Miami's season came to a close following its 61-45 loss in the opening round of the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament to Tulsa on March 19.

The CBI appearance marked the fourth straight season that the RedHawks have been in the postseason following an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007 and consecutive trips to the NIT in 2005 and 2006. It was also the RedHawks' MAC-record 24th postseason appearance.

As has become their annual custom, the RedHawks did not shy away from a challenging slate of nonconference games.

Miami played one of the most competitive schedules in the country with its nonconference schedule ranked the seventh-toughest in the nation. The RedHawks claimed a win over Xavier to start the season and dropped close contests to Dayton and Louisville before upsetting Big Ten conference finalist Illinois on the road. But the RedHawks' nonconference slate did not translate to conference success as Miami went a combined 0-6 against the MAC's top three seeds, Kent State, Akron and Western Michigan.

While Miami is left to ponder whether its annual trek through one of the nation's most treacherous schedules was beneficial in the long run, there appear to be more pressing concerns on the immediate horizon.

Head coach Charlie Coles, who has become the face of Miami basketball over the past 12 years at the helm of the Miami program, was unable to coach the RedHawks in their final six contests as he recovered from heart surgery. Coles' health has been a bit tenuous following a heart attack suffered during a game in 1998 followed by surgery, and his future status is unknown.

Associate head coach Jermaine Henderson assumed the reigns of the Miami hoops program on an interim basis during Coles' absence and posted a 4-3 mark. In the team's seven games under Henderson, a shift in strategy was noticeable with Henderson preferring to press the pace of play, possibly signaling a slight change in strategy should Coles decide not to return. Make no mistake about it, the decision to return will rest with Coles.

While the RedHawks continue to be among the MAC's most consistent performers, it appears that significant changes may be occurring in Oxford.

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