Miami (Ohio)'s March Madness run is over, but it won't be forgotten

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Miami (Ohio)'s March Madness run is over, but it won't be forgotten

Miami (Ohio)'s March Madness run is over, but it won't be forgotten

Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORK · USA TODAY Sports

Fri, Mar 20, 2026 ·

5 min read

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For the better part of the past month, the most hyper-analyzed and breathlessly discussed team in men's college basketball wasn't in Lexington, Kentucky or Lawrence, Kansas or on North Carolina 's famed Tobacco Road.

It was a mid-sized state school in southwest Ohio that wasn't even picked in the preseason to win its own (typically) one-bid conference and had gone nearly 20 years without an NCAA Tournament appearance.

When the 2025-26 season tipped off back in early November, few people outside of Oxford, Ohio could have imagined Miami (Ohio) would become one of the defining teams and storylines nationally by the time March Madness rolled around, yet there the RedHawks were, winning game after game and doing what only some of the most iconic squads in the sport's modern history had been able to pull off.

March Madness scores: See the big shots, moments, highlights in today's first round

That inspired run ended Friday, March 20, with Miami suffering just its second loss of the season, a 78-56 blowout at the hands of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia.

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)

Kansas Jayhawks cheerleaders perform before a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the St. John's Red Storm at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, Calif.
(Denis Poroy, Imagn Images)

Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

(SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.

(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

VCU Rams fans react after a 3-pointer by Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)

Howard Bison cheerleaders perform during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Keybank Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

BYU Cougars cheerleader in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is seen in the crowd against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Mar 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Texas A&M Aggies cheerleaders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

Texas Longhorns band in the first half against the BYU Cougars during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

St. John's Red Storm mascot Johnny Thunder mixes with players prior to taking the court during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 19, 2026 in San Diego, California.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers fans cheer during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers cheerleaders react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images)

The North Dakota State Bison mascot and cheerleaders pose for a photo before the game against the Michigan State Spartans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during a time out during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

A view of Buddy the Street Dog as Queens University of Charlotte Royals guard Yoav Berman talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on March 19, 2026.
(Jeff Le, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers band performs prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders preform during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The South Florida Bulls mascot performs during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleaders perform in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)

The Troy Trojans mascot dances on the floor during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, William Purnell-Imagn Images)

The UCF Knights band performs during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 19, 2026 in Philadelphia.
(Bill Streicher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader performs during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Akron Zips fans in the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders in the first half against the Akron Zips during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Santa Clara Broncos fans react to game play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St. Louis, MO.
(Jeff Le, Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

Akron Zips cheerleaders and mascot in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Wright State Raiders fans celebrate after a Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch (22) scores during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.
(Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)

Hofstra Pride cheerleaders in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Garth Noble of the Louisville pep band is amped at the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness basketball tournament at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. March 21, 2026.
(Matt Stone/Courier Journal)

Michigan head coach Dusty May high-fives players after 95-72 win over Saint Louis at the NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
(Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish band and spirit squad cheer during the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament against the Fairfield Stags at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 21, 2026.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)

What happened across an ill-fated 40 minutes, though, did nothing to diminish the five months that preceded it.

The RedHawks became just the fifth Division I team since 1980 to start a season 30-0, joining the star-studded likes of 1990-91 UNLV and 2014-15 Kentucky. The fact those historical peers had significantly more next-level talent only added to Miami's charm. A roster made up largely of once-overlooked recruits came together to play one of the more beautiful forms of basketball of any team in the country, an offensively explosive outfit that played at a frenetic pace, spread opponents out and knocked down shots at a dizzying rate.

In an age when mid- and low-major programs largely exist as feeder systems for college basketball's biggest and richest schools, the RedHawks were a heat-warming anachronism, a group of players who came into the program, developed, improved and, perhaps most impressively, stayed. Of the 15 players who logged at least one minute for Miami this season, 12 began their careers at the school. Five of the top six scorers from a 25-win team the previous season came back, almost certainly spurning more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. And it was all coming under the direction of a coach in Travis Steele who, after stumbling as a head coach at the power-conference level, has made the most of a second chance.

At some point, an inspiring story became something decidedly more polarizing.

As the RedHawks inched closer to an unblemished regular season, debates began over their NCAA Tournament hopes. Their poorly rated nonconference schedule and subpar predictive metrics were nitpicked. Their series of tight wins drew skepticism. If they lost even just once and didn't earn the Mid-American Conference's automatic bid to the Big Dance, did they deserve a spot in the 68-team bracket? To some extraordinarily outspoken individuals, the answer was a firm "no."

Despite Bruce Pearl's best and most nakedly shameless efforts , and even after a loss to UMass in the MAC quarterfinals, Miami heard its name called on Selection Sunday, earning one of the final at-large spots and a trip to the First Four in Dayton that may as well have been a challenge from the NCAA tournament selection committee — if you really belong in this event, you'll have the chance to prove it.

And, surely enough, they did.

Steele's men of steel drained 16 3-pointers and knocked down 39% of their shots from beyond the arc to beat a high-scoring SMU team by double digits and pick up the program's first NCAA tournament win since a Wally Szczerbiak-led run to the Sweet 16 in 1999.

"I think we do belong here," Peter Suder , the team's leading scorer, said Thursday heading into the first-round game . "I think we showed that last night especially, but just don't count us out."

Two days later, they ran into a wall, taking on a bigger, more physical and more talented Tennessee squad that was as bad of a matchup on the court as it was on paper, outrebounding Miami by a 42-25 margin, limiting its effectiveness from 3 and holding it to a season-low 56 points.

For all but one team, the college basketball season ends in disappointment, but for some, success isn't wholly defined by national championship or Final Four banners. For months, as Miami's resume was relentlessly dissected, the RedHawks (and results of Freedom of Information Act requests) insisted that teams from the sport's major conferences were unwilling to schedule them. They weren't alone in that struggle. High Point, as coach Flynn Clayman made sure to note after his team upset No. 5 seed Wisconsin on Thursday, faced similar issues.

All that schools like them asked for was a chance in a sport that increasingly seems like it's stacked against them and designed to kill stories like theirs before they even get the chance to begin. But in the NCAA Tournament, when there's no hiding behind a cautious scheduling philosophy, those chasms between the haves and have-nots have a beautiful way of disappearing.

While Miami came up well short against Tennessee, it showed that it earned the right to be there. And, as its coach sees it, its hard-earned place in the sport has staying power.

"My goal is to get this thing to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament," Steele said after Friday's loss. "We will be back. I'm very very confident on that"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Ohio basketball's season is over, but it won't be forgotten

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Miami (Ohio)'s March Madness run is over, but it won't be forgotten

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