On Wednesday night, SMU Guard BJ Edwards stirred up quite a bit of frustration just before the Mustangs faced off against Miami (Ohio). In the days leading up to Selection Sunday, his injury status had sparked discussions about whether SMU really deserved a spot in the tournament. With what appeared to be a solid resume, they seemed like they had a fair shot at moving off the bubble and securing a “first four” position.
However, the anger intensified after the Mustangs lost 89-79 to the RedHawks, particularly after comments made by NCAA selection committee chairman Keith Gill. He remarked on how Edwards, a key player, might have impacted their chances, stating, “He’s coming back. He’s our third leading scorer… the quality of the win and them getting back to full strength helped them earn that last spot.” It seemed as though the committee had placed some trust in the bubble schools to accurately report on player availability.
Unfortunately for the NCAA, the situation only raised eyebrows. Just being part of the tournament was crucial for the Mustangs, and they might have been optimistic about Edwards playing against Miami (Ohio).
Did SMU mislead the NCAA?
The NCAA’s predicament was that there was no guarantee Edwards would be ready for the game. Even after SMU issued a statement saying it “expected” him to play, their reliability was still in question. So, when the injury report came out just two hours before the game and listed Edwards as “out,” it left many wondering if SMU had manipulated the situation.
After the loss, SMU’s head coach, Andy Enfield, was asked why Edwards didn’t take the court. He explained, “He looked really good in practice today… but he didn’t feel like he was completely game ready.” Enfield added, “If we win this game, I’m definitely going to play on Friday,” implying that while Edwards had hopes for future games, he wasn’t quite there yet.
A conversation with a Power-4 head coach the following morning revealed a consensus: “There’s no question that Edwards had the intention to play… but if you rely on schools for transparency, it’s on the NCAA to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The uncertainty over whether the selection committee would have admitted them if they had known the truth remains a point of speculation.
Ultimately, this incident might serve as a lesson for the NCAA. One can only imagine that in the future, the selection committee may be less inclined to trust availability reports from teams fighting for their seeding.
