All articles tagged with #miami ohio
Miami (Ohio) upset SMU 89-79 in the First Four to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in 27 years. The 11th-seeded RedHawks, who went 32-1 in the regular season, will face Tennessee in the Midwest Region after Eian Elmer poured in 22 points (including 6-of-9 from 3) and Brant Byers added 19 as Miami overcame early doubt from a MAC tournament loss and a lengthy at-large bid debate.
Miami (Ohio) pulled away to beat SMU 89-79 in the NCAA Tournament First Four in Dayton, signaling their March Madness bid and momentum heading into the tournament.
SMU earned the final at-large bid expecting star guard B.J. Edwards to play, but he did not suit up in the First Four, contributing to an 89-79 loss to Miami (Ohio); the outcome sparked questions about whether the committee was duped, though coach Andy Enfield said there was no wrongdoing and pointed to Edwards' injury and SMU's overall metrics as justification for the bid.
Miami (Ohio) defeated SMU 89-79 in the NCAA Tournament First Four, earning the RedHawks their first NCAA win in 27 years as Eian Elmer scored 22 on 6-of-9 3-pointers. They advance to face Tennessee in the Midwest Region, while SMU’s bid ends after a Big-7 performance with 20 points from Jaden Toombs. Miami’s sharp shooting and timely threes helped offset SMU’s size advantage, and coach Travis Steele praised the team's attacking mindset as proof they belong in the tournament.
Miami (Ohio) rolled past SMU 89-79 in the First Four behind Eian Elmer’s 22 points to advance the 11th-seeded RedHawks (32-1) to a Midwest Region clash with Tennessee, capping their 27-year NCAA Tournament drought despite a schedule skeptics cited; Brant Byers added 19 and Luke Skaljac 17 as SMU’s Jaden Toombs led with 20 points. In the nightcap, Prairie View A&M beat Lehigh 67-55 to become a 16-seed and earn a date with Florida, led by Dontae Horne’s 25 and Cory Wells’ 19 as Lehigh’s Nasir Whitlock struggled.
Miami (Ohio) upset SMU 89-79 in the First Four, riding a 3-point-heavy attack (16 of 41) and 23 points from Eian Elmer to earn the RedHawks their first NCAA Tournament win since 1999; SMU was without guard B.J. Edwards due to an ankle injury. In the other First Four game, Prairie View A&M defeated Lehigh 67-55 to advance to the tournament’s first round, securing the program’s first NCAA win in school history behind 25 points from Dontae Horne as Lehigh’s Nasir Whitlock was held to five.
Miami (OH) upset SMU 89-79 in the NCAA Tournament First Four at UD Arena, earning the RedHawks their first NCAA win since 1999 and a date with Tennessee in the Round of 64. The MAC champions leaned on a 3-point barrage (16 total) led by Eian Elmer’s 23 points, with Brant Byers (19) and Luke Skaljac (17) also delivering big outputs as Miami shot well from deep.
Miami (Ohio) defeated SMU 89-79 in the First Four to reach a Philadelphia date with Tennessee, led by Eian Elmer (23), Brant Byers (19) and Luke Sklajac (17) as the RedHawks drilled a school-record 41 3-pointers. Prairie View A&M then captured its first NCAA Tournament win by beating Lehigh 67-55, with Dontae Horne pouring in 25 after halftime and Cory Wells adding 19 points and 11 rebounds, setting up a Florida showdown in Tampa as Lehigh struggled to sustain offense.
Duke earned the No. 1 overall seed and leads a favored field alongside Arizona entering the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament, as both programs posted strong seasons and title aspirations. Cinderella contenders highlighted include Miami (Ohio), which opens in Dayton as a First Four participant against SMU with the winner facing Tennessee, and VCU, the No. 11 seed from the Atlantic 10 that draws North Carolina in the opener and could later meet Illinois or Penn before a potential date with Houston. Despite tough paths, the piece identifies these programs as possible surprise runs in a wide-open bracket.
Miami (Ohio) earned an at-large invitation to the 2026 NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed with a First Four date against SMU, despite going 31-0 in the regular season but never playing a quad-one game. The bubble was exceptionally weak, limiting true snubs, and the committee’s decision was viewed as largely correct. The pick may set a precedent for mid-majors pursuing at-large bids in the future, as other teams like Oklahoma, Auburn, San Diego State, and Indiana missed out while Miami capitalized on the overall bubble softness.
Miami University (Ohio) earned a No. 11 seed as a First Four at-large after finishing 31-0 but losing in the MAC tournament, saving the last undefeated team from the bubble; they’ll face SMU in Dayton for a spot in the Midwest Region, with the winner hoping to meet Tennessee, while Akron grabbed the MAC automatic bid.
In this NCAA tournament bubble watch, Miami (Ohio) looks safely in despite an early MAC tournament exit, thanks to a 31-1 resume and strong metrics, while Auburn’s 17-16 record and lack of top-tier wins put their at-large bid in jeopardy as Selection Sunday approaches and analysts weigh bid-stealers and other bubble contenders across conferences.
USA TODAY’s bracketology shows the NCAA tournament bubble shifting: Miami (Ohio) remains in the at-large mix but slides to the play-in line after a MAC quarterfinal loss, while Auburn, Missouri, and Indiana stumble in conference tournaments; Oklahoma makes a late push with key wins; San Diego State and New Mexico remain contenders in the Mountain West; the last four in are Santa Clara, VCU, SMU, and Miami (Ohio), with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Auburn, and Indiana as the first four out.
An opinion piece arguing that the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks’ 31–1 season should secure an NCAA tournament bid, criticizing the current bubble-driven process and urging the committee to reward undefeated regular seasons and mid-major merit over schedule strength, with Miami expected to be named on Selection Sunday.
Miami (Ohio) saw its immaculate 31-0 start end with an 87-83 MAC Tournament quarterfinal loss to eighth-seeded UMass, blowing an 11-point lead with 8:33 remaining. The RedHawks enter Selection Sunday on the NCAA bubble due to a weak non-conference schedule and middling NET/KenPom rankings, with projections placing them around an 11 seed; Bruce Pearl publicly questioned their at-large viability, prompting a sharp reply from Miami's athletic director as the team awaits its NCAA fate.