College Basketball Chaos!
Stunning Tournament Surprise in 2025: North Carolina secures a spot in the March Madness as the final team qualified.
March Madness is loading up and hoops enthusiasts are all psyched for the craziest week of the year: the early tourney rounds for the Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball Championships, with games round the clock. But for some teams that didn't make it, this frenzy isn't all peachy.
It's controversy time once again, as this year's Men's Tournament bubble has sparked plenty of debate. A glaring example is North Carolina, who scraped in as the last team with questionable legitimacy, leaving many furious about their inclusion.
West Virginia and Indiana, entitled to a spot more than the Tar Heels, are the most vocal critics, as their cases for inclusion were stronger.
Facing off against the 11-seed San Diego State Aztecs in a "First Four" game on Tuesday, the 11-seed Tar Heels start their tourney trek, favored by 4.5 points over their opponents at FanDuel as of now. Should they prevail, they'll take on 6-seed Ole Miss on Friday.
Going tough but can't get the win
Finishing with an overall record of 22-13, and tying for a mediocre 4th in the ACC with a 13-7 conference record, UNC's problem, as critics see it, is that they only secured one Quad 1 victory. Against tough teams, they couldn't secure a win.
Their strong non-conference schedule, which was one of the best in the country, helped boost their computer ratings. However, critics argue that it doesn't matter if they played strong teams; what matters is whether they could win.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi sums it up well: is it better to have a tough schedule, or to win tough games?
"I'm not big on rewarding either path, but I'm baffled at rewarding both," Lunardi wrote.
When asked why North Carolina made the cut, fans and analysts considered two factors: North Carolina is a giant college hoops brand, and the athletic director who serves as the chair of the tournament selection committee.
The latter factor has understandably received the most backlash. He assured viewers on live TV that he was kept out of the discussion when North Carolina's case was being considered, but it hasn't stopped West Virginia fans from being disappointed. To add salt to the wound, he reportedly stands to gain a month's salary as a bonus if the team makes the tournament.
West Virginia's unjust snubbing
The teams that missed out on the tournament, according to the committee, consisted of West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State, and Boise State. While many believe that, at minimum, West Virginia and Indiana deserved to be in over North Carolina, some would go so far as to say they deserved to be in over Texas as well.
West Virginia had as many combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins as UNC but failed to impress with their high-profile victories. Conversely, the Mountaineers toppled Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, and Iowa State in key matches.
Indiana had less of an argument, though they did manage to beat Michigan and Purdue on the road.
Lastly, it's worth noting that the selection committee didn't penalize UNC for performing poorly in a weak ACC, unlike Louisville, who earned a lowly 8 seed despite a stellar 27-7 record and near-perfect 18-2 conference record.
FanDuel gives North Carolina long odds of +32,000 to win it all. While they might not deserve their spot, they're in, so they've got a shot to raise the trophy.
- Despite having an inconsistent performance with only one Quad 1 victory, North Carolina secured a spot in the NCAA Basketball Championship, sparking controversy among sports fans and analysts.
- West Virginia, with a stronger case for inclusion, is among the teams that voice their dissatisfaction towards North Carolina's inclusion in the tournament.
- West Virginia, like North Carolina, finished with a record of 22-13 but, unlike their opponents, had more combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins, including victories against Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, and Iowa State.
- Even though North Carolina's athletic director, who serves as the chair of the tournament selection committee, claimed to be kept out of the discussion regarding North Carolina's case, many still question the fairness of their inclusion in the tournament.
