Move over, Buckeyes: Miami is Ohio's best bet

• The game airs at 9pm on ESPN.

State of play: Miami (based in Oxford, Ohio) leads a strong Mid-American Conference (MAC).

• In fact, the Akron Zips (19-5) are ranked higher than the RedHawks in the highly regarded KenPom rankings.

The big picture: ESPN's Mark Zinno suggests that if the RedHawks finish the regular season undefeated, they could receive an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.

• That would open another spot for a MAC team, should someone other than Miami win the MAC tourney at Rocket Arena next month.

Zoom out: The rest of Ohio's major men's basketball programs could be on the outside looking in.

• Xavier, Cincinnati, Dayton and Ohio State are all having subpar seasons and may need to win their conference tournaments to make the NCAA tournament.

What they're saying: "It's all about our players," Miami head coach Travis Steele told Cincinnati's WCPO 9 News this week.

• "We've got great players, but they're even better people. I'm glad they're getting the recognition that I think they deserve."