Sports
Miami (Ohio): First Four win vs. SMU ‘proved doubters wrong’
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Adam Rittenberg
Multiple Authors
DAYTON, Ohio — Miami (Ohio) found itself in a unique position Wednesday night at the First Four.
The RedHawks had been a polarizing 30-win team in the lead-up to NCAA tournament selections. Was Miami good, or just a product of a weak schedule? Were all the major conference teams that avoided the RedHawks being silly or smart? After a 31-0 start, Miami had made the NCAA field, but just barely as an at-large, and would tip off in the First Four, just 40 miles from its campus in Oxford, Ohio.
The 11th-seeded RedHawks were 6.5-point underdogs against SMU, even though neither they nor the thousands who came to support them felt that way.
“The reason people love March Madness is they love to see quote, unquote, upsets,” coach Travis Steele said. “This wasn’t an upset tonight, at all.”
Miami left no doubt about its tournament viability, or the historic path it has taken, beating SMU 89-79 at UD Arena. The RedHawks led for most of the game, recorded their largest victory margin in an NCAA tournament game, made their most 3-pointers (16) in the tournament and posted their highest scoring total in a tournament game since 1958. They advanced to face No. 6 seed Tennessee in a first-round Midwest Region matchup Friday in Philadelphia.
Steele said he felt his team was better than SMU coming into Wednesday’s game, and his players proved him right.
“All the doubters that doubted us, all saying we don’t have Quad 1 wins, two wins, all that stuff, I don’t know what they’re going to say now,” star guard Peter Suder said. “We proved the doubters wrong. To win by double digits against a really good team, athletically, physically talented players, it’s huge for this program.”
Miami did not face a power conference team in nonleague play — the school repeatedly stated that those teams did not want to schedule the RedHawks — and went 30-0 in the regular season before falling to UMass last week in the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinals. Despite all of Miami’s winning, a schedule strength that hovered near the bottom of Division I created an odd at-large profile for the tournament selection committee to consider.
“I mean, we had to basically be perfect in the whole regular season to get that at-large,” Steele said.
A MAC team had not earned an at-large berth since 1999, when Miami rode All-American Wally Szczerbiak to the Sweet 16. The RedHawks were one of the last at-large teams in and began their first tournament appearance since 2007 in nearby Dayton.
The positive was Wednesday’s crowd, red and raucous, erupting with every 3-pointer and scoring burst from the RedHawks. Former Miami and NBA star Ron Harper was among the supporters and celebrated in the locker room.
Miami players frequently acknowledged their supporters, including Luke Skaljac, whose 3-pointer with 7:15 left forced SMU to call timeout.
“That was a great crowd, a home game for Miami,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said. “They probably had 12,000 fans here. Felt like 40 or 50 thousand.”
The crowd included Miami’s men’s swim and dive team, some wearing only Speedos and caps, who sprinted down the aisle behind SMU’s basket early in the second half to distract free throw shooter Corey Washington, just as they do at Millett Hall, Miami’s home court.
“What really surprised me was the swim team, when they came out,” forward Antwone Woolfolk said. “That was elite.”
Miami’s willingness to take and make 3-pointers propelled its offense, as the team had more made 3s (10) than 2-point attempts (9) in the first half. But the undersized RedHawks also held up inside, as the rebounding was even at 35-35. They collected 12 offensive boards, including Suder’s with 3:08 to play that set up a 3-pointer by Eian Elmer that increased the lead to 81-68.
Steele challenged his team after the UMass loss, as the RedHawks were outrebounded 41-24 and allowed 54 points in the paint and 23 second-chance points.
“We crashed the glass,” said Woolfolk, Miami’s tallest starter at 6-foot-9. “We put pressure on the rim, instead of letting pressure get put on us.”
The rebounding performance reinforced Steele’s pre-game theme: Attack.
“Our guys deserve to be in this position,” he said. “I felt like we were the better team going into the game was. And I think our guys have that real belief. That’s the most powerful thing you can have.”
Miami now gets another power conference opponent in Tennessee, and further success means similar opponents will follow. But the RedHawks had the tournament stage to themselves Wednesday night.
How many more people know about Miami (Ohio) now?
“I don’t even know, I can’t even count,” Suder said, smiling. “But it’s definitely a lot.”
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Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers’ ace and two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow that will keep him sidelined for months, manager A.J. Hinch said on Monday.
Skubal isn’t done for the season, but he is expected to be out two to three months following the surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, ESPN reported.
Hinch called it an “easy process and procedure” while delivering the news, but it’s certainly a blow to the Tigers’ staff and Skubal personally that he is sidelined for months.
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Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal watches during the Atlanta Braves game on April 29, 2026, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. (Rich Von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
Skubal’s arm locked up during a bullpen session on Sunday ahead of his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. Now, he will undergo the surgery, with Hinch providing no specific timeline for his return.
Skubal’s last start came in a 4-3 win over the league-leading Atlanta Braves this past Wednesday, where he allowed two runs on five hits across seven innings of work. He struck out seven Braves hitters during his outing.
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However, in that game, Skubal was spotted rubbing his left arm, leading to Hinch and a Tigers trainer going to the mound to check on the pitcher. Skubal, though, remained in the game after tossing a warm-up pitch, and he went on to pitch seven strong innings.
