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December 17, 2025 14 mins
Lance talks with Miami basketball coach Travis Steele about the team's undefeated start and Rich Neumann about the Holiday Hardwood Classic high school basketball tournament.

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Speaker 1 (00:10):
The following takes place between six pm and seven pm.
You want answers.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I think I'm entitled.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
You want answer the truth. You can't handle the truth?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Truth, the truth.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right, let's get right too. It's six oh eight
seven hundred WLWRL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet.
I'm Lance Bacalister. Thanks for being here tonight. Let's jump
right into it. Let's talk about one of the coolest
stories unfolding in college basketball to this point. The Miami
RedHawks eleven and zero for the first time in program
history after a road win at Writes State last night.
Miami won of just seven remaining undefeated teams in all

(00:48):
of college basketball. For more on that, let's welcome in
the head coach. That would be Travis Steele. Hey, congratulations,
welcome to the show as well.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thanks for having me on, Lance.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
You know, I remember we talked a year ago in
the early stages of the season, and right now, you
guys are averaging ninety three a game, your eighth in
the country. You're shooting fifty three percent, seventh best in
the country. You're seventeenth in the country in three point shooting.
Your efficiency is off the charts, and I will always
remember a conversation we had last year where you told
me you had you had the full trust in your

(01:20):
guys offensively, and with that came freedom for them. I
assume that still applies to this group this year.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Absolutely. You know, I think our guys they make the
right plays lance and we allows us to play really
really fast and playing just more concepts, and our guys
really share the ball. And you know, it's different guys
different nights, like for example, last night against Wright State
Grant Buyers at twenty seven career high, you know, aving
Ipsorrow the game before had twenty he had twenty seven.

(01:52):
You know, So it's like different guys, different nights for us,
and the go to guy for us is always going
to be the open guy.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
A lot of talk around your team and it's ramping up.
You're getting votes in the top twenty five. Now, how
do they seem to be handling that? And how do
you address that with them?

Speaker 3 (02:10):
You know, I think number one I told them, like,
you know, again, they're getting everything that they deserve, which
I think is really important to understand. Man, our guys
are very very process oriented, not necessarily focused on the result.
Just can we control the day to day and they
understand listen that there's a bigger picture here too. You know.
It's like we want to be the hunter the hunted,

(02:32):
or the hunter not the hunted. That's so that's the
message you've got to be given our guys, because whoever
we're going to play is always going to We're going
to play in hostile environments and our guys have earned
that right. But we want to be the hunter and
everything that we do and be the aggressor.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
You've had some blowout wins, but recently you've found some
ways to win close road games overtime at unc Asheville
last night, you were challenged in one at the Nutter Center.
How big are those moments that have started to develop
with this team?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think there was a great man for growth. Yeah,
you know, because we're going to be in a lot
of close games this year and especially in league play
and which we're about to start this Saturday at ball State,
and I think they're just great learning moments and you know,
for us, and we have terrific guard play veterans, you know,
Evan Upstarrow, who's a local guy, tough calf product. When
you have him at the point guard position. It makes

(03:23):
you feel pretty good. He's gonna get the ball back
to you. He takes care of it. He's smart, he's tough.
And we got Peter Souters the same way. Luke skaljack
Ian elm Are another local product, Trey Perry another local product.
Just guys that you really trust, that are going to
make the right plays.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Evan Ipsarrow, who you mentioned, leads you almost fifteen points
a game. He's always been a whatever it takes to
win kind of guy. Now his scoring is up about
eight points a game from a year ago. What a
jump he seems to be making.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
He had a terrific, terrific offseason and I'm proud of them,
happy for him. I think he's playing with a ton
of confidence right now. We need him to be aggressive scoring.
It makes us a different team. I think at heart,
he's a guy that he has the ability to make
everybody around him better. You know, he's always going to
make the right plays. And the biggest compliment I can
give Evan is you can't tell after a game whether

