Bubba Cunningham had some explaining to do on Sunday night. The NCAA selection committee head and North Carolina athletic director was forced into the spotlight to justify the Tar Heels’ inclusion in this year’s NCAA Tournament at the expense of bubble squads like West Virginia.
The Tar Heels were the last team into the tournament despite an abysmal record against high-quality opponents. The Mountaineers, with a better resume against top-tier opposition, were not included in the field.
“The last four teams that were out, it was a tough call. The first team out was West Virginia,” Cunningham told CBS. “They had an outstanding year, and unfortunately, knowing Tucker DeVries was hurt … Player availability is something that we talk about quite a bit.”
DeVries has been injured for several months. The Mountaineers recorded a 13-10 record without him.
West Virginia still managed a 6-10 record against Quad 1 opposition. North Carolina managed a 1-12 mark against the same caliber opponents.
Cunningham, per selection committee guidelines, had to recuse himself from discussions about the Tar Heels. That hasn’t stopped fans and analysts around the country from criticizing North Carolina’s inclusion.
“Whether North Carolina should be in or not is a good debate. … “ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla wrote on X. “It’s human nature that it doesn’t hurt UNC’s chances when other members of the committee have spent so much time with [Cunningham.]”
The optics worsened on Monday morning as Cunningham’s contract details spread on social media. He made $68,000 when his school made the NCAA Tournament, according to Inside Carolina. He could make another $225,000 if the Tar Heels make an unlikely run to claim the national championship.
“You can’t have a team play all year and now you tell me they’re not going to make it because DeVries is out,” ESPN and SiriusXM personality Chris Russo said. “That’s not a fair thing to do.”
North Carolina opens tournament play with a First Four matchup against San Diego State on Tuesday night.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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