Miami (Ohio) became one of the most unexpected big stories of the college basketball season in recent years.
Miami wasn’t even expected to win the MAC game. Akron received 11 of 13 first-place votes in the preseason poll, while Miami received the other two. Even if Miami wins the MAC title, it won’t be a big deal in the world of college basketball. But anyone off to a 31-0 start will raise eyebrows.
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Miami didn’t lose in the regular season and only lost to UMass in the MAC tournament after starting the season 31-0. The Redhawks’ inclusion in the at-large bid was often debated, but they eventually made it to the tournament. However, they did find a date in Dayton to play in the Final Four. Now, their intriguing story is taking the national stage in an independent game Wednesday night.
Here are the picks for Wednesday’s first four games, with odds from BetMGM:
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks guard Peter Suder has been a big part of this team’s winning streak through the first 31 games of the season. (Photo by Frank Janski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(“Icon Sportswire” via Getty Images)
Lehigh (-3.5) over Prairie View A&M
According to KenPom.com, these are the two worst teams in the NCAA Tournament, and by a wide margin. Lehigh is ranked No. 284 out of 365 Division I teams and Prairie View A&M is No. 288. The third-worst team in this year’s tournament is LIU, which moved all the way up to No. 216. Just imagine, the winner between Lehigh and Prairie View A&M will play Florida State on Friday.
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But two teams ranked near the bottom of the sport do have a good chance at winning the tournament, and both teams are on winning streaks. Lehigh started the season 4-11 and ended up winning the Patriot League Championship with eight wins in nine games. Prairie View A&M has won nine of its past 10 games, including the SWAC Championship.
You’ll have to look closely to find any team’s true advantage, but here’s the thing: Lehigh ranks 39th in the sport in 3-point shooting percentage. That was enough to select the Mountain Hawks.
SMU (-6.5) over Miami (Ohio)
Piling up in Miami is no fun. The Redhawks are having a great season and they don’t deserve the scorn some people are receiving. The negativity about anyone outside of a power conference getting positive publicity can sometimes be unsettling. It seems we’ve grown tired of entertaining stories from the NCAA Tournament.
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So it’s not much fun to play Miami in the tournament opener. But SMU is a tough opponent. The Broncos were a little late, but that’s without B.J. Edwards, who has done everything, including averaging 12.7 points per game, and can return from injury in this game. Even if Edwards doesn’t return, it’s hard to ignore the disparity between SMU and Miami, most notably the 51-spot gap on KenPom.com (SMU is ranked 42nd, Miami is ranked 93rd).
Miami has a great story this season and fans should root for the Redhawks. But SMU is the better team, so it’s the best choice.
