Miami (OH) punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday after beating SMU, 89-79, in the First Four at UD Arena.
It was a tight contest throughout, but the RedHawks did enough in the closing minutes to claim the victory and enter March Madness for the first time since 2007.
After the game, Miami (OH) coach Travis Steele let the entire nation know that they should not be taken lightly, even though they did not get an outright berth.
“We more than belong. We can advance deep into this tournament. Our group is fully confident in that. Fully confident,” said Steele in an interview with TNT Sports.
"Oh, we belong. We can advance deep into this tournament." – @MiamiOH_BBall HC Travis Steele 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JJ7YbxsGuE
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 19, 2026
Eian Elmer starred for the RedHawks with 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting from long distance. Brant Byers also had a strong performance with 19 points and four rebounds. Luke Skaljac added 17 points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
They got the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Regional and will face No. 6 Tennessee in the first round.
Before facing the Mustangs, the 44-year-old Steele, who has been with the RedHawks since 2022, was positive about their chances, noting that playing in Dayton would be like a home game for them. It sure felt that way, especially after they secured the victory.
Underdog stories in the NCAA Tournament have been aplenty, and Miami (OH) is looking to add to the count and bounce back from its early exit in the MAC Tournament.
The RedHawks are hoping to join LSU (1986), George Mason (2006), VCU (2011), and Loyola Chicago (2018) as the only 11th seeds to enter the Final Four.
