UMBC is back in the NCAA Tournament, winning the America East Tournament championship on Saturday over Vermont. A former darling of the event, UMBC’s social media was a hit back in the day. Well, it’s once again picking up steam following an automatic bid. First up was a shot at Alabama football. Now, they have gone across the state to go after Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers.
“Just realized the best part of having an autobid is that we don’t need a relative going on TV to explain why we deserve to be in over a 30-win @MiamiRedHawks,” the official UMBC Athletics account said via X.
Miami (OH) will wake up on Sunday with some nerves in the building. Most people believe the RedHawks are going to be safe and in the field of 68, going 31-0 in the regular season. But a loss to UMass in the MAC Tournament put just the slightest bit of doubt into the equation. Some have argued against them in favor of power conference bubble teams.
None more prominent than Pearl advocating for his former program, Auburn. His son has taken over this year and fell into a late-season slide to put serious doubt into getting into the NCAA Tournament. Some hope did come in Nashville this week, making a bit of a run in the SEC Tournament. Two wins were huge for the Tigers, only to lose to Tennessee in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
“With Miami (Ohio), here’s the deal,” Pearl said on Feb. 28, being the quote that started this whole ordeal. “Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams, or are we going to select the 68 best teams? If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, Miami (Ohio) is gonna have to win their Tournament to qualify as a champion. As an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country. That’s going to be a difficult choice for the committee to make.”
Pearl should have another opportunity to stump for Auburn, if he chooses to. He will be a part of the bracket reveal show, which is scheduled to begin around 6 p.m. ET. It’s one of the best nights of the year, getting a look at the bracket after a thrilling season of college basketball.
You have to imagine at least one team is going to be less than thrilled with the selection committee’s decision. UMBC knows they are safe, while Miami (OH) and Auburn are sweating.