Miami of Ohio Takes on SMU in the Final 2026 First Four Matchup
The Miami of Ohio RedHawks are facing off against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the last First Four matchup that will set the final stage for this year's March Madness Tournament. The game will take place on March 18th at 9:15 p.m. EST. Both teams are fighting to be the 11th seed in the Midwest region, and the winner will take on the Tennessee Volunteers on March 20th at 4:25 p.m. EST. The RedHawks were a hot topic during the regular season due to their undefeated record going into the postseason. They were 31-0 going into the MAC Tournament, but they suffered an upset loss against UMASS 87-83 in the first round. When it comes to the SMU Mustangs, they went 20-13 on the season and lost in the second round of the ACC Tournament to Louisville 62-58.
Peter Suder and Brant Byers are the ones leading the charge for the RedHawks. They are both averaging 14 points per game, but it is very much a team effort for Miami of Ohio, with seven players averaging double-digit points. For the leading scorers, though, they are both lights-out shooters with Suder shooting 42.9% from three, and Byers is shooting 39.8%. As a team, the RedHawks are second in scoring in the NCAA with 90.7 points per game. With their elite scoring comes a sizeable point differential too, their opponents are averaging 75.3 points, which results in a 15.4 point differential.
For the Mustangs, Boopie Miller leads the team in points and assists, averaging 19.2 points and just over six assists, while also shooting an efficient 41% from three. In their loss to Louisville, Miller had a terrible game. He tallied up only eight points while shooting an awful four for 17 from the field and missed all his eight three-point attempts. Jaron Pierre Jr. was the shining light of the game, scoring 17 points while shooting an impressive 60% from the field. Pierre is also the second leading scorer for SMU, averaging 17.6 points and almost five rebounds per game. The Mustangs are averaging 84.2 points while keeping their opponents to 77.6 points per game.
With the RedHawks being a high-scoring team, fans should expect a fast-paced game, and since Miami of Ohio is eighth in three-point percentage with 39%, expect the game plan to revolve around getting shooters open from behind the arc. Another good thing about the RedHawks is how well-rounded they are. They are ranked first in field goal percentage, shooting an outstanding 52%. The game plan for the Mustangs should be to set their own pace and not fall under the pressure of Miami’s elite scoring. The RedHawks beat SMU in all scoring stats, but despite this, the Mustangs are the heavy favorites with a 74.5% chance to win, according to ESPN analytics.
