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Myron Medcalf
multiple authors
Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Saylor challenged Bruce Pearl on what he called an “insult” after the TV commentator and former… golden brown color The coach told Barstool Sports that the undefeated redhawks Men without an automatic bid are not eligible for a berth in the NCAA Tournament and cannot handle a Power 4 schedule.
“[You] Regarding Miami (OH) you are absolutely wrong when you say we will finish last in the Big East,” Saylor said on monday at x. “Insult is terrible and [you] When TV Studios Covering This Game Shouldn’t Have One [you] Show your true colors.”
According to KenPom, Miami’s schedule is ranked 285th overall. Coach Travis Steele recently told ESPN that higher-major teams have refused to schedule the RedHawks because of the possibility of upsets.
@CoachBrucePearl you are absolutely wrong @MiamiOH_Bball When you say we’re going to finish last in the Big East. Disrespect is horrible and you should not be anywhere near a TV studio covering this game when you show your true colors! Even the word “we” slipped out when talking about Auburn, good job!
– David Sayler (@MiamiOH_DSayler) 2 March 2026
“They’re not built for the Big Ten or even the Big East battle. In the Big East conference this year, they’ll finish in the bottom,” Pearl told Barstool on Monday. “They may not finish in last place. But I tell you: I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure. Who is the team that finishes in last place? It will be depaul. it will happen Marquette. I don’t know.”
Miami (29-0) is chasing history with just two games remaining as it attempts to finish the regular season with an unblemished record. It entered the week with a net ranking in the 50s, while its other metrics are not as favorable at the same time. A loss in the regular season or Mid-American Conference tournament could ruin the team’s effort to secure its first berth since 2007.
On Saturday, Pearl – who works for TNT – said the RedHawks would have to win their conference tournament to earn a berth because they are “not one of the best teams in the country.”
Pearl retired at Auburn just hours before the regular season began, and the school announced his son Steven as the new coach. The Tigers, who were led by All-American johnny broom On their way to reaching the Final Four last season, they started this season 14–7 overall and 5–3 in the SEC. But they have lost seven of their last eight games, a slump that could jeopardize the program’s NCAA Tournament hopes. The Tigers have secured berths in four consecutive tournaments.
Bruce Pearl acknowledged the challenges Auburn — currently a part of the “Final Four” according to Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology — are facing. He told Barstool that any loss could end the Tigers’ shot at the NCAA Tournament.
Saylor accused Pearl of advancing Auburn’s NCAA Tournament hopes at the expense of Miami.
Saylor posted on X, “This guy is no where close to any TV studio related to March Madness when he says things like this.”