As a result of Skubal being out, the Tigers recalled Ty Madden to the big leagues. Tyler Holton will also be making the spot start on Monday night, serving as the Tigers’ opener before Hinch needs to get creative with his bullpen.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after giving up a hit against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)
Skubal is the latest Tigers starter to be placed on the injured list, joining Casey Mize and Justin Verlander. That leaves Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty as the only healthy starters at the moment.
For Skubal, the timing isn’t great, especially with impending free agency looming.
Skubal won a record-breaking arbitration case this offseason, where the Tigers were told to pay the left-handed ace $32 million for the 2026 campaign after they proposed a $19 million salary. The victory beat Juan Soto’s arbitration pay by the New York Yankees in 2024 by $1 million.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers between pitches during the Braves game at Truist Park in Atlanta on April 29, 2026. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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But, with no long-term deal in place for Skubal, the electric starter is set to be one of the top free agents after the season, unless he and the Tigers don’t figure something out before then. It seems unlikely that will happen at this point.
All teams interested in Skubal will be watching his recovery and eventual return closely. Until then, Hinch and the Tigers will need others to step up in the meantime for the starting rotation.
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Fernando Mendoza skyrocketed to the top of every NFL pundit’s draft board during the 2025 college football season as the Indiana Hoosiers standout won the Heisman Trophy and led the school to a national championship.
Mendoza’s status stayed clean as the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. He will be tasked with returning the franchise back to glory under head coach Klint Kubiak and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is set to serve as Mendoza’s mentor.
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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs through a drill during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
A detractor came out of the woodwork on Monday as an anonymous ACC coach told ESPN that he didn’t believe Mendoza had the “NFL traits.” The coach competed against Mendoza when the quarterback was tossing the pigskin around for the Cal Golden Bears.
“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the coach told ESPN. “They’re all back-shoulder (throws). That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.”
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
Mendoza showed grit and determination with some of the throws he made at Indiana. One that comes to mind is the game-winning touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. against Penn State.
Cooper made the catch and an incredible toe-tap for the touchdown with 36 seconds left in the game, which kept Indiana’s dream season alive.
Raiders general manager John Spytek said last month he nixed any talk of trading the No. 1 pick because he was sure Mendoza would be their guy.
“I think any coach is excited to work with a big, athletic, talented thrower that is extremely smart and a very driven worker, and that’s been our experience with Fernando,” Spytek said. “That’s a great starting spot for any quarterback.”
It’s the heart that Mendoza showed throughout the season, including in the national title game against the Miami Hurricanes, that made him an attractive prospect for NFL teams.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, attends a news conference at the Raiders Headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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He had 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes in his lone season at Indiana.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Team of the Tournament, naming Babar Azam skipper after a title-winning campaign.
The Team of the Tournament comprises three players each from Peshawar Zalmi and Hyderabad Kingsmen, two apiece from Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, and one player each from Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators.
The selection was made by a five-member panel drawn from the commentary team. The jury also finalised the Emerging Team of the Tournament, recognising the standout young performers of the season.
A total of 44 matches were played from March 26 to May 3 across Lahore and Karachi.
Babar Azam, who lifted his third PSL title as a player and first as captain, finished as the leading run-scorer with 588 runs.
Opening the innings, he also claimed the Hanif Mohammad Cap and equalled the record for most runs in a single PSL season, matching Fakhar Zaman’s tally from 2022.
His campaign featured two centuries in four matches against Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United.
Peshawar Zalmi are further represented by Kusal Mendis and Sufyan Moqim. Mendis scored 550 runs, including four half-centuries and a century, while also contributing eight dismissals behind the stumps.
His century came against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium on April 9. Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim took 22 wickets at an average of 14.40 and an economy rate of 7.20, earning both Player of the Tournament and Best Bowler honours.
Hyderabad Kingsmen have three representatives in Usman Khan, Hassan Khan and Hunain Shah. Usman finished fourth among the top run-scorers with 389 runs, including a century and three half-centuries.
Hassan contributed 139 runs at a strike rate of 195 alongside six wickets and strong fielding performances. Hunain Shah impressed with 17 wickets in 10 matches, emerging as a key bowler in the latter stages of the competition.
Lahore Qalandars’ Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi also feature in the XI. Fakhar scored 401 runs to finish third overall, while Shaheen claimed 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.86.
Multan Sultans’ Shan Masood is included after scoring 367 runs at an average of 45.87 and a strike rate of 158.18. Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan also makes the side after a strong all-round season, scoring 173 runs and taking 17 wickets, earning the Best All-Rounder of the Tournament award.
Teammate Richard Gleeson is selected for his impactful new-ball performances, finishing with 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.13.
Quetta Gladiators’ Hasan Nawaz has been named as the 12th player after scoring 291 runs.
PSL 11 Team of the Tournament
Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) (c), Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars), Kusal Mendis (Peshawar Zalmi) (wk), Shan Masood (Multan Sultans), Usman Khan (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United), Hassan Khan (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars), Hunain Shah (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Sufyan Moqim (Peshawar Zalmi), Richard Gleeson (Islamabad United) and Hasan Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators) (12th player).
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