Illinois' Brian Randle, center, is hounded by Miami's Michael Bramos, left, and Tim Pollitz after catching a pass. The RedHawks stunned the Illini, 61-58 in overtime, Thursday in Champaign, Ill. They will play at noon today at Kansas University.

Miami of Ohio basketball coach Charlie Coles, who has won 199 games at his alma mater, is known as a defensive wizard.

“That probably means that I can’t coach offense very well,” the personable 11th-year RedHawks coach said jokingly to Blue Ribbon Yearbook. “Really it’s all about players having a commitment to a plan and being responsible on the court.”

Coles’ (6-4) RedHawks, who stunned the University of Illinois, 61-58, in overtime on Thursday in Champaign, Ill., have allowed 58.5 points a game off 45.3-percent shooting entering today’s noon game at Kansas University.

The RedHawks have held foes under 70 points in 44 consecutive games – the country’s longest active streak. The last time Miami surrendered 70 was in a 73-58 loss to Ohio in the Mid-America Conference Tournament quarterfinals on March 9, 2006.

This season, Louisville managed just 47 points in a three-point home victory over Miami. The RedHawks also have lost to USC (57-53), Dayton (63-62) and Wright State (58-57) and defeated Xavier (59-57), South Alabama (64-59), Mississippi State (67-60), Indiana State (74-58) and Chicago State (74-68).

KU coach Bill Self realizes it will be tough to “hang 70” on the RedHawks, who are effective in a variety of defenses.

“You’d think at home we’d try to create some pace in some way, shape or form,” Self said. “A concern is to not let them totally control tempo. Their defense is sound. It doesn’t break down. They make you make plays to score. They try to take away what you do best.”

On Thursday, Illinois went almost 13 minutes without a field goal in the second half on a night the Illini made 35.1 percent of their shots, just two of 15 threes.

“We deserved this win because of our defensive effort, especially in the second half,” junior forward Michael Bramos told the Oxford (Ohio) Press. “We really played Miami-type defense.”

Bramos, a 6-5 junior, leads the RedHawks in scoring at 19.0 ppg. Tim Pollitz, a 6-5 senior, contributes 17.7 points and 7.1 boards. Bramos scored 19 , while Pollitz had 17 points and 13 boards against the Illini.

“It will be a good game. We look forward to it,” KU senior Russell Robinson said, realizing Miami has not allowed 70 points in a long time. “Not yet, hopefully we can fix that. We’ll have the crowd behind us. We will have to try to get them out of their stuff, make them uncomfortable, get out running, make them play our game. We have a lot of different tools. It comes down to executing.”

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Illinois upset: Miami lost to the Illini, 51-49, a year ago in Chicago after leading much of the game.

“It’s a big win. I’ve always said that as a coach, you always want to play good teams and good coaches, because it sets an example for your team. For us to come in here and play in front of this crowd (of 16,618), it does our team good. So this was a big win. This was a huge win,” Coles told the Oxford paper.

Of Miami’s defense, the Illini’s Shaun Pruitt said: “You have to give them credit. They packed it in. They make you shoot tough shots. Dierkers (Tyler, 6-8 junior) did a better job of trying to fight around (in the second half) and also made me think a little bit when I did get the ball.”

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This, that: Miami’s four losses have come by a combined nine points – two have been by one point on last-second baskets. The RedHawks’ six victories have come by an average of 6.5 ppg. … Bramos scored 36 points against Dayton on Nov. 28. He hit nine of 15 threes, one off the school record of 10. He made seven of his threes the first half. His 36 were most points scored by a Miami player since Wally Szczerbiak hit for 43 against Washington on March 12, 1999. … Miami’s last victory over a ranked opponent was against No. 10 Boston College (73-67) on Dec. 20, 2001, at the Rainbow Classic.. … Coles, 65, who has a degree from Miami, has come back strong since nearly dying from cardiac arrest in March 1998. He is 199-145 at Miami and 291-229 overall as a head coach.