Undefeated Miami (OH) could still miss the NCAA men's basketball tournament

Yahoo Sports Daily hosts Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz explain how a currently undefeated Miami (Ohio) men’s basketball team could still miss the 2026 NCAA tournament. Watch the full episode of Yahoo Sports Daily on YouTube or YahooSports.TV.

Video Transcript

Miami of Ohio is 27 and 0 this year, okay?

They are undefeated, right?

But they are not a lock to go dancing, because even though they are undefeated, and even though they’re number 21, they are one of those schools that’s in a situation, Caroline, where a faulty conference tournament could end up with Miami of Ohio on the outside looking in.

So this is part of the reason people look at these things and say, “Well, we’ve gotta protect a way to, to make sure that Miami, the Miami of Ohio’s get in.”

I, I’ve long since said this: I think the conference tournaments in college basketball, for smaller, mid-major conferences, I think they are a bad thing, not a good thing.

I understand the revenue that they generate, that’s a good thing.

But at the end of the day, I think small conferences need to put their best foot forward every single time.

As you know, and we’ve talked about, I lived in Nashville for a very long time.

I was friends for a very long time with the former head coach of Belmont Men’s Basketball.

I watched that team every year just get puckered up in the conference tournament, because while they were clearly the most dominant team in their mid-major, if they don’t win their conference tournament, they ain’t going to the thing.

That’s bad for the conference, because the far- the better you send a team, the better chance you have of winning a game that’s actually good for these mid-majors.

So look, I, I, I get all of this controversy around Miami of Ohio right now.

We are looking at just the, the might could, the if come, of, “Oh, it doesn’t work out, Miami of Ohio gets left out.”

Let’s not get it twisted, that’s not why they’re looking at expansion, though.

Yeah, I mean, i- if you I don’t think it’s fair to use Miami of Ohio as an ex- as an excuse or a reason to expand this thing.

Let’s say Miami of Ohio does not win their conference tournament.

Let’s say Miami of Ohio is missing out on the tournament altogether.

I don’t think that’s an indictment on the process.

Miami of Ohio has the 295th-ranked strength of schedule, and there’s gonna be different websites that show you different numbers, but they’re hovering right around 290 to, like, 305, of 321 teams nationally.

If you have the 295th-ranked strength of schedule, I have a really hard time feeling too bad for you.

Because let’s look at some bubble teams.

Virginia Tech, right now, where things stand, is a bubble team.

Virginia Tech has the 28th-ranked strength of schedule.

Ohio State, right now, where things stand, is a bubble team.

Ohio State has the 31st-ranked strength of schedule.

The committee is tasked I- it has a really, really difficult job.

And I do feel for Miami of Ohio, I really do, because no big-time Power Four program is gonna wanna schedule Miami of Ohio, because they’re a really good mid-major.

Beating Mia- Miami of Ohio doesn’t really do much for your resume, and losing to Miami of Ohio could crush your resume, so nobody wants to even put themselves in that position.

So I do feel for them in that right, but still, who you play and your strength of schedule has to matter.

Undefeated Miami (OH) could still miss the NCAA men’s basketball tournament

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