Miami (Ohio), Prairie View A&M advance in 2026 NCAA Tournament: RedHawks, Panthers moving on after First Four

FINAL: (11) Miami (Ohio) 89, (11) SMU 79

Days before the Selection Show, SMU put out a statement on social media that ace defender and its third-leading scorer from this season, B.J. Edwards, would return to the lineup after missing the last five games. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but it turned out to be a bigger story after Edwards didn't play. He was ruled out hours before the game against Miami.

Last year, West Virginia was left out of the NCAA Tournament due to a major injury. WVU's exclusion was made because star Tucker DeVries, who was injured and missed the final three months of the season, would not be available. SMU tried to pull a fast one to say that Edwards would play, when in reality, he was going to be out for this game. You can't blame SMU for doing that, because they might've been on the outside looking in if it didn't.

FINAL: (11) Miami (Ohio) 89, (11) SMU 79

Miami (Ohio) was one of the biggest talking points in the days leading up to Selection Sunday. The biggest reason was Miami's strength of schedule and lack of wins against quality opponents. The RedHawks silenced all those doubters tonight with a statement win over SMU, which begs the question: Should people have given SMU's resume a closer look? The Mustangs went 4-9 against Quad 1 opponents this season and stumbled down the stretch. The bubble wasn't great this year, so SMU got into the field.

Above all else, Miami proved it belonged tonight.

FINAL: (11) Miami (Ohio) 89, (11) SMU 79

No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio) upset No. 11 seed SMU 89-79 to advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The RedHawks' win over the Mustangs marked the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 1999. Miami University will face No. 6 seed Tennessee in the first round on Friday.

The key to the RedHawks' win over SMU was the 3-point shooting. Miami knocked down 16 of 41 attempts from the 3-point line in the win, with four players finishing with at least 10 points. Eian Elmer scored 23 points for Miami.

Miami University has been one of the best stories of the college basketball season. The RedHawks went undefeated in the regular season before losing in the first round of the MAC Tournament to UMass, which marked their first loss.

The Mustangs were without star guard B.J. Edwards for the sixth consecutive game due to an ankle injury. Edwards, who is SMU's third-leading scorer, averaging 12.7 points per game, was ruled out despite the program putting out a statement days before Selection Sunday that he would be available for the Big Dance. 

LATE 2H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 78, (11) SMU 68

Does SMU have one more run in them? The Mustangs are down 10 with 3:16 remaining. Miami is close to earning its first NCAA Tournament win since 1999 and advancing to the first round to face No. 6 seed Tennessee.

MID 2H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 71, (11) SMU 57

It's all Miami. The RedHawks have knocked down 14 3-pointers to stretch their lead to 14 points. A trip to the first round to face No. 6 seed Tennessee on Friday appears to be in sight.

MID 2H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 58, (11) SMU 50

It's pretty much been all Miami since SMU took the lead back. The RedHawks are 12 of 31 from the 3-point line. Miami has also turned the ball over only three times. Fourteen of Miami's 21 buckets have been assisted.

EARLY 2H: (11) SMU 49, (11) Miami (Ohio) 48

That's SMU's first lead since it was 13-12 in the first half. The Mustangs trailed by as many as 11 points in the final minute of the first half.

EARLY 2H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 47, (11) SMU 42

SMU looks better in the opening minutes of the second half than it did for the majority of the first. Toombs has scored six quick points for the Mustangs to cut the deficit to five points.

HALF: (11) Miami (Ohio) 43, (11) SMU 34

No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio) leads No. 11 seed SMU 43-34 at halftime of the final game of this First Four doubleheader. The RedHawks are committed to shooting 3-pointers, and that game plan has worked so far. Miami University is shooting 10 of 25 from beyond the arc. It also helps that the RedHawks are playing just over an hour from Dayton. The home-court/fan advantage -- by just listening to the broadcast -- clearly favors Miami University.

Miami forward Eian Elmer leads all scorers with 14 points, while Luke Skaljac has 12.

SMU is playing without ace defender B.J. Edwards due to an ankle injury. The news that Edwards wouldn't play came five days after the school put out a statement on social media that Edwards was "expected to return" and be available for the NCAA Tournament. 

The winner of this game faces No. 6 seed Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Miami University is seeking its first NCAA Tournament win since 1999, while SMU's last win in the Big Dance came in 1988.

LATE 1H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 34, (11) SMU 30

Miami's game plan appears to be committed to shooting 3s. It's working so far. The RedHawks are 8 of 20 from beyond the arc so far. Twenty of its 28 field goal attempts have been from the 3-point line. Conversely, SMU has attempted just 11 3-pointers. Fun game so far.

