Miami (Ohio)’s March Madness run is over, but it won’t be forgotten

For the better part of the past month, the most hyper-analyzed and breathlessly discussed team in men’s college basketball wasn’t in Lexington, Kentucky or Lawrence, Kansas or on North Carolina’s famed Tobacco Road.

It was a mid-sized state school in southwest Ohio that wasn’t even picked in the preseason to win its own (typically) one-bid conference and had gone nearly 20 years without an NCAA Tournament appearance.

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When the 2025-26 season tipped off back in early November, few people outside of Oxford, Ohio could have imagined Miami (Ohio) would become one of the defining teams and storylines nationally by the time March Madness rolled around, yet there the RedHawks were, winning game after game and doing what only some of the most iconic squads in the sport’s modern history had been able to pull off.

March Madness scores: See the big shots, moments, highlights in today’s first round

That inspired run ended Friday, March 20, with Miami suffering just its second loss of the season, a 78-56 blowout at the hands of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia.

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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.

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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours…

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Publish date : 2026-03-20 23:17:00

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