(04:19):
he scored twenty seven or whether he scored ten. You
know he's the same guy. He's just happy. He playing
to win. He's all in on just winning, and that's
how he's always been since I've seen him, when he
was playing at Tough Gap.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
You alluded to this, but I think it's worth going
back to. I see eight guys averaging about fourteen minutes
a game, and that's great depth. But to your point earlier,
it's not just depth, it's multiple weapons on different nights
that can step up. That is huge. I mean, if
I'm the opposing team doing a scattery report on you guys,
it's got to be tough.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, you still know who to take away, right, you
don't need to key in on. And I think that
that's the beauty of our team. I've said this before,
but I think we have seven guys. You can make
an argument any of those seven guys could start and
and but again, I think they put the team above themselves.
They understand that we have to sacrifice in order to

(05:11):
get to ultimately where we want to go. And we
have high character guys and they love each other and
they have a true love for each other, and I
think that shows on the court.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
Year ago. You go twenty five and nine, somehow you
get you get hosed and don't get an invite. Is
that is that any part of motivation for this group
or is it different year, different group and different circumstances.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
I mean it is you know, again, we're all human,
and we've used kind of the slogan unfinished business from
last year, and because we do have several guys that
are returning from last year's team, but at the same time,
this is a new group, you know. We have we
have new guys who out of one transfer, we have
five freshmen, you know, so we have a lot of
new guys and we've had it. We're playing a little

(05:56):
bit different maybe than we did last year, just because
our personnels a different We'll get into the free throw
line a lot more because we get better drivers maybe
than we had last year. And guys have developed and
gotten better, and so, you know, we take it one
day at a time, one game at a time. And
I just love the way our guys are just so
process oriented lands you know, they we think about big picture,

(06:19):
but they attacked the day to day.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
I'm incredibly happy for you. It's it's fun watching your
team play the game. Congratulations and keep it rolling. Best
of luck Saturday and Munsey against Ball State.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
All right, take care, Travis.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
Thanks, there you go.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
Travis Steele, head coach Miami RedHawks eighty three seventy six
winners last night eleven and zero for the first time
in program history. Brent Byers led him last night with
twenty seven. They hit ten of nineteen from beyond the arc.
Fifth straight game. They have shot better than fifty percent
from the field five straight games, and for the Sea

(07:00):
as a team, hitting fifty three percent of their shots,
seventh best in all of Division one basketball. Man oh
Man hang type. More to get to, including a big
holiday hoops tournament coming up, and some headlines to get too,
as we roll on with RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented
by Kelsey Cheverlet seven hundred WLW six three seven hundred WLW.

(07:25):
Let's keep it rolling, man, you talk about some big
time hoops coming. Fourth Annual Beacon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Holiday Hardwood Classic Xavier Sentai Center, Saturday, December twenty seventh, Sunday,
December twenty eighth. Twenty two boys and girls varsity teams
from Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton some of the
region's best high school talent. For more on that. Let's
go straight to the source and welcome in Rich Newman.

Speaker 3 (07:47):
Rich.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
How are we doing, Rich, I'm Rich LANs I'm doing great.
Thanks for having me on again. I'm back straight years.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
You got it and man back and bigger and better
than ever. Give us a quick overview of the field
you put together this year, Lance.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
We couldn't be more excited about the field this year.
We've got some of not only the region's best high
school of talent, but frankly the country's best talent. We've
got three five star players in this event for the
first time, and it's going to be the best high
school basketball event I think in the area for sure.

Speaker 1 (08:26):
Give us a quick rundown of each each day activity.

Speaker 3 (08:32):
All right.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
On Friday, December twenty seventh, we start with a girls
game Mount Notre Dame versus Belbrook from Dayton. Boys Sycamore
versus Lasal Newport versus eleven And those are two new
schools to the event. Big game coming up next Princeton
versus Cathedral from Indianapolis. And those who follow high school

(08:55):
hoops know that Princeton sophomore Cam Mercer just transferred back
to Princeton from overtime Elite and he is the number
five overall prospect National League in the class of twenty
twenty eight and then number one shooting guard in his class.