MID 1H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 20, (11) SMU 13

Miami (Ohio) is on an 8-0 run, and the lead is up to seven points. Miami forward Eian Elmer has had the hot hand early. He has 11 points, which includes three 3-pointers.

EARLY 1H: (11) Miami (Ohio) 12, (11) SMU 11

SMU has gone cold from the floor. The Mustangs have missed their last seven shots and the scoring drought is approaching five minutes.

EARLY 1H: (11) SMU 11, Miami (Ohio) 11

We have reached the first media timeout from Dayton. Miami University and SMU are all tied at 11. Luke Skaljac has five quick points for Miami.

SMU Mustangs will be without star guard B.J. Edwards for its First Four matchup against Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. Edwards, who is SMU's third-leading scorer, averaging 12.7 points per game, will miss his sixth consecutive game as his team tries to advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The news of Edwards being ruled out comes five days after the school put out a statement on social media that Edwards was "expected to return" and be available for the NCAA Tournament, if the Mustangs were selected. Of course, SMU was tabbed as one of the "Last Four In" the field alongside Texas Longhorns, NC State Wolfpack and Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes University.

SMU's B.J. Edwards to sit in First Four: Star won't play after Mustangs said he would

Cameron Salerno

FINAL: (16) Prairie View A&M 67, (16) Lehigh 55

No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M is moving on to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers secured an 67-55 win over No. 16 seed Lehigh on Wednesday, which marked their first NCAA Tournament win in school history. Prairie View A&M star Dontae Horne finished with a team-high 25 points in the win.

Lehigh was making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and first since upsetting Duke back in 2012. Lehigh star guard Nasir Whitlock, who came into this game averaging 21.0 points per game, was held in check. He finished with just five points and shot 2 of 14 from the floor.

Prairie View A&M will face No. 1 seed Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

MID 2H: Prairie View A&M 51, Lehigh 41

Prairie View A&M has been dominant in the second half. The Panthers are on an 8-0 run and have made six of their last eight field goals during that stretch. Lehigh hasn't scored in nearly four minutes.

EARLY 2H: Prairie View A&M 45, Lehigh 41

Lehigh's star is finally on the board. Whitlock knocked down a 3-pointer for his first points of the night. He is 1 of 11 from the floor.

EARLY 2H: Prairie View A&M 35, Lehigh 30

What a start to the second half by Prairie View A&M. The Panthers are on an 8-0 run. Notably, Lehigh star Nasir Whitlock has been held scoreless. He has missed his first eight shots.

The first half of the second doubleheader of the First Four is in the books. No. 16 seed Lehigh leads No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M 29-27. Lehigh led by as many as eight points in the first half -- thanks to an 8-0 run midway through the half. In total, the first half featured five ties and three lead changes.

For Prairie View A&M, Dontae Horne and Cory Well combined to score 18 of their team's 27 total points in the first half. For Lehigh, Hank Alvey scored a team-high 10 points. Lehigh is seeking its first NCAA Tournament win since 2012 -- the year the program upset Duke as a No. 15 seed -- while Prairie View A&M is seeking its first win in the Big Dance in school history.

The winner of this game has a date with No. 1 seed Florida on Friday in the first round.

LATE 1H: Lehigh 25, Prairie View A&M 21

Prairie View A&M is cutting into this Lehigh deficit. Dontae Horne and Cory Well have 14 of their team's 21 points through the first 16 minutes of play.

MID 1H: Lehigh 23, Prairie View A&M 18

That's a 7-0 run for Lehigh to extend its lead to eight points -- the largest of the game for either side. Prairie View A&M has taken just three 3-pointers, while Lehigh has attempted 10 and made three of those.

EARLY 1H: Lehigh 7, Prairie View A&M 7

This has been a fun start in Dayton. Prairie View A&M star Dontae Horne already has seven points and two rebounds during the first nine minutes of play. Horne is averaging 20.2 points per game this season, which ranked No. 31 among all Division I players.

EARLY 1H: Lehigh 7, Prairie View A&M 7

After Prairie View A&M scored the first five points of this game, Lehigh responded with a 7-0 run. Edouard Benoit has five quick points for Lehigh.

March Madness is about to double as an NBA showcase. In a rare convergence, a historically loaded freshman class — one that could dominate the top of the 2026 NBA draft — has already taken over college basketball. Now, those same players will take center stage in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with a chance to shape both the bracket and the future of the league.

Just how good is college basketball's freshman class this season?

Well, consider this. The first 11 picks in our most recent mock draft were all freshmen, and not only are they the best long-term prospects, but they're also able to drive winning right now. All 11 have played significant roles in helping lead their teams into this week's tournament field.

