No Division I males’s basketball group has ever missed the NCAA Tournament within the fashionable period after ending its regular season undefeated.
So that ought to do it.
Yes, Miami University will likely be within the 2026 NCAA Tournament no matter what the RedHawks do in subsequent week’s MAC Tournament. Put one other means, Travis Steele’s 31-0 group can lose its quarterfinal recreation in Cleveland to UMass by a billion factors, and if Miami is not nonetheless within the NCAA Tournament, each member of the choice committee ought to resign on the spot.
I’ll hold this easy: Anybody in favor of giving an at-large bid to a power-conference college with 14 or 15 or 16 losses on the expense of group of dudes who simply went 31-0 within the regular season, if Miami had been to want an at-large bid, both works for an influence convention or has sturdy ties to any individual working a bubble group.
The remainder of us know what’s proper.
As you absolutely perceive by now, the RedHawks tried to schedule an entire bunch of high quality opponents to extend the problem of their schedule — however most had been reluctant to conform to a recreation for quite a lot of causes, with the first one being that Miami was returning 4 of the highest 5 scorers from a group that received 25 video games final season. In an period when roster-continuity from one profitable season to a different on the MAC-level is uncommon, Miami had it. Other packages knew it. And that is kind of how the RedHawks ended up with a energy of schedule that ranks 344th nationally, in line with the NET.
That’s not good, clearly.
But, once more, it’s additionally not solely the fault of the RedHawks. And, both means, and I can not emphasize this sufficient, THEY’RE 31-0! And, once more no group has ever missed the NCAA Tournament within the fashionable period after ending its regular season undefeated.
Miami will not be the primary.
The RedHawks stay No. 19 in Saturday morning’s up to date CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 each day school basketball rankings, the place Duke is No. 1 for the 14th straight day. Duke, Michigan and Arizona have already locked-up No. 1 seeds within the NCAA Tournament, in line with CBS Sports Bracketology. The fourth No. 1 seed will seemingly find yourself connected to both Florida or UConn, although Houston and Michigan are additionally technically in play.
