In one of the more shocking twists of March so far, the 31-0 Miami (Ohio) RedHawks lost their first game of the season in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament on Thursday against the Massachusetts Minutemen (16-15).
The game was tied at 37 apiece at halftime, and Miami (OH) even built a near double-digit lead in the second half. However, they squandered it, allowing UMass to climb back into the game and ultimately win 87-83.
Now, with the RedHawks no longer eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, it begs the question of whether they still deserve to make the field despite not having any Quad 1 or Quad 2 wins across their historic 31 victories.
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One college basketball personality who has faced significant heat for his comments about Miami (OH) and its NCAA Tournament resume over the past few weeks is former Auburn Tigers coach and current CBS/TNT analyst Bruce Pearl.
“Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams or are we going to select the 68 best teams?” Pearl said when Miami (OH) was 29-0. “If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country.”
Now, after the RedHawks didn’t win their conference tournament like Pearl believed they had to, he has somewhat changed his tone following Thursday’s loss, saying his final verdict is that Miami (OH) should still be playing in March Madness.
“In spite of the recent propaganda, I’ve always been a mid-major guy,” Pearl said Thursday. “I think a one-loss Miami of Ohio team should get in! I don’t think they are one of the best 37 at-large teams, but they are one of the most deserving. Good for the MAC, Cinderella and March Madness.”
According to Joe Lunardi of ESPN, the RedHawks were projected as an 11-seed heading into Thursday and, even with the loss, could still remain ahead of most bubble teams when it comes to Selection Sunday.
“The RedHawks won 31 straight games before suffering their first loss of the season but are still in the projected bracket as an at-large team,” Lunardi said.
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