March Madness bracket: Miami (Ohio) shuts down doubters with First Four win over SMU

This wasn’t just a victory over SMU. 

It was a victory over the skeptics too. 

After weeks of heated debate over Miami (Ohio)’s NCAA tournament worthiness, the RedHawks seized their opportunity to prove they belong. The team that has inspired 1,000 scorching-hot takes quieted its critics on Wednesday night by taking down SMU 89-79 to advance from the First Four to the NCAA tournament’s main draw. 

Finally free from the target-on-the-back pressure that came with trying to keep an undefeated season alive at the end of MAC play, Miami regained the fearlessness and flow that were its trademarks earlier in the season. The reinvigorated RedHawks hoisted 41 threes and buried 16 of them, building a 14-point cushion with seven minutes left and holding off SMU’s desperate attempts to rally.

By the time Eian Elmer rebounded Jaron Pierre Jr.’s off-target 3-point attempt with 20 seconds to go, it was clear this was Miami’s moment. Miami coach Travis Steele signaled for noise from an already raucous red-clad crowd. The fans who had traveled about an hour from Miami’s campus in Oxford, Ohio, responded with a deafening roar. 

Never again could anyone credibly claim that this 31-win Miami team wasn’t good enough to compete with NCAA tournament-caliber competition. Never again could anyone credibly call the RedHawks a schedule-aided fraud. Regardless of what happens when Miami goes up against sixth-seeded Tennessee and its hulking, physical frontcourt on Friday, the RedHawks have achieved validation.

For years, First Four matchups have seldom generated any buzz since they tip off before fans finish filling out their brackets. Only students and alumni from the participating schools typically can get emotionally invested in watching two middling teams battle for a No. 11 seed in the 64-team main draw.

The matchup between Miami (Ohio) and SMU gave Wednesday night’s First Four doubleheader a little extra juice. There was genuine curiosity among even casual fans whether the RedHawks would fall on their faces or rise to the occasion going up against the strongest opponent they’ve faced all season.

Miami (Ohio) entered Selection Sunday with a gaudy 31-1 record but a résumé unlike any previous NCAA tournament at-large hopeful. The RedHawks piled up those wins against one of the nation’s softest schedules, one that included 19 games against MAC competition, three against NAIA foes and a handful of other non-league matchups against the dregs of Division I. Their lone top-100 victory came at home against Akron. Their next most impressive result was a road win at a Wright State team ranked 134th in the NET rankings. 

Most predictive metrics echoed what analysts like Bruce Pearl and Tyler Hansbrough screamed — that Miami was not of the quality of other contenders for NCAA tournament at-large bids. The RedHawks fell to 87th in Bart Torvik’s rankings and 93rd in Ken Pomeroy’s after unheralded UMass spoiled their undefeated season in the MAC quarterfinals. 

Results-based metrics evaluated Miami more generously. The RedHawks entered Selection Sunday at 28th in Strength of Record and 38th in Wins Above Bubble, better reflecting the challenge of completing the regular season undefeated against any schedule. That put Miami just ahead of NCAA tournament-bound Iowa, Saint Louis and Texas A&M and well ahead of bubble teams with many more marquee wins but also many, many more losses.

When the NCAA tournament selection committee placed Miami in the First Four against SMU, it doubled as an opportunity for the RedHawks to demonstrate they belonged in the main draw. SMU was about as average a power-conference opponent as Miami could have drawn. The Mustangs (20-13) went 8-10 in ACC play and barely slipped into the NCAA tournament despite dropping five of their final six games before Selection Sunday.

Asked on Sunday about Miami (Ohio) being a polarizing selection, SMU coach Andy Enfield told reporters, “Maybe to one or two media people that speak out about them.”

“Some people just need to be quiet on air sometimes,” Enfield continued. I think Miami of Ohio deserves to be there. They're an outstanding team. They share the basketball. They shoot 3s. And to go 31-0 in the regular season is incredible. So I have all the respect in the world [for them]."

It was clear from the opening minutes on Wednesday night that Enfield’s assessment of Miami was spot-on. The RedHawks displayed endless range and unlimited confidence while building a nine-point halftime lead.

Time after time, Miami forced SMU to collapse on the ball in the middle of the floor. Time after time, the RedHawks kicked the ball out and rotated it to an open shooter. Time after time, that player fearlessly let it fly. Miami hoisted 25 shots from behind the arc in the first half. The RedHawks sank 10 of those threes, with Elmer and Brant Byers combining to do most of the damage. 

When SMU adjusted early in the second half by extending its defense and trying to take away the kick-out pass, Miami responded by exploiting holes in the middle of the court. The RedHawks withstood a Mustangs charge early in the second half, then re-extended its lead to double digits with 10 minutes of regulation. 

If anyone looked like it didn’t belong, it was SMU. The Mustangs looked very much like the team that faded down the stretch in ACC play after losing double-digit scorer and two-time all-ACC defense selection BJ Edwards to a late-season ankle injury.

SMU announced two days before Selection Sunday that Edwards was “expected to return to competition and be available for the NCAA tournament.” Selection committee chairman Keith Gill cited Edwards’ return when explaining why the Mustangs received one of the final at-large spots in the NCAA tournament field. And yet there was Edwards on the bench in street clothes as Wednesday’s First Four game was set to tip off. 

Without Edwards, SMU struggled to defend Miami’s array of shooters, nor could the Mustangs impose themselves on the smaller RedHawks inside. 

This was supposed to be the night Miami got exposed by a power-conference team. 

Instead, it turned out to be the RedHawks’ greatest triumph.