TNT Sports college basketball analyst Bruce Pearl made waves with his comments about the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks over the weekend. Miami is 29-0 and the only remaining unbeaten team in men’s college basketball. No other team even has fewer than two losses.
During Saturday’s TNT Sports studio coverage of Big East basketball, Pearl questioned Miami’s at-large NCAA Tournament case, in the event the RedHawks are unable to win the MAC Tournament and secure an autobid.
“Miami (Ohio), here’s the deal,” Pearl said on Saturday. “Are we selecting the 68 most deserving teams? Or are we going to select the 68 best teams? If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country. And that’s going to be a difficult choice for the committee to make.”
The comments were also notable to college basketball fans because Pearl is an ambassador for Auburn after serving as the school’s head coach from 2014 to 2025, and he was succeeded by his son, Steven Pearl, as the Tigers’ head coach for the 2025-26 season. Auburn has been viewed as a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament.
On Monday morning, Pearl appeared on FS1’s Wake Up Barstool to discuss college basketball.
“I’d love to be behind closed doors if you have to cast a vote, and it’s Auburn or a one-loss [Miami (Ohio)] team from the tournament, and which way this vote goes, because I’ve got a feeling I know which way it’s going,” Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said to Pearl.
“There is no nepotism involved here,” Pearl responded.
“I’d love to be behind closed doors if you have to cast a vote for Auburn or a 1 loss Ohio team for the tournament… because I have a feeling I know which way it’s going!” – @stoolpresidente
“There’s no nepotism involved here!” – @coachbrucepearl pic.twitter.com/X8IN2SQ2JZ
— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) March 2, 2026
With an opportunity to speak well of Miami after his controversial comments, Pearl decided to just add more fuel to the fire.
“I’d guess if you put [Miami (Ohio)] in one of these big boy conferences… like the Big East, or some of these others, they’re going to be in the top half of that conference, I would imagine,” Portnoy said.
“No way,” Pearl said with conviction. “No way.”
“Yes way,” Portnoy responded.
“No way,” Pearl continued. “No way… There’s no chance. They’re not built for the grind of a Big Ten or even a Big East. In the Big East conference this year, they’d finish in the lower half. They may not finish last, but I’ll tell you what, I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure.”
“In the Big East conference this year [Miami (OH)] would finish in the lower half… they may not finish last but I’ll tell you what, I’m not so sure…” – @coachbrucepearl pic.twitter.com/D9hKVa6PhJ
— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) March 2, 2026
“You think they could be a last-place Big East team?” Portnoy asked.
“Well, who’s the last-place team? It would be DePaul, it would be Marquette,” Pearl said. “I don’t know. Now, can you have ‘One Shining Moment?’ Can you be 9-17, the first round of the NCAA Tournament, have that ‘One Shining Moment,’ and pull off the upset? Sure. But conference play is a grind.”
Miami, a MAC program, ranks No. 87 on the Ken Pomeroy efficiency ratings. That ranks ahead of the Big East’s Georgetown (No. 90), Xavier (No. 93), DePaul (No. 95), and Marquette (No. 100). According to the NET rankings, Georgetown has three Quad 3 losses, Xavier has one Quad 3 loss, DePaul has one Quad 4 loss, and Marquette has three Quad 3 losses.
Auburn, meanwhile, is 15-14 on the season, with losses in seven of its last eight games.
