What's Happening?
Despite an impressive 27-0 record, the Miami (Ohio) men's basketball team may still miss the 2026 NCAA tournament. The team's undefeated status is overshadowed by their mid-major schedule, which lacks top-quality wins. This situation highlights the challenges
faced by smaller conferences in securing tournament spots. The team's strength of schedule is ranked 295th nationally, which could impact their selection despite their perfect record.
Why It's Important?
The potential exclusion of Miami (OH) from the NCAA tournament raises questions about the fairness of the selection process for mid-major teams. It underscores the importance of strength of schedule in tournament considerations, which can disadvantage teams from smaller conferences. This situation could prompt discussions about the need for changes in the selection criteria to ensure that deserving teams are not overlooked due to their conference affiliations.
What's Next?
Miami (OH) will need to focus on winning their conference tournament to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The team may also need to consider scheduling more challenging non-conference games in future seasons to improve their strength of schedule. The NCAA selection committee will face scrutiny over their decision-making process, which could lead to calls for reform in how mid-major teams are evaluated.