With NCAA Tournament games around the corner and the NBA draft providing a glimmer of hope to tanking franchises, here's a look at some of the most pressing draft topics heading into the Big Dance.

March Madness 2026: Future NBA stars who could take over the NCAA Tournament

Adam Finkelstein

The Dayton setting should make for a Miami-friendly crowd as the RedHawks get a chance to bounce back from their stunning upset loss in the MAC quarterfinals. Thanks to a 31-0 regular season, Miami (Ohio) made the field without too much sweat, it seems, but the strength-of-schedule issues that made their inclusion a midseason debate did push them to being First Four-bound. 

So how will Miami's success translate against a power conference opponent in SMU? Well, you could argue SMU's defensive quality down the stretch of the regular season might have been closer to the MAC than the ACC. The Mustangs ranked 16th out of 18 teams in defensive efficiency in conference play and gave up 80 points or more in half of their ACC games. SMU does have a talent edge and a potential difference maker with 7-2 center Samet Yigitoglu going up against Miami's frontcourt, and the RedHawks defense has been part of the blame for some close calls late in the year and the loss to UMass in the MAC Tournament. I know we're in the habit of citing bouncy basketballs and travel issues for NCAA Tournament unders, but both offenses should be able to score with ease. Pick: Over 164.5 

2026 March Madness predictions: NCAA bracket expert picks, odds for First Four games on Wednesday

Chip Patterson

Neither of these teams were the best in their conference this season, which is why they find themselves in Dayton. So the question is which one regresses more to their season average in the time off between winning their tournament and Wednesday's tipoff? 

Prairie View's numbers, for its part, might not represent its recent form as the Panthers have ripped off seven wins in a row and are playing at a different level than when they were 4-8 in conference play back on Feb. 15. When you see an 8-seed win an auto-bid, you assume there's a major upset at hand, but Prairie View earned it with aggressive defense that helped force key turnovers and be the foundation of their conference tournament run in the SWAC. But if Lehigh can handle the ball pressure and not get beat on the glass, they can play this turn this into an execution game in the halfcourt. 

That favors the Mountain Hawks with their 6-2 point guard Nasir Whitlock, who is the team's offensive engine and also the gas, connecting on a blistering 44.8% of his 3-point attempts (averaging 2.3 made threes per game). He and center Hank Alvey run a two-man game that can stress even athletic defenses like Prairie View A&M. We see that as the game script that will unfold, with CJ McCollum's alma mater advancing to the field of 64. Pick: Lehigh -3.5 

2026 March Madness predictions: NCAA bracket expert picks, odds for First Four games on Wednesday

Chip Patterson

The most glorious weekend of the sports calendar is upon us, as the 2026 NCAA Tournament begins, in earnest, on Thursday with first round action spanning from the lunch hour on the east coast until after midnight. Then we get to do it all again on Friday as the field of 64 gets whittled to 32.

This year's 1-32 ranking of the first round games features a few distinct sections. The four No. 1 seed vs. No. 16 seed games are slotted as the "worst" since they bring minimal upset potential and are likely going to be blowouts. Of course, they also include the possibility of something legendary transpiring, but it's highly improbable. In fact, the first nine games on the list are lopsided seeding matchups. At least one will inevitably produce an exciting finish, but it's hard to know where it will happen.

NCAA bracket 2026: Ranking every March Madness tournament first-round game from No. 1 to No. 32

David Cobb

Welcome back to the happiest week of the year in sports. The bracket is set and so much lies ahead of us. What chaos and cacophony will this year's Big Dance bring?

Over the next few days, we'll all find out together. That's a joyous thought.

Before you finalize your bracket picks, though, take a little time here to scroll the buffet of data I've once again culled for you. There are all sorts of individual, team, historical and trend-based stats baked into this annual story that, I hope, gets you that much more excited for the first round on Thursday. If it helps bring any more clarity to you as you overthink the process and invariably wreck your bracket, even better.

Ultimate 2026 NCAA Tournament cheat sheet: March Madness stats and facts before you lock in your bracket picks

Matt Norlander

Trends flood the lead-up to the NCAA Tournament, but numbers without context rarely tell you what's actually about to happen in March. The real edges live in the matchups -- in how styles clash, where defenses crack and which players can tilt a game.

That's the approach here.

These aren't blind picks for every first-round game in the bracket. They're scouting reports -- built on data, personnel and the eye test -- to project how each matchup could unfold.

The First Four continues Wednesday after a thrilling Tuesday. Here's a quick look at how we expect these last two games to play out. 

2026 March Madness picks: Predictions for every first-round game in the bracket

Isaac Trotter