There is a chance that the only way Miami (Ohio) basketball can earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament is by going undefeated in the regular season, and even then, the squad will be subjected to plenty of scrutiny if it falls in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. All the RedHawks can do right now is stockpile wins and climb the AP rankings, thereby making it harder for the selection committee to leave them out of the 68-team bracket. They continued that mission on Tuesday night.
No. 22 Miami (OH) overpowered UMass for an 86-77 road victory and is now a perfect 26-0 on the campaign. Peter Suder recorded a game-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting with two steals, while Luke Skaljac added 16 points and seven assists. Although the RedHawks scored less than their NCAA-leading 92.6 points per contest, they still earned a straightforward win in Amherst. There were defensive lapses, however.
The visiting squad allowed the Minutemen to shoot 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the 3-point line, continuing a trend that has concerned some fans. Many people assume that a soft schedule is the only reason why Miami (OH) is ranked outside the top-80 in the KenPom ratings, but a leaky defense is certainly a contributing factor.
RedHawks head coach Travis Steele will have to figure out a way to remedy this weakness and maximize the team's March Madness prospects. Even so, Miami (OH) basketball obviously has much to be proud of this season. Their historic campaign continues on Friday against Bowling Green (16-11).
