MIAMI BASKETBALL

RedHawks will face SMU in Dayton First Four battle

Winner of Wednesday tilt gets Tennessee Friday in Philly

MRO STAFF
Anticipation -- and maybe some anxiety -- gave way to preparation Sunday night as Miami's men's basketball team learned its NCAA fate. The 31-1 RedHawks will face fellow No. 11 see SMU(Southern Methodist University) in a FirstFour matchup Wednesday night (approximately 9:15 p.m.) at the University of Dayton Arena. The winner of that game will then meet eighth seeded Tennessee Friday (approxmately 4:25 p.m. in Philadelphia.as part of MidWest Regional action.  

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The Miami vs SMU game will air on truTV, while the matchup against Tennessee will be shown on TBS. 
"Obviously, very excited to . . . 

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. . . be selected as an at-large team," head coach Travis Steele said. It's a huge honor – happy for our guys."

Steele noted he has previously coached (Xavier) in a FirstFour game, and one lesson learned involved practice. That team was "off" until Monday -- a day after the selection show. Steele said his team got some rest days after losing to UMass in last Thursday's Mid-American Conference Tournament first round action. However, he brought the RedHawks back Sunday -- in part to "clean up some things" from the recent loss -- MU's only loss of 2025-26. Both he and guard Peter Suder briefly noted "rebounding" as an area needing immediate improvement. 

Rebounding and defensive improvement in the paint would have been focus areas regardless of foe, but SMU is averaging 12.2 offensive rebounds per game. The roster includes 7-2 sophomore Samet Yigitoglu, a 270-pound center who averages 10.8 ppg and 7.9 rpg. He is backed up by 6-10 freshman Jaden Toombs (7.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Sometimes, the two are on the court at the same time. 

Leading scorer Boopie Miller (19.2 ppg) started his college career at Central Michigan. He also played at Wake Forest befoe moving to SMU. This is his second year with the Mustangs. He scored a season high 32 points against Florida State March 7 and has been in double figures every game this year -- except his most recent outing. He recorded just eight points in SMU's March 111 loss to No. 24 Louisville. 

Fellow guard Jason Pierce (6-5, 210) has also been productive, averaging 17.6 ppg. Five Mustang players average in double figures. 
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SMU brings a 20-13 record to the NCAA tourney. It went 8-10 in ACC play, good for 11th place. 
Like Miami, the Mustangs don't mind playing uptempo and have averaged 84.2 ppg overall. 

Both Steele and several players indicated they enjoy the Dayton facility/environment and hoped the proximity would bring out RedHawk Nation. 

"Get out and support this team. We've got great guys; they put a lot of work in," Steele said. "It's so unique, almost a home game in the NCAA Tournament setting. ... It doesn't get much better than that."

Miami earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2007 and becomes the first Mid-American Conference team to get an at-large bid since the Wally Szczerbiak-led RedHawks advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1999.

"It's been a dream ever since I was a kid to play in the NCAA Tournament," said Suder, a senior guard from Carmel, Ind. "We've got a group of guys that can definitely do something special in there."

"We believe that we can make a run," said junior Eian Elmer. "In March anything can happen. We can still be that Cinderella story everyone wants us to be."

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