The Miami RedHawks were an undefeated team this season after 31 straight games. They kept an unbeaten record throughout the regular season and were on track to register one of their most dominant seasons ever.
While a single loss doesn’t tarnish the season they’ve had, the RedHawks lost 83-87 to the UMass Minutemen in a MAC tournament matchup. The RedHawks now have an overall season record of 31-1.
Miami losing its unbeaten status doesn’t only change the fact that there aren’t any undefeated teams left in the country, but it’s also sparking debates on whether the RedHawks will be able to make March Madness.
Even with an unbeaten record, Miami didn’t have a strong resume. Miami is ranked 269th in KenPom in strength of schedule and has an overall ranking of 93. Now with a loss on the sheet, the RedHawks’ March Madness spot might be under threat.
“I do not think the committee at this point will set the new precedent of keeping a team that has 1 loss to their name on Selection Sunday out of the NCAA Tournament,” CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson said.
The RedHawks don’t have a Quad 1 win, and the loss against UMass was a Quad 4 loss. This will severely affect their rankings moving forward. Patterson believes that Miami still deserves a chance.
“I think that it would send a poor message for tournament inclusion in this year to have Miami Ohio, at 31-1, outside of the Field of 68 in favor of loss of teams with a loss count that is just 10 more, 12 more, 13 more. Even more than that, when we’re looking at the situation of Auburn,” Patterson added.
He stated that teams shouldn’t be prioritized simply because they had tougher schedules, when in reality, they’ve lost more games than Miami.
Miami (Ohio) Athletic Director David Sayler on the Big Dance
The conversation around Miami’s chances of making March Madness isn’t new. When they were on an undefeated run, their supporters had a strong argument in favor of the team making it to the Big Dance.
As per Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler, an undefeated season should put Miami in the bracket.
“An undefeated season, it has to matter, right?” he said. “Otherwise, why wouldn’t we just play three days in (the MAC tournament) and the winner goes to the (NCAA) tournament and forget the regular season if you’re not going to take an undefeated team?”
In his opinion, an undefeated run should’ve cemented their place. Even though they’ve lost one game now, it shouldn’t affect the impressive run they’ve had.
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