Miami (OH) earned a play-in spot while Auburn was left out of the NCAA Tournament. Do conference tournaments matter? Arkansas headed to Portland
PublishedMarch 15, 2026 7:04 PM EDT•UpdatedMarch 15, 2026 7:18 PM EDT
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NASHVILLE— There has been an enormous amount of discussion over the past two weeks around which ‘bubble’ teams would snag a spot in the NCAA Tournament field that was announced Sunday evening.
Did Miami (OH) deserve a spot in the dance, even with a lack of quality wins on their schedule, and plenty of back and forth about KenPom ratings? Sure they did, based on the Redhawks 32 regular-season wins, despite being bounced in the MAC Tournament opening round.
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On Sunday, the NCAA Selection committee rewarded them with a play-in game against SMU, with the winner playing No. 6 Tennessee in Philadelphia.
According to the CBS broadcast, the Redhawks were two spots away from not making the NCAA tournament. So, drawing a play-in game in Dayton, only two hours away from campus, should be seen as a big win for the MAC team.
In terms of the MAC, with Akron winning the tournament, they will be the second representative of the conference.
If VCU had not won their conference tournament, they would not have made the field as a ‘bubble’ team.
Maybe Next Year, Auburn
But, one of the most nauseating discussions was about the Auburn Tigers and their 17-16 record, which led to an overwhelming discourse on social media. The obvious answer, to those who follow college basketball, was to keep the Tigers at home. Even a last-second push from the Auburn communications department Saturday wasn’t going to help this squad.
It was pretty simple, I imagine. For all the tough teams they faced this past season, their record did not provide enough evidence that this was a team that deserved to dance. The Tigers didn’t really help their case in the SEC Tournament, blowing a 10-point lead in the loss to Tennessee.
And no, there was no amount of politicking that Bruce Pearl could do for his son that would convince the committee they were worthy of a spot. In a way, Steven Pearl was put into a no-win situation from a perception standpoint when his father decided to retire before the season started.
Now, one of the most talked about teams in the sport will be sitting at home, with their 16 losses being the only reason why.
Would we have been discussing a team this much regarding the ‘bubble’ if they weren’t from the SEC, or the head coach having the last name ‘Pearl’? Who knows, but maybe the Tigers can reload next season and find their way back into the Tournament.
Other Bubble Teams. Missouri Won’t Travel Far, Arkansas Heads West
In other interesting moves, Missouri snagging the No. 10 seed, and getting to play in St. Louis, should be seen as a massive win for the Tigers, given they were on the bubble and will play 2 hours away from campus.
So, it was Arkansas cutting down the nets in Nashville with the SEC Tournament win. Its reward? They will head out west to Portland, with a potential matchup against Wisconsin waiting. John Calipari had this to say following the championship about what he thought the NCAA selection committee would do.
“Now my guess is, we’ll play Wednesday. Hopefully they’ll say ‘Let them rest till Friday’. Not a chance” “Let’s see where they seed us.. Does this matter. I don’t know.”
Clearly, the committee wasn’t too worried, with Arkansas now playing Thursday.
As for the final eight teams that were considered, it looks as though the selection committee got it right, with SMU and Texas getting into the tournament over Oklahoma and Auburn, though I could make a case for the Sooners getting in.
At the end of the day, the bubble was not as strong this season compared to year’s past, and it showed.
What do you say? Let me know what you think about the NCAA Tournament seeding. Email me at [email protected] with your best take.
