‘I feel like we took the building over’
RedHawks deliver in full circle moment for Miami director of Athletics at UD Arena
•
Published
Ron Harper, center, leads the crowd to cheer on the Miami University men's basketball team during the NCAA Tournament. (Scott Kissell photo)
‘I feel like we took the building over’
RedHawks deliver in full circle moment for Miami director of Athletics at UD Arena
•
Published
Wednesday night marked a bit of a homecoming for Miami University’s director of Athletics. As a member of the Miami Valley School’s basketball team, he played a few times at UD Arena, the regular site of the NCAA Tournament’s First Four.
He also was a fan in the stands watching Ron Harper and Miami’s men’s basketball team play Maryland in Dayton in 1985. Maryland, a No. 5 seed in that year’s tournament, edged No. 12 Miami 69-68 in an overtime thriller.
“I was at the Miami-Maryland game here when that guy was dunking on Len Bias,” Sayler said, pointing to Harper, who had a front row seat as Miami faced SMU in this year’s edition of the First Four.
Harper has been one of the RedHawks’ biggest supporters throughout this season, and that feeling is mutual. He received an honorary Miami degree on Jan. 31 as part of the university’s One Miami celebration weekend.
“All of our alums have been fantastic. He’s been really engaged, and it’s great to have him here,” Sayler said. “We’re excited to put on a show for him.”
Did they ever.
No. 11 Miami defeated SMU 89-79, earning a trip to Philadelphia opposite sixth-seeded Tennessee. That game has a 4:25 p.m. tipoff Friday.
Harper is Miami’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder and went on to a standout career in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Harper was a first-round draft pick for Cleveland and won five NBA titles with the Bulls and Lakers. He was also the first player in the Mid-American Conference to surpass 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for a career.
As a high school player, Sayler attended Miami’s annual camp in Oxford. He still keeps a signed basketball he received from Harper at that camp under his desk at Millett Hall.
Wednesday was very much a full circle moment for Sayler. “I’m really excited to be here, and I can’t wait for our young men to deliver on a national stage.”
He was thrilled to see the large Miami contingent at UD Arena. “Just seeing all the red in here, I feel like we took the building over,” Sayler said.
He also was a fan in the stands watching Ron Harper and Miami’s men’s basketball team play Maryland in Dayton in 1985. Maryland, a No. 5 seed in that year’s tournament, edged No. 12 Miami 69-68 in an overtime thriller.
“I was at the Miami-Maryland game here when that guy was dunking on Len Bias,” Sayler said, pointing to Harper, who had a front row seat as Miami faced SMU in this year’s edition of the First Four.
Harper has been one of the RedHawks’ biggest supporters throughout this season, and that feeling is mutual. He received an honorary Miami degree on Jan. 31 as part of the university’s One Miami celebration weekend.
“All of our alums have been fantastic. He’s been really engaged, and it’s great to have him here,” Sayler said. “We’re excited to put on a show for him.”
Did they ever.
No. 11 Miami defeated SMU 89-79, earning a trip to Philadelphia opposite sixth-seeded Tennessee. That game has a 4:25 p.m. tipoff Friday.
Harper is Miami’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder and went on to a standout career in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Harper was a first-round draft pick for Cleveland and won five NBA titles with the Bulls and Lakers. He was also the first player in the Mid-American Conference to surpass 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for a career.
As a high school player, Sayler attended Miami’s annual camp in Oxford. He still keeps a signed basketball he received from Harper at that camp under his desk at Millett Hall.
Wednesday was very much a full circle moment for Sayler. “I’m really excited to be here, and I can’t wait for our young men to deliver on a national stage.”
He was thrilled to see the large Miami contingent at UD Arena. “Just seeing all the red in here, I feel like we took the building over,” Sayler said.
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg.