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The Miami (Ohio) RedHawks were one-and-done in the Mid-American Conference tournament, spoiling the last perfect record in Division I men's basketball.
It also put a wrinkle in the team's March Madness hopes.
However, the RedHawks snuck into the Big Dance as a No. 11 seed and will face SMU in the Midwest region.
The RedHawks (31-1) were the fifth men's Division I program this century to go undefeated during the regular season. Now, it's the second to get tripped up in its conference tournament. St. Joseph's lost to Xavier in the 2004 Atlantic 10 quarterfinals but was still a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
We'll see how their story continues and if they can hit a streak at the right time. Miami was the first squad since Gonzaga in 2020-21 to not have a loss going into a conference tournament.
This play-in matchup with SMU will be interesting. Miami was the last at-large team into the tournament. The RedHawks had eight one-possession games during the regular season, including their last three coming into the MAC tournament.
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SMU (20-13) went 2-2 against ranked teams, including wins over North Carolina and Louisville. Miami's extra game comes in Dayton, which is less than 200 miles from campus. There were some doubts about the RedHawks earning an at-large berth. Now they have to prove they belong.
Miami should've been revealed in the last region just to build anticipation. However, this is a great way to get a lot of people to tune into the First Four
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