Miami (of Ohio) Belongs in the NCAA Tournament
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Miami (of Ohio) got beat for the first time yesterday in the MAC tournament. Let’s discuss.
This is a big deal because they had won 31 straight to that point. They were the last undefeated team in men's college hoops, and you knew this was coming because of all the close games they've had of late. Hell, they weren't even the Vegas favorites for the MAC tournament, that honor went to Akron. And trying to go into the NCAA tournament undefeated had to be weighing on the players and the coaches. That is a tough thing to do.
They still managed to finish the season at 31-1. They have more regular season wins than Arizona, Duke and Michigan. They went undefeated in the regular season, and the conference season. This hasn't happened since, I believe St Joseph's many seasons ago, when Jameer Nelson was their point guard.
What makes this regular season for Miami (of Ohio) feel different though is the sheer fact that some analysts don't have them as a lock for the NCAA tournament. That baffles me. What else do they have to do to prove they belong? When teams like St Joseph's or Gonzaga or Florida International or any mid-major for that matter have a season this good, even if they play in a notoriously one bid league, they are put in the field no questions asked. But because people like Bruce Pearl go on tv and say some nonsense, we have to have a conversation asking if a team that went 31-1 belongs. That is so stupid to me. Of course they belong in the field. They have 31 wins. They were a top 25 team for most of the season. They blew teams out and won close when they had to. Sure, the MAC isn't a power 4 conference, but still, 31 wins is wildly impressive. You play the schedule, and the job of the team and coaching staff is to win. And Miami (of Ohio) did that and then some.
Because Pearl popped off at the mouth, we have others who apparently think the same way he does, and they think Miami (of Ohio) doesn't belong. It seems that the Bruce Pearl's of the world would rather see a 17-14 Cincinnati Bearcats team because they play in the Big 12. Or they want an 18-13 Indiana team, who was just beat by Northwestern in the Big 10 tournament because of the branding. Pearl seemingly wants a 16-15 Auburn team in the tourney because they were a preseason top 10 team. And maybe it's because he coached there and now his kid is the head coach. As far as mid majors, I bet Pearl would rather have a 24-7 UCF, or a 20-10 San Diego State state team in there because they have had better tournament history. The fact of the matter, at least to me, Miami (of Ohio) has had a better season than any of those teams, and I would pick them to beat any one of those teams were they to get matched up with them in the first round.
I also saw that some who have Miami (of Ohio) in the field have them as high as a 10 seed. That also baffles me. They should be no lower than a 6 seed to me. I feel like a 4 would be ideal. That would put them in the same grouping as teams like UNC, Vanderbilt and Virginia. These are all teams that, to me, are comparable to what Miami (of Ohio) has accomplished this season. This would also pit them against solid competition in round one and two, if they were to get that far, and all fans could see how they stack up against power 4 teams. But the sheer idea that this team shouldn't be in the field, or that if they are put in the tournament they need to be a 10 seed or worse, that is flat out wrong. The audacity to go on television and call this team and this staff out is asinine. Unfortunately we live in a world where hot takes are the norm and no one seems to call people out when they make a claim this stupid.
The committee should do the right thing and put all this talk to rest and let everyone know that Miami (of Ohio) is a shoo in for the tourney, and they will most likely be a 6 seed at the lowest. I do want to say, congrats to the team and staff for what they have accomplished this season. Winning 31 games in the regular season puts them in rare territory, and now they will be mentioned with every other team that finds a way to win 30 plus games in the regular season. That is quite the year.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.