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Tyler Hansbrough blasts Miami-Ohio's inclusion in 2026 NCAA Tournament field

Byington mugby: Alex Byington03/16/26_AlexByington

Selection Sunday delivered plenty of controversy this year, especially after previously undefeated Miami-Ohio made the 2026 NCAA Tournament field despite not winning its conference’s automatic bid. The RedHawks (31-1) made this year’s 68-team field as one of the Last Four In, which meant other bubble teams such as Auburn and Oklahoma wound up on the outside looking in.

And while NCAA Tournament selection committee chair Keith Gill made it clear Miami-Ohio wasn’t the last team in the field, the inclusion of a second MAC team ruffled some feathers around the game, including from those who just a week ago claimed the RedHawks had done enough to make it in.

Miami-Ohio’s argument for inclusion centered around its place as college basketball’s last remaining undefeated after closing out the regular season with a perfect 31-0 record. Of course, the RedHawks’ record is no longer perfect after suffering an 87-83 loss to UMass — their first of the season — in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.

Given that reality, many detractors believe Miami-Ohio’s inclusion in the NCAA Tournament field was a mistake by the selection committee, including North Carolina legend Tyler Hansbrough. The 40-year-old 2009 national champion and three-time first-team All-American made his feelings clear Sunday evening with The Field of 68.

“Nah, I don’t think they should’ve made the tournament, and the reason I say that is their strength of schedule is pretty weak. What is it? Let’s see here, 339th, no Quad 1 wins,” Hansbrough said on The Field of 68’s Selection Sunday Marathon. “We had a Quad 1 win debate last year whenever Carolina got in there, but we had a much stronger schedule. And quite honestly, I think these other teams, maybe Oklahoma or somebody that kind of came on a little bit towards the end, or teams in bigger conferences that actually have a legit chance that didn’t schedule D-II schools in their pre-conference schedule, I feel like they should’ve been rewarded.

“And if we haven’t learned anything from the College Football Playoffs, realistically, is Miami of Ohio a contender? Absolutely not. I have them losing in the play-in game.”

Miami-Ohio plays fellow 11-seed SMU — the true final team in the field — in a First Four play-in game at 9:15 pm ET Wednesday from Dayton, Ohio, for a chance to make the opening weekend of action. And many, like Hansbrough, aren’t giving the RedHawks much of a chance to even make it out of Dayton, let alone make any legitimate tournament run.