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Miami (OH) made the one mistake they couldn’t afford to make to start the 2026 postseason.
Although the RedHawks finished the regular season with a near-unblemished 31-1 overall record and 18-0 conference record, their unimpressive schedule put pressure on them to at least advance to the MAC Tournament championship to feel confident about their chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament.
Despite leading UMass, their first-round opponent, for much of Thursday afternoon’s contest, they collapsed down the stretch and suffered an untimely 87-83 loss to the Minutemen, destroying their chances of receiving an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
For clarity, the RedHawks should be in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large program, as historically, the selection committee hasn't been keen on snubbing teams that finished the regular season in the AP Top 25 (No. 20)/squads that enter Selection Sunday with 30+ wins.
That said, it isn’t a secret that the committee rarely gives mid-majors ample room for error, and with Miami (OH) having one of the flawed NCAA Tournament resumes in the country, there’s no guarantee they’ll go dancing this season.
In addition to the RedHawks’ non-conference schedule ranking 361st in the country (they played the safe route), Miami (OH) played 15 Quadrant 4 contests, only two Quadrant 2 contests, and failed to play a Quadrant 1 game all season.
If the RedHawks had a few more losses on their resume, they likely would have a slim shot of convincing the committee to include them in the NCAA Tournament. With only one loss, Miami (OH) should be good to go, but it’s never wise for a mid-major program to leave its March Madness fate in the committee's hands.
Hopefully, for the RedHawks’ sake, the committee doesn’t make the surging MAC program one of the biggest snubs in NCAA Tournament history.
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