In a big twist, Miami (OH) basketball has become one of the most talked-about teams in the country in recent weeks, but a lot of the discussion centers around what would happen if the RedHawks eventually lose a game. That has yet to actually happen, as Miami improved to 30-0 on the season with a 74-72 win at home against Toledo.
The RedHawks have been the only undefeated team in the nation for a while now, and now they enter the final game of the regular season with a chance to make history. Head coach Travis Steele and company will go on the road for an in-state rivalry against Ohio on Friday night as they try to complete the dream season.
Toledo had a chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds on Tuesday night, but a steal by Luke Skaljac sealed the deal for win No. 30 on the season.
Only three teams since 1991 have finished the regular season undefeated, and Miami (OH) is looking to add a fourth to that group. 2014-15 Kentucky is the only power conference team to accomplish the feat, with 2013-14 Wichita State and 2020-21 Gonzaga also running the table.
Unfortunately for any Miami fans, that has not meant much for the postseason hopes of those unbeaten teams. Wichita State was upset in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament by Kentucky, while the 2015 Kentucky squad made it all the way to the Final Four before falling to Wisconsin. In 2021, Gonzaga came within one win of perfection before Baylor took out the Bulldogs in the national title game.
Things will get interesting if Miami does end up losing one or more games, either on Friday or in the MAC Tournament. The RedHawks are currently projected to be somewhere around a No. 10 or 11 seed, even if they do win their conference. However, a loss in the MAC Tournament would send them straight to the bubble, where they would be compared with teams that have played much stronger schedules.
Thankfully, Miami excels in the strength of record and wins above bubble metrics, which should help it survive a weak collection of predictive metrics. However, Steele and company will be focused on putting all of that talk to bed with a conference championship.
