Bruce Pearl changes tune, believes Miami (OH) should make NCAA Tournament after loss

In late February, former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl brewed controversy when he posited that Miami (OH) shouldn’t receive an NCAA Tournament bid if it lost in the MAC Tournament. After concluding their regular season with a 31-0 record, the Redhawks fell to UMass in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.

The unexpected loss will put the NCAA Tournament selection committee in a difficult spot if other bubble teams perform well in their respective conference tournaments. Shortly after Miami (OH) suffered its first loss of the season, Pearl retracted his previous comments about the team’s postseason fate.

“In spite of the recent propaganda I’ve always been a mid major guy. I think a 1 loss Miami of Ohio team should get in!” Pearl wrote on X. “I don’t think they are one of the best 37 at large teams, but are 1 of the most deserving Good for the MAC, Cinderella and March madness.”

While Pearl now believes Miami (OH) should receive a ticket to the Big Dance, he maintained that Miami (OH) isn’t one the best at-large teams. This exact point is what Pearl hinged his initial argument on.

“Miami (Ohio), here’s the deal,” Pearl said during a Big East college basketball studio show for TNT Sports. “Are we selecting the 68 most deserving teams? Or are we going to select the 68 best teams?

“If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country. And that’s going to be a difficult choice for the committee to make.”

Bruce Pearl received backlash for his comments, with many college basketball fans claiming that he is biased due to his ties to Auburn. Miami (OH) athletic director David Sayler added to this chorus of criticisms.

“@coachbrucepearl u are flat out wrong about @MiamiOH_BBall when u say we would finish last in the Big East. The disrespect is awful and u should not be near a TV studio covering this sport when u show your true colors!” Sayler wrote on X. “Even slipped in a ‘we’ when talking about Auburn, nice work!”

For now, Miami (OH) is still listed as a “last four in” team in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s bracketology. The NCAA Tournament selection show will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.