(09:15):
Cathedral's rank number one in Ohio and they have more
college basketball players that have graduated Cathedral at any other
school in Indiana, and that's saying something. Then we follow
up with Near and Dear to our Hearts Anderson High
School versus Mount Healthy, two smaller schools but great basketball programs.

(09:38):
Taylor versus Holy Cross of Covington. And then on Saturday
we start again with a girls game Milford versus Lakota East,
Then boys again Milford versus Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Then
another big one girls maybe the biggest on a slate
team wise, Princeton versus Wynton Woods. Est year, Winton Woods

(10:02):
was the D two undefeated state champ here in Ohio
and Princeton was the runner up in the state in
D one and they both have top top prospects in
Aaron Thomas from Princeton and Dacari Strugberry Blankingcye from winton Woods.

(10:28):
Great matchup, and then two other new teams in the
event Mason versus McNicholas as the nightcap.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
All of this is taking place at Centas Center Saturday,
December twenty seventh Sunday December twenty eighth, and you've got
a cool ticket support deal, kind of a competition. Tell
us about that.

Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yes, we do for the first time, and not only
to obviously gin up ticket sales, but also to be
able to give back to the schools that are participating.
We have a challenge leunge among all the schools in
the event. Each day, the school that sells the most
tickets over one hundred and fifty tickets will get a

(11:09):
five hundred dollars donation to either their booster club or
the charity of their choice. And that's really what this
is all about Lance, for Xavier and for me and
the people that I work with to put this event on.
It's to give back to the community. It's to give
back to the student athletes. Most of the student athletes
that participate in this obviously will never set foot on

(11:33):
a D one college court like the Cintas Center, Big East.
And actually I'm speaking to you alive from the Cintas Center.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
Now.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
I got to get down on my seat tipple off
there pretty soon. But you know, it's a unique opportunity
not just for the players and coaches, but for the cheerleaders,
for the dance teams, you know, for the pet bands,
for the fans, the parents, the grandparents, and neighbors. It's
something where we're very proud of and look forward to

(12:02):
keeping it rolling for as long as as long as
we can.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
Rich last question for you Holiday Christmas obviously coming up, boy,
the tickets to this event would be cool, great stocking
stuff for had listeners get their hands on tickets if
they're interested in going well.

Speaker 2 (12:17):
Two ways. Everything of course today is online, so you
can buy an advance online at the Holiday Hardwood Classic
dot Com thirteen dollars at the advance, sixteen dollars at
the gate day of the event. Those are all day
passes so you see all the games all day, both days.
Parkings included, off fees are included. We think it's a

(12:39):
we think it's a great deal and we'd love to
have everybody come out and watch.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
We we love being a part of it with iHeartMedia
here and love having you on and congrats on the
field you've put together. Enjoyed the hoops tonight with your
with the Musketeers and have a great Christmas. Merry Christmas
and happy Holidays.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Same to you, Lance, Thanks again, Owers.

Speaker 1 (13:01):
You gotta take care Rich all right, bye bye, there
you go, Rich Newman. Fourth Annual Beacon Orthopedics in Sports Medicine,
Hollywood Holiday, hard Wood Classic, the twenty seventh and the
twenty eighth. All right, stick around coming up, Hoops you
see hosting Alabama State, the return of j Gisel, James,
Dan Hordon, Steve Logan. Have a pregame coverage coming up
in a matter of minutes. Xavier's home to Creighton Big

(13:23):
East Opener coverage over on fifty five KR see with
Joe and Byron Nku and a Horizon leag showdown at
at Trust Arena tonight against Oakland and on Fox Sports
thirteen sixty T Higgins. By the way, Bengals note today
remains in concussion protocol. The Dolphins are benching to a
tag of Ola and we'll start rookie quinn ewers against

(13:43):
the Bengals on Sunday. Cyclones in Greenville tonight to take
on those pesky swamp rabbits. I wish I had more time,
I don't, but hoops on the way. Stick around there next,
this has been Arnel Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey
Chevalet seven hundred.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
But you l W you

Lance McAlister News

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