The Report Ohio’s Preview:
The celebration inside UD Arena had barely settled when Travis Steele turned his attention forward.
History had already been made. More, he insists, is still within reach.
Miami (32-1) arrives in Philadelphia for Friday’s NCAA Tournament first-round matchup carrying the momentum of a breakthrough moment — and the belief that its story is far from finished. The 11th-seeded RedHawks will face sixth-seeded Tennessee (22-11) at 4:25 p.m., with the winner advancing to meet either Virginia or Wright State on Sunday for a berth in the Sweet 16.
For a program that had not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2007 — and had not won a game in March Madness since 1999 — Wednesday night’s 89-79 First Four victory over SMU was validating.
Now comes the next test.
A program redefining its ceiling
Miami’s résumé entering Friday borders on historic.
The RedHawks became just the fifth Division I men’s program this century to complete an undefeated regular season, rewriting both school and Mid-American Conference record books along the way. They set marks for best start in program history, longest win streak in MAC history, most consecutive conference wins and most victories in a single season.
Still, none of it meant anything in March without validation.
That came in Dayton — in front of what felt like a home crowd.
“Number one, really appreciated all the Miami fans showing out tonight,” Steele said Wednesday night. “In a lot of ways, it was a home game for us… We’re only 50 minutes away from campus, so very, very appreciative of that.”
Behind 16 3-pointers — a First Four record — Miami showcased the offensive identity that has fueled its rise. Eian Elmer led the way with 23 points, while Brant Byers added 19 and Luke Skaljac chipped in 17.
Steele pointed to a defining statistical line — 20 assists to just four turnovers.
“Our guys play for one another, play the right way,” Steele said. “My goal was to get up at least 40 threes. We shot 41 — and I thought if we could just neutralize them on the glass, we’d give ourselves a really good opportunity.”
Miami did exactly that, finishing even with SMU on the boards (35-35) while dictating tempo from the opening tip.
“The message I gave our guys before the game was they should leave no doubt with who the more attacking team was,” Steele said. “I thought that was very evident — but obviously there’s a lot to be done yet.”
Belief that travels
Inside Miami’s locker room, validation was never the goal — only confirmation.
“Yeah, I would agree with that,” Skaljac said when asked if Miami proved it belonged. “But we’re not focused on what the media and fans have to say. We know who we have inside the locker room.”
“Everybody in the locker room thinks we do. Everybody in Oxford thinks we do,” Elmer agreed. “We’re just going to go out there, play our hardest and have fun.”
That belief shows up most clearly in Miami’s willingness to shoot — and keep shooting.
“It definitely comes from our coaches,” Elmer said. “They instill confidence in us… we are good enough players to know what a bad and a good shot is.”
“When we’re in these moments, we’re not second-guessing ourselves,” Skaljac added. “We’re ready for it.”
That confidence was tested late against SMU when the Mustangs made a run, trimming a double-digit deficit. Miami never wavered.
“We’ve just got to stay together,” Skaljac said. “We knew that we were the more together, strong team.”
“You don’t win by playing with scared money,” Elmer chimed in. “We just continued to be the aggressor.”
What’s in the way?
Standing between Miami and the second round is one of the sport’s most consistent postseason programs.
Rick Barnes has turned Tennessee into a perennial contender, guiding the Volunteers to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and compiling 858 career wins across nearly four decades.
The Vols reached the Elite Eight a year ago and enter Friday’s matchup battle-tested from the SEC, where they went 11-7 in conference play.
Tennessee is led by senior guard Ja’kobi Gillespie (18 points per game) and freshman forward Nate Ament (17.5 points, 6.6 rebounds). J.P. Estrella adds interior production, while 6-foot-11 Felix Okpara anchors the defense.
The Volunteers’ size and physicality present a new challenge — one Miami expects.
“For us, we battle size with toughness,” Elmer said. “That just comes from not being afraid to hit.”
More than a moment
Steele said Wednesday night was both a milestone and a reminder.
“Ever since you’re a little kid — this is everything,” Steele said. “It’s the best month of the year.”
Yet even amid the emotion of his first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach, his message to the team was immediate.
“I told our guys afterwards, man, I’m happy, but the job is not finished,” Steele said. “We want to continue to advance in this thing.”
Steele also framed Miami’s run within a broader conversation about mid-major basketball.
“We had to basically be perfect — to get an at-large,” the coach said. “But yet we’re going to go win a game. There’s a lot of good mid-major teams, and hopefully it shows we’re just as good as any of these other programs.”
What’s at stake
A win Friday would push Miami into the second round and within one victory of the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999 — the same year the RedHawks, led by Wally Szczerbiak, last made a deep tournament run.
