North Carolina has secured a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed, despite a disappointing season and a heartbreaking loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals. The Tar Heels narrowly made it to the Big Dance after waiting for the results of other conference tournaments, specifically the AAC final, where Memphis’ win over UAB secured North Carolina’s bid.
The inclusion of North Carolina, with a 1-12 Quad 1 record, has raised eyebrows and sparked criticism from teams like West Virginia and Indiana left out of the tournament. However, the Tar Heels’ higher rankings in NET and KenPom metrics played a role in their selection. The absence of bid thieves from conference championship week also benefited North Carolina in reaching the tournament.
Despite the controversial selection, committee chair Bubba Cunningham ensured that all policies and procedures were followed. Cunningham’s affiliation with North Carolina, along with the team’s inclusion, may raise questions, but he emphasized that he was not involved in any discussions related to the Tar Heels’ eligibility.
The Tar Heels’ path to the NCAA Tournament will kick off in Dayton as part of the First Four, where they will face an uncertain but hopeful journey to make their mark in March Madness.
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