Pipe down, Bruce Pearl. Miami Ohio shows it belongs in March Madness

We really needed more proof, huh? Well, now we have it.

Miami (Ohio) belongs.

Not just in the First Four, but in the 64-team bracket most of us consider to be the real tournament.

The selection committee put Miami on the doorstep. Good enough. The RedHawks moved SMU out of the way and busted down the door en route to the first round.

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In winning a First Four game, 89-79, with blistering shooting, Miami served more proof – seriously, why did anyone think we needed more proof? – that the best midmajor teams belong in the NCAA Tournament, even if they don’t win their conference tournament.

Miami poured in the points and buried one 3-pointer after another, one night after Texas and N.C. State piled up bricks. As Miami’s fans reveled in the stands after the latest deep bomb, it occurred to me that this was the most entertaining the First Four has ever been in 15 years of its existence in Dayton, Ohio.

Bruce Pearl pretends he ‘expected’ this performance from Miami (Ohio)

And all Bruce Pearl could do was chuckle like a cartoon character at halftime, with a silly grin on his face, after Miami drilled 10 first-half 3-pointers.

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“This is kind of what we expected to see,” Pearl said.

Sure you did, Bruce.

Some of us might have expected this, but you didn’t. At least, Pearl acted as if he didn’t think much of Miami as he shilled for Auburn, which employs Pearl and his son.

Using his TNT-provided stage as a pulpit for propaganda, Pearl repeatedly trashed Miami leading up to the Tournament, shamelessly feigning that an Auburn team (coached by Pearl’s son, I’m sure that’s a coincidence) that barely finished above .500 would make a worthy tournament pick, while pretending Miami might finish last in the Big East.

That was a bigger load of bull even than anything Pearl’s ever told the NCAA suits.

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Pearl couldn’t possibly have believed half the hogwash he served. He’s a lot of things, but he’s no idiot.

Still, Pearl’s relentless scrutiny of Miami kicked a hornet’s nest. More loons came out of the woodwork to question whether a 31-1 team deserved a bid, or whether it should…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pipe-down-bruce-pearl-miami-034329613.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-19 03:43:00

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