Miami (OH) gets at-large bid as Auburn, Oklahoma gets snubbed

Miami (OH) basketball sweated through Selection Sunday in wondering its March Madness fate. The loss to UMass in the MAC Tournament placed the RedHawks on the bubble. But now Miami sneaks in over power conference representatives Auburn and Oklahoma.

Miami sparked countless of debates about earning an at-large shot. The MAC representative breezed through an undefeated regular season before falling to the Minutemen in the conference semifinals.

Bruce Pearl rose as the most vocal critic of the RedHawks, believing Miami needed to win its conference to get in. The former Auburn head coach even endorsed the Tigers, who are coached by his son Steven.

But Miami catapults not one, but two Southeastern Conference teams and will face this scenario. 

What lies ahead for Miami (OH) in NCAA Tournament

Head coach Travis Steele and the RedHawks sneak in as a “last four in” team.

That means Miami tangles with another team that faced bubble status in SMU. Both earn No. 11 seeds in the Midwest regional.

The Mustangs were nationally ranked early in the season before losing five of their last six games. SMU fell to Louisville 62-58 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. But in ranking 37th in RPI, SMU gets into the field of 68.

The winner of that first four contest faces Southeastern Conference representative Tennessee on Friday. Miami landed in one of the more intriguing regionals in the 2026 tourney.

Michigan is the top seed in this bracket. Iowa State and Virginia are the No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Miami could face the Cavaliers or No. 14 seed Wright State in the second round if the RedHawks make it that far.

The post Miami (OH) gets at-large bid as Auburn, Oklahoma gets snubbed appeared first on ClutchPoints.