Travis Steele says Miami RedHawks can be NCAA tourney 2nd-weekend team
· Yahoo Sports
Miami RedHawks head coach Travis Steele appeared on ESPN's "SportsCenter" with Scott Van Pelt to discuss his 19th-ranked team's 30th win in 30 games this season, and Mid-American Conference regular-season title.
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After closing the regular season against the Ohio Bobcats in Athens on March 6, the RedHawks will be the top seed in the MAC tournament and play in the first quarterfinal game in Cleveland on March 12.
"Super proud and happy for our guys," Steele told Van Pelt. "We've got really, really good players. But they're better human beings. They've meant a lot to this rebuild. … Student attendance has just been incredible. And it's just been a really, really fun ride. It's a marathon, for sure, because we're getting everybody's best shot. But I couldn't be more happy for our guys and for our staff."
"We've been in every situation," Steele continued. "We've been up by 10, we've been down by 4, down by 5 with 2:00 to go. … Our ability to stick together through adversity and to raise our level of focus during those tight moments will really serve us well in March, because there's gonna be a lot of close games. … We're used to being in those situations."
Van Pelt asked Steele what he's said to his players about critics, such as CBS/TNT analyst Bruce Pearl, suggesting that Miami is not among the top candidates for an NCAA tournament at-large bid.
"I told our guys earlier there's gonna be people out there that are gonna try to tear us down," Steele said. "And it is what it is. But if I'm not calling those people and asking for their opinion on our team or for what we need to do, then why the heck should we listen to them right now? We've got to focus on the things we can control. ... We control our own destiny. That's the beauty of this thing. Our group has done such a great job of just staying present and staying in the moment."
Van Pelt asked Steele what it means for the RedHawks to finish the job.
"We want to win the MAC tournament championship, that's for sure," Steele said. "We want to cut down those nets in Cleveland. And then we want to advance in the NCAA tournament. ... NCAA tournament's so cool because it's just 40 minutes, one game. Anything can happen. When you get into that second weekend, that's where we want to be and I think our group can be."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Travis Steele says Miami RedHawks can be NCAA tourney 2nd-weekend team