Howie Hoops makes his best bets for Wednesday’s men’s NCAA Tournament First Four college basketball games, including Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU and Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh.
Miami forward Antwone Woolfolk was off the court after Miami was defeated by Massachusetts in a basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Cleveland.
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.It is even harder to imagine wanting to discard a compelling mid-major in favor of a mediocre power conference team that will be forgotten five minutes after its elimination.Some saw Miami’s MAC Tournament loss to UMass as evidence that the last remaining undefeated team didn’t deserve to dance, but too few have accounted for the extra pressure attached to each game, contributing to three straight two-point wins before its first defeat.They will play with the near-unanimous support of a packed UD Arena, which is roughly an hour away from Miami’s campus.They will face a defense that ranks among the worst in the ACC. Meanwhile, the RedHawks lead the nation in field goal percentage , while averaging over 90 points per game and committing fewer turnovers than all but four teams in the nation. They are prepared for the pressure, having won eight of nine games decided by one possession and having gone four months before suffering their only loss. Lehigh Mountain Hawks head coach Brett Reed reacts after defeating the Boston University Terriers in the Patriot League Championship at Stabler Arena.The Mountain Hawks have a special place in my heart. It was 14 years ago that I sat courtside and watched the No. 15 seed, led by CJ McCollum, slay Duke on my first day covering the NCAA Tournament. Now, Brett Reed’s team is back for the first time since then, but it’s too much of a leap to lay the points with one of the two worst teams in the dance. Lehigh, which has eight Quad 4 losses and is 5-12 away from home, has committed a turnover on over 17 percent of its possessions this season , while Prairie View forces a turnover on nearly 19 percent of its defensive possessions .The Mountain Hawks’ defense excels by limiting 3-point looks, but the Panthers want to attack the paint, ranking 14th in the nation with nearly 26 free-throw attempts per game. The SWAC champion cannot be overlooked, given the league’s representative has won a First Four game in three of the past four years.Howie Kussoy has long been the New York Post’s main handicapper in college basketball and college football .Judge rules on Jets legend's $25M lawsuit against ESPN over Brett Favre dramaFormer NBA star angrily confronts podcast producer in awkward live momentStream It Or Skip It: 'That Night' On Netflix, Where Sisters Cover For Each Other When One Of Them Runs Over Someone While On Vacation
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