Saturday, January 29, 2000
Ensminger carries Miami on his (bad) back
Value goes beyond scoring
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The most amazing statistic from Miami's victory over Marshall Wednesday was not Rob Mestas eight-assist, no-turnover night. Nor was it Anthony Taylor's 28-point night, nor Marshall star J.R. VanHoose's no-field-goal night.
It was Mike Ensminger's 40-minute night.
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MIAMI at W.MICH.
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• When: Noon today
• Where: University Arena (5,800)
• Records: MU 10-7 (6-3 Mid-American Conference); WMU 7-10 (3-5)
• TV: Ch.64, Ch.11 (Oxford cable)
• Radio: WCKY-AM (1360), WMOH-AM (1450), WFMG-FM (101.3)
BY THE NUMBERS
• 40.3: Number of minutes per game Rob Mestas is averaging, the most of any Division I player • 24: Number of games in a row Miami's opponents have shot less than 50 percent
• 18.5: Points per game WMU sixth man Tony Braksdale averages
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Ensminger has been troubled by a bad back all season. He missed two games, and still plays wearing a brace.
“Truthfully, it's still not bet ter,” he said. “It's nowhere near where it was when I missed those games. It's to the point where I can play, but I still go to therapy.”
Ensminger, a 6-foot-6 junior from Oak Hills, will be in the starting lineup when the RedHawks play Western Michigan in a noon game today in Kalamazoo.
Against Marshall, Ensminger scored five points, grabbed eight rebounds and was the principal defender on VanHoose.
“That was Mike's best all-around game,” Miami coach Charlie Coles said.
Ensminger is moving better these days — “although I've never been the most mobile guy,” he said — as his back has gotten better.
He is averaging only 4.5 points, but leads the team in rebounding at 6.2 per game. His real value is how he fits into the team concept.
“Mike understands the game so well,” Coles said. “He knows it so well that now and then, he and I don't agree. Mike is very coachable, but he's a risk taker. I'm too old to take risks.”
Ensminger is also extremely competitive, whether or not he's playing one of the MAC's top players such as VanHoose.
“I'm pretty much keyed up for every game,” he said. “I like to face challenges.”
Playing with pain in his back has been his biggest challenge.
“Mike's tough,” Coles said. “A lot of guys couldn't play through what he has. He has a reputation around our league. When they introduce him on the road, they boo him. I like that. That gets us going.”
Coles prohibited Ensminger from shaving his head like last year. “We don't want to get people mad,” Coles said.
But Ensminger's looks are deceiving.
“Mike's got like a 3.85 GPA,” Coles said. “He's a smart guy, and he's a very nice guy.”
Ensminger generally guards the opposition's best big man, even though he's only 6-6. He gave up three inches to VanHoose.
Ensminger's strong play lately has helped Miami move into fourth place overall in the Mid-American Conference. The RedHawks (10-7, 6-3 in the MAC) go to Western (7-10, 3-5) after winning five of their last six games.
“We're confident,” Ensminger said, “but not cocky. We feel like we're capable of beating the best teams in the league. We showed that with Akron and Marshall and even Kent. We could have won that game.
“When we stick together as a team, we can do that.”
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