College basketball program accused of ‘lying’ to secure final March Madness spot

Selection Sunday always brings drama and controversy as the committee unveils the final teams to secure at-large bids.

This year, the final four in were the NC State Wolfpack, Texas Longhorns, Miami (OH) RedHawks, and SMU Mustangs, all of whom are playing in the First Four in Dayton.

On the outside looking in were teams like the Oklahoma Sooners, Auburn Tigers, San Diego State Aztecs, and Indiana Hoosiers. With so much subjectivity in the selection process, the committee’s reasoning is always scrutinized — and SMU quickly became one of the most debated inclusions.

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When explaining the decision, committee chairman Keith Gill pointed to the expected return of star guard B.J. Edwards, who had missed time due to injury.

“Six games ago, SMU lost one of their important players, [B.J.] Edwards, and they’ve lost five of six of those games,” Gill said after the bracket was revealed. “He’s coming back — he’s their third-leading scorer and a key defensive player — so the quality of wins and them getting back to full strength allowed them to get that spot.”

However, just hours before their First Four matchup against Miami (OH) on Wednesday, Edwards was ruled out — despite SMU previously stating he was expected to return for the NCAA Tournament.

“B.J. Edwards is expected to return to competition and be available for the NCAA Tournament,” the program posted just days earlier.

The situation quickly escalated into controversy, with many accusing SMU of “lying” to the committee and the college basketball world to strengthen its case for that final NCAA Tournament bid.