apologize. I'm sure that Travis understands that
(03:00):
it's a much better way to go about getting tested
before MAC play, getting tested so you can go in
and win the MAC tournament as opposed to being undefeated.
But hey, sitting at sixteen and zero, they figured it
out and they've won in different ways, and you know,
I don't think they should have to apologize for being
(03:20):
where they are.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
If teams aren't gonna play you, there's nothing you can do.
And that's the thing about that, though, is it's not
going to change. I with more success this year, and
you know, we'll see how the rest of the season unfolds.
It it's still early January. It ain't like that's going
to change anytime soon.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, And Miami's used to having to apologize. You know, Sorry,
we have a really beautiful campus. Sorry, we're one of
six schools that has a Super Bowl winning quarterback in
the US President. Sorry, Chuck Martin's really good at his job.
I mean, this is just the latest in a long
line of things that people expect Miami to apologize for.
And again they face adversity losing Evan if So, as
(04:00):
you know, they're the facto leader on the court to
an ACL injury. They just ripped off the red shirt
of Justin Kirby, so they're going through the process of
figuring out who's going to be there when the bell
rings and the MAC Tournament. There hasn't been an at
large team to go to the NCAA Tournament from the
(04:20):
MAX since Miami did it in nineteen ninety nine. And
that's only this that's the second to last appearance Miami
has had in the NCAA Tournament. They went my senior
year as well, thanks to Doug Penno hitting a big
three to send them to the tournament. But Miami's been
to the tournament twice since nineteen ninety nine. So this
is a big deal in Oxford.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So I think in college basketball, at particular at the
level where you know they're mainly one bid leagues, we
don't celebrate winning a regular season conference championship enough because
I don't want to say anybody can win three games
in three days or four games in three days. But
I think the real of a team's quality and debt
and mental toughness is getting through the ten week gauntlet,
(05:05):
playing on the road, surviving the dog days. And so
let's talk about this season in those terms. First, if
there is something that Miami fans should be worried about
as they navigate the max schedule, what is it?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Oh, I mean everybody. I mean they're getting everybody's best
shot Toledo tonight, is I mean Toledo's favored tonight. I
think by a point and a half. They're the model
of consistency. I think Todd Kowalchik, their head coach, has
had seven to twenty win seasons at Toledo, so going
to their place, miam hasn't won at Toledo, I think
since twenty eleven, So todight it's a tough test. You
(05:41):
got Kent State always tough. Buffalo is having a good year.
You know, they only get one shot at Akron, so
I think, you know, there are definitely teams where you
would say you could take a night off, but if
they're going to continue to be undefeated, it's they're going
to get everybody's everybody's best shot. So I mean, the
(06:03):
goal isn't to finish the season undefeated. The goal is
to is really I understand your point, but the goal
is to get back to the tournament and hopefully that's that.
I know that's what Travis is thinking as well.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Is the Miami University community starting to take notice and
get excited because that has been an issue at times
when it comes to men's basketball and football.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Absolutely, And you know, I was at the game. I
was home in in Cincinnati for the holidays when we
went to the Milligan game, which was probably the best
game you could take your five and four year old
son too, because it was just so many points. But
the community, I think, I think the acting game was
(06:50):
really a step in the right direction because you know,
kids aren't back on campus yet, and just from watching
an on TV, it sounded like there it was a
great environment. Travis said as much after the game and
that he was happy that they were packed in and
but I mean, he has seen this come a long
way in the time that coach Steele has been in Oxford.
(07:11):
You know, I think that there's a lot of I
think he had a big sort of oh my gosh,
what did I just do moment when he when he
first started and now the crowd is coming back. The
level of energy for Oxford can be difficult at times,
that's sure. I remember writing comms about that that the
(07:31):
Miami student when you know, the Doug Penno team was
making a run, like more people need to show up.
So that's constantly on the front burner. I'm hoping to
get Rick Rooring excited. I mean, a couple of days
ago you asked him, you said, you said, hey, can
I ask you a question about another team in the area?
