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The NCAA tournament fate of Miami (Ohio) took a turn for the worse Thursday, as the team lost to UMass in the MAC tournament quarterfinal.
The RedHawks finished the regular season a perfect 31–0, but due to their status as a mid-major, a tournament bid is not a guarantee. Former Auburn head coach and current TNT analyst Bruce Pearl had been at the forefront of those speaking out against the Redhawks’ résumé.
“If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion,” Pearl said during a TNT appearance on Feb. 28. “Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country.”
After receiving lots of backlash for his comments, Pearl has reversed course. He even tweeted in support of Miami (Ohio) after its loss.
“In spite of the recent propaganda I’ve always been a mid major guy,” he wrote in a post to X. “I think a 1 loss Miami of Ohio team should get in! I don’t think they are one of the best 37 at large teams, but are 1 of the most deserving Good for the MAC, Cinderella and March madness.”
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi still has the RedHawks receiving an at-large bid to the tournament despite the loss. Miami (Ohio) AD David Sayler spoke with Front Office Sports before the MAC tournament and argued there should be no debate about whether the team should make the Big Dance.
“We’ve got people online talking about how it’s bad for the sport and they’d rather see a 12th-place Big Ten team or an 11th-place SEC team who’s 6–10 in the league,” he said. “And I just completely disagree. I’m not having it. Our team deserves to be in this tournament. And I believe they will be, no matter what.”
No matter what Lunardi or other bracketologists project, Miami (Ohio) will be the most-discussed team leading up to Sunday’s bracket reveal. The RedHawks’ résumé has already been a talking point, with the team having only two Quad 2 wins and not playing a power-conference opponent during the regular season. Additionally, the MAC has not had two teams in the tournament since 1999, putting Miami (Ohio) on the wrong side of history.
The RedHawks will, however, benefit from the bubble being very weak for this year’s tournament. Other teams in contention for the final spots in the bracket include Texas, SMU, and Auburn. The Longhorns and Mustangs have already been eliminated from their conference tournaments, while Auburn is 17–15 and finished 7–11 in the SEC during the regular season.
Miami (Ohio) will officially learn its fate Sunday, when the 68-team field is revealed on CBS.
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