North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham was the chairman of the selection committee for … [+] the men’s NCAA tournament. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

NCAA Photos via Getty Images

The selection process for the NCAA men’s tournament field is always controversial. Sunday’s announcement took that to the next level.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee was roundly criticized for including North Carolina as the 37th and final at-large team in the 68-team field that begins play Tuesday.

The vitriol was directed at committee chair Bubba Cunningham, also the Tar Heels’ athletic director, in no small part because he stands to make $104,166.66 in bonus money because of the decision to include North Carolina.

Although committee vice chair Keith Gill took pains to say that Cunningham recused himself from any discussion of North Carolina, Cunningham’s contract situation made him an easy target for tournament observers and pundits. Gill is the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference and a Duke graduate.

Cunningham receives a bonus worth one month’s salary each time the Tar Heels make the NCAA tournament, according to most recent contract extension he signed with the school, per 247Sports. He makes $1.25 million per year.

It is not uncommon for coaches and athletic directors to receive bonuses for postseason participation, but this drew particular wrath. Cunningham has been a member of the committee since 2020.

Who Did North Carolina Beat Out?

North Carolina (22-13) was 1-12 in Quad 1 games this season, a metric often used an evaluation tool as contenders for the final few spots are compared. A team is credited with Quad 1 win for a home victory against a team ranked 1-30, a neutral site win against a team ranked 1-50 and a road win against a team ranked 1-75.

The most obvious slight seemed to be West Virginia (19-13, which was 6-10 in Quad 1 games and have victories over NCAA tournament teams Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and Iowa State. Each of those five is seeded eighth or better.

Indiana (19-13) was 4-13 in Quad 1 wins, including wins over Michigan State and Purdue. The Tar Heels’ lone Quad 1 win was against UCLA, but the committee cited its 8-0 record in Quad 2 games.

Cunningham indicated that the Mountaineers’ loss of key player Tucker DeVries was a the difference maker. DeVries, son of coach Darian DeVries, played eight games this season, including the overtime wins over Arizona and Gonzaga in the Battle 4 Atlantis, before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

Darian DeVries was scheduled to meet with Iowa athletic department officials Monday about its vacant head coaching job, according to reports.

“We’re down to splitting hairs there at the end,” Cunningham said on the NCAA tournament selection show Sunday. “They had a really good year overall. Since (DeVries) was hurt, they did go 13-11, and when they beat Iowa State, Iowa State was shorthanded, as well.

“Again, it’s tough when you’re clear in Quads 3 and 4. They did have a good year, but without their best player, it just came up a little bit short when it came down to evaluating them against some of the other teams that they were compared to at the end.”

Boise State (24-10) and Ohio State (17-15) also were among the the first four teams left out of the tournament. Boise State was 3-6 in Quad 1 games and beat Clemson and Saint Mary’s. Ohio State was 6-11 in Quad 1 games, with victories over Kentucky, Texas and Purdue.

North Carolina, at No. 33, was ranked ahead of the others in the final KenPom regular-season adjusted efficiency margin. Ohio State was No. 39, Boise State was No. 50 and West Virginia was No. 53