Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami University
Massachusetts
Miami Begins MAC Tournament Against UMass on Thursday
3/10/2026 3:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
THURSDAY: Miami opens its stint in the 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a quarterfinal contest with No. 8 seed UMass on Thursday, March 12 at 11 a.m. on ESPN+. The Red and White enter this Thursday's game as the only remaining undefeated team in the country with a 31-0 (18-0 MAC) record, its best start to a season in program history. Miami holds a new program record for wins in a season, breaking the mark of 25 established last year. The RedHawks hold the program record for most consecutive road wins overall (15) and in a season (14) as well. The Red and White have also secured the best start for a program in MAC history (originally set by WMU in 1975-76 at 19-0), the most consecutive conference wins in MAC history (originally set by Miami in 1956-57 at 16-0) and the longest win streak in MAC history (originally set by Kent State in 2001-02 at 21-0).
ABOUT UMASS: UMass is currently 16-15 (7-11 MAC), as the Minutemen closed out the regular season with a 94-82 win at home over Ohio on Tuesday night. UMass went 12-20 (7-11 A10) last year. Head coach Frank Martin is in his fourth season with the Minutemen. Heading into the 2025-26 season, UMass was selected to finish fifth overall in the 2025-26 MAC Preseason Men's Basketball Poll. Senior forward Daniel Hankins-Sanford was named to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team.
Graduate student forward Leonardo Bettiol leads the Minutemen in points (17.8/game) and graduate student guard Marcus Banks Jr. follows closely behind (16.9/game). Bettiol has brought down the most rebounds (7.9/game), freshman guard Danny Carbuccia has recorded the most assists (6.3/game), Banks Jr. has totaled the most steals (1.3/game) and Hankins-Sanford has produced the most blocks (0.6/game).
THE SERIES WITH THE MINUTEMEN: This Thursday's neutral site contest against the Minutemen will be the fifth meeting between the two programs. The series is even at 2-2 all-time. Miami defeated UMass in both contests earlier this season, as the RedHawks won in Oxford 86-84 on Jan. 27 and went on to earn an 86-77 victory on Feb. 17 in Amherst. This will be the first time that Miami and UMass have met in the MAC Tournament.
RECENT ACTION: Eian Elmer scored 32 points (best of his career) and Trey Perry added 21 as the Miami University men's basketball team downed Ohio 110-108 in overtime to finish the regular season a perfect 31-0. Brant Byers (15), Peter Suder (13) and Justin Kirby (10) also scored in double figures for the RedHawks, who scored the final three points of the contest to capture a road win at Ohio for the first time since 2011. Elmer also added 12 rebounds to record the first double-double of his career. Miami captured its 1500th win in program history. With this victory, the RedHawks improved to 8-0 in one-possession contests this year.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Miami took No. 20 overall in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll on Monday, March 9. The Red and White moved into the national rankings for the first time since Feb. 15, 1999 on Monday, Jan 19 and have climbed as high as No. 19 (last week), their highest ranking since March 13, 1978. The RedHawks are the first team from the MAC selected in the poll since the 2018-19 Buffalo Bulls. Miami received its highest ranking of the 2025-26 season on the Mid-Major Top 25® Poll for the second consecutive week, as Collegeinsider announced its newest poll on Monday, with the RedHawks ranked No. 1 overall.
NATIONAL LEADERS: Miami ranks among the top of the nation in numerous statistical categories heading into this game, which includes being first in field goal percentage (52.6), second in the country in effective field goal percentage (0.613), second in scoring offense (90.9), seventh in scoring margin (16.0), ninth in three-point percentage (39.3), 16th in defensive rebounds per game (27.58), 25th in threes per game (10.4), 43rd in assist/turnover ratio (1.52), 54th in turnover margin (2.4), 63rd in assists per game (16.0), 70th in bench points per game (26.29) and 84th in free throw percentage (74.9).
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: With Friday's victory over Ohio, Miami beacme just the fifth program this century (NCAA Division I) to go undefeated during regular season play. The other teams to reach this accomplishment include Saint Joseph's (2003-04), Wichita State (2013-14), Kentucky (2014-15) and Gonzaga (2020-21). The Red and White are also the first team since Indiana State (1978-79) to enter its conference tournament unbeaten after being unranked in the preseason AP poll.
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have only been four teams to enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated. This list consists of UNLV (1990-91), Wichita State (2013-14), Kentucky (2014-15) and Gonzaga (2020-21).