And his response His response was who put you up
(07:55):
to this. That's the response you give when you get
startled by an intervention, not when you're asked to talk
about sort of an undefeated basketball team. So hopefully the
you know, the local media can can get a little
fied up about what's going on too.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
That's that's that's why we're having you on. Let me
ask you this because I think of, like, you know,
growing up as a kid and Herb Syndek and Charlie
Coles had the Red the red Skins, the Red Hawks
in the NCAA tournament on a regular basis. I remember
watching them beat Arizona in a in a high school
classroom in nineteen ninety five in the NCAA Tournament. It
(08:35):
felt like Devin Davis. Then obviously you know Wally's Erbiak,
who I watched play when I was in college. Like,
like Miami basketball mattered this century, it hasn't.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
They've had different coaches.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
The Jack Owens thing didn't work out, John Cooper didn't
work out, Travis Steele.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
It is.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Why is it taking so long for that program to
get pulled out of the morass that it was in.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
That's a great question. I mean, I think it takes
that's that's a million dollar question. I think it took
having a guy, and obviously Jack Owens had ties as well.
I thought really that that he was going to be
the guy to kind of get us get Miami over
the hump, and it didn't happen. I think, if you know,
(09:20):
I think David Saylor deserves a lot of credit. I
think Travis deserves a lot of credit for walking directly
out of you know about probably very frustrating, a very
emotional exit from Xavier and taking something like this on.
I don't I don't know that answer, but what I
can tell you is it takes a guy like Travis
(09:41):
Steele who kind of knows. Maybe it's maybe it's being
a head coach before. Maybe it's being a you know,
being in going in the Big East and having those
seasons and having that experience to know that the things
that you're facing you can face when you come to
the MAC and when you have to recruit and when
you know that you're not going to be you know,
(10:02):
the only guy in some kids living room trying to
convince him to come to your school and maybe having
that pressure of being you know, that high level of
the coach and having the humility to come do it
at a smaller level. Maybe that's the secret formula.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
All Right, you're a Miami guy now, so you know
we'll be checking in.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
I appreciate that, sir. Happy New Year, right.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Back, catch it, thanks so much. Enjoyed the game to night. Yep,
that's our guy, Jeddian.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Last time we had Jeed on he was at the
was a the PGA where Scotti Scheffler got arrested in
Louisville and he was there.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
He was there for that, so we had him on.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So he's sort of our When the best golf from
the world gets arrested, he joins us. And when Miami
is good and Travis Deel's team is is really good.
And yeah, the the criticisms of the schedule, I think
there's there's a difference between criticism and an observation. You
could observe their schedule and go whole boy non conference.
Just the metrics will tell you as much it leaves,
(11:04):
it leaves a little to be desired. I think that's
the most gentle way I could put it. There's only
so much about that that Travis Steele and his staff
and the athletic department can control. But in MAC play
they've gotten off to a great start. Offensively, they are
fun to watch. Last year's team was a lot of
fun to watch. They should have won the MAC title
game against Akron last year, and yeah, that's it's obviously
(11:26):
about getting to the NCAA Tournament, but Miami hasn't won
a conference regular season championship in twenty one years, and
so don't I don't think anybody should sneeze at that accomplishment.
They are not there yet, and they have a tough
game tonight, but it's it's cool when Miami's good. And
you know, I do remember in the nineteen nineties, as
much as we certainly talked UC and Xavier and Kentucky,
(11:49):
basketball in Indiana was still you know, relevant with Bob
Knight as a kid, Miami was, you know, a bigger
part of the landscape than it has been. And hopefully
Travis is getting it back to where it used to be.
And hopefully they have their name called on selection Sunday,
either as an automatic qualifier or perhaps against all odds,
(12:09):
an at large team. We will see that is obviously
not likely, but still it's cool to see the RedHawks
having the season that they are all right, we got
an hour to go. Five point three seven, four nine,
fifteen thirty. We did all guests in the four o'clock hour,
and now we've got a ton of time to talk
with you.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
We'll hear some Duke Tobina audio, will play the hits.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
We'll talk about what he said and didn't say, and
sort of the message that he sent this afternoon on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports station
Mo Egger News
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