SMU basketball faced long odds to enter March Madness. The Mustangs earned bubble status two days before Selection Sunday, with Auburn called to make it over them. Well, SMU snuck in over the Tigers and then took a dig at Bruce Pearl.

Pearl emerged as a fierce backer of his former team and son Steven, the head coach of Auburn. The ex-Tigers head coach Pearl even declared Auburn in over SMU before the 68-team got unveiled.

SMU's basketball account clearly heard that. They took to the social media website X, formerly Twitter, to light into the past Final Four head coach.

SMU managed to make it in as a “first four” team.

What lies ahead for SMU in NCAA Tournament

Louisville Cardinals guard Adrian Wooley (14) with the ball as Southern Methodist University Mustangs center Samet Yigitoglu (24) defends in the second half at Spectrum Center.
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

SMU helps get the '26 version of the madness going on Wednesday.

But standing in the way is a one-loss team, let alone one facing their own bubble status before getting in.

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Miami (OH) is the Mustangs' opening opponent. Like SMU, Pearl also didn't believe the RedHawks deserved an at-large bid over Auburn.

But the MAC representative will take on the representative out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. This matchup rises as one of the more highly-anticipated first four games of the NCAA Tournament.

The Mustangs present a high-powered offense under Andy Enfield that led to 84.2 points per game. They're a top 20 team in shooting efficiency. Yet even Enfield defended the opponent SMU is facing amid Miami (OH)'s tournament chances.

“Some people just need to be quiet on air… I think Miami of Ohio deserves to be there. To go 31-0 in the regular season is incredible,” Enfield told reporters.

The winner faces Southeastern Conference representative and No. 6 seed Tennessee in the Midwest regional.