Miami Men's Basketball Team to Participate in Inaugural Anaheim Classic

RedHawks One of Five Teams Among Eight-Team Field to Advance to Postseason Play in 2007

Aug. 16, 2007

Anaheim Classic Bracket
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Anaheim Classic Schedule
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ANAHEIM, Calif.--Miami University head men's basketball coach Charlie Coles announced today in conjunction with ESPN Regional Television, Inc., that the RedHawks are one of eight teams to participate in the inaugural Anaheim Classic.

The tournament--which features Southern California, Southern Illinois, Mississippi State, Southern Alabama, UC Irvine, San Diego and Tennessee-Chattanooga--takes place Nov. 22, 23 and 25 at the Anaheim Convention Center. All games are slated be televised on ESPNU or ESPN2. Miami squares off against Southern Alabama at 9:30 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, Nov. 22 on ESPNU and faces either San Diego or Southern California on Friday, Nov. 23.

"We are excited to be a part of this tournament," said Coles. "It gives us a chance to play in a tournament during the regular season, which is good because you want your players to get accustomed to that atmosphere for your conference tournament and hopefully a postseason tournament. This is a strong field with highly-regarded programs, and we look forward to testing ourselves against some great teams."

In addition to the RedHawks, who earned a berth in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, four other teams in the tournament field advanced to postseason play last season. USC and Southern Illinois both advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, while Mississippi State reach the NIT Semifinals and Southern Alabama played in the first round of the NIT.

The RedHawks own a 4-1 record against the tournament field, boasting 1-0 all-time records against Southern Illinois, Mississippi State, UC Irvine and San Diego, while facing Southern Alabama for the first time and potentially Tennessee-Chattanooga for the first time. The last time Miami faced a team from the tournament field was on Dec. 16, 2001, when the RedHawks lost at USC, 59-55, in the lone series meeting between the teams.

Miami returns nine letterwinners, including three starters, from a squad that won the Mid-American Conference Tournament, advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament and forged an 18-15 overall record and 10-6 MAC mark last season.

Highlighting Miami's list of returners is senior forward Tim Pollitz (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf), who was tabbed the MAC Tournament MVP and was a first-team all-MAC selection last season. Pollitz paced the RedHawks in scoring (16.1 ppg) and ranked second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg). He scored 20 or more points 10 times last season, all coming over the RedHawks' final 16 games.

Junior forward Michael Bramos (Harper Woods, Mich./Grosse Pointe North) and sophomore guard Alex Moosmann (Washington, Mo./St. Francis Borgia Regional) are the RedHawks' other two returning starters. Bramos, a versatile player, was named to the MAC All-Tournament Team, averaging 13.0 ppg during Miami's tournament title run and 11.2 ppg for the season. As a freshman, Moosmann orchestrated the RedHawk offense, making 28 starts at the point guard position.