For the past month, the college basketball media has been fixated on an inane question. Should Miami of Ohio, who was undefeated until losing to UMass by four in their first game of the MAC conference tournament, be invited to the Big Dance?
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The argument against Miami was that they hadn’t played any strong opponents. The argument for them was a stronger one. They won all 31 games they played in the regular season, something only five other teams have done since 1976.
On Selection Sunday, the RedHawks had to sweat out whether or not they’d make the field over teams like 17-16 Auburn. In the end, they got in by the skin of their teeth, and were faced with the indignity of having to play the First Four in Dayton just to make it to the final 64.
Anyone that watched last night’s 89-79 win over SMU now has to realize that Miami of Ohio is for real, and absolutely deserved a spot in the field. On First Take this morning, Stephen A. Smith hammered that point home.
“There shouldn’t have been too many doubters,” Stephen A. said. “They weren’t justified … We can’t have a 68-team tournament and a team that goes undefeated for the entire damn regular season can’t make the tournament.”
Power conferences have been lobbying for more at-large bids at the expense of smaller schools like Miami, but last night’s win struck a blow for the little guys. The RedHawks not only played with SMU, they overwhelmed them stylistically. While the Mustangs controlled the paint, Miami bombed away from 3-point range, making 16 3s to just five by SMU.
If the jerseys were blank, it would have been impossible to tell which was the mid-major school and which was the ACC school. Miami battled SMU to a draw on the boards, and whereas some smaller teams try to slow the game down and limit possessions to increase their chances, the RedHawks ran and pushed the envelope at every opportunity. They got to the free throw line more often, dished more assists, and had fewer turnovers.
“They deserve credit where credit is due, props to them,” Stephen A. said. “I think that the coach was absolutely right when he said this wasn’t an upset. He put you on notice. We believe we belong here, and we deserve this opportunity. And they answered the call and I give credit where credit is due for that.”
Miami will now face 6-seed Tennessee on Friday in what should be another highly entertaining tilt. After seeing what they did to SMU, the Volunteers definitely won’t be taking them lightly. Can you be a Cinderella when you’ve already won 32 games? We’re about to find out.
