Sweet 16 showdown! Miami-Ham could be top seed in March Madness '23!

The Miami RedHawks are headed to Dayton for the NCAA Tournament's First Four on March 18 . Miami earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Wally Szczerbiak roamed the campus in 1999. That RedHawks team rode all the way to the Sweet 16, matching Miami's best-ever March Madness finish.

This year's Miami squad is fresh off just the fifth undefeated regular season in 35 years , going 31-0 before losing in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The RedHawks secured the two biggest MAC individual awards: Travis Steele earned MAC Coach of the Year and Peter Suder was named the league's Player of the Year . Can Miami slip into Cinderella's slippers again in 2026?

If Miami wants to reach the tournament's second weekend, they'll have to win three games: beating SMU in Dayton , knocking off 6-seed Tennessee in the first round and winning another game in the round of 32 in Philadelphia. Travis Steele is looking for his first win in the Big Dance as a head coach. Miami may never have a better situation than a borderline home game in Dayton against SMU.

Miami's energy may carry it through the First Four, but can that carry over all the way to the second weekend? Here are two reasons Miami can reach the Sweet 16, two reasons it can't, and our prediction: Why Miami can reach NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Miami's offense should worry opposing coaches in the NCAA Tournament. The RedHawks have the second highest scoring offense in the entire country, racing up and down the court to average 90.