Even before the ball could have hit the court, March Madness drew attention from all quarters, be it fans, players or even getting a Governor of a state involved! And with the Selection Sunday chaos, many voice this will be remembered for all the wrong reasons! Controversy took center stage as Hubert Davis’ UNC squad secured a spot in the Big Dance despite having just one Quad 1 win. How did they cut? Conspiracy theories ran wild. The biggest? A supposed inside job from the athletic director of the Tar Heels who also happened to be the chair of the selection committee—Bubba Cunningham. To quell the backlash, Cunningham had to publicly state, “I was not in the room for any of that.” But did anyone buy it? At least not this former national coach.

Former Bowling Green head coach Dan Dakich certainly found it weird. “It was ridiculous,” he said, reacting to UNC’s inclusion in the field of 68. The hard words and criticism didn’t stop there. Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show, Dakich dove deep into why the Tar Heels didn’t deserve a spot and openly questioned Bubba Cunningham’s role in the selection process.

He questioned the bonuses Cunningham had in his contract by saying, “You can’t have in your contract you know? Some say you got 104,000, some say you got 67,000. I don’t care. You can’t have that in your contract. The hint of impropriety is ridiculous”

For those who don’t know. Cunningham’s current contract gets him $814,868 per year. But that’s just the base salary! His contract is packed with extra incentives. Just making the Big Dance earns him a $100,000 payday. If UNC reaches the Sweet 16, he gets a further $50,000. A Final Four run? That’s $75,000! And if the Tar Heels win it all, he cashes in a cool $100,000. So you see the connections?

His contract details created a huge frenzy in social media. People questioned his involvement, and rightly so. Dakich, who has known Cunningham since his Ball State days, was convinced Cunningham was involved as the NCAA metrics made no sense. He said, ” I didn’t think Carolina should be in for the simple reason, who did they beat over the course of a season? But I do think that it has to get straightened out where guys have bonuses for their schools to be in the tournament I think that’s just wrong It reeks of um well oh frankly it’s nefarious.  Don’t tell me you weren’t in the room. Don’t don’t treat us like children. You were talking to them at dinner. You would have drinks whatever at the coffee shop.”

Hubert Davis’ side finished their season with a 22-13 record and could conjure up just one win against the Quad 1 teams. Their closest competitor was probably West Virginia, who finished the season with a 19-13 record but had 6 wins over Quad 1 teams. Naturally, this raised eyebrows.

Quad 1 wins have always been a major factor in selection. Yet, for UNC, that standard seemed to shift. The NCAA’s metrics were questioned and rightly so! But in UNC’s defense, their overall NET ranking was 36, while West Virginia sat at 51. So, while Dakich can argue that Cunningham influenced the committee, Hubert Davis and his squad had a case for making the Big Dance. And they are focused on the job at hand.

Hubert Davis optimistic about what’s ahead for the Tar Heels

The Tar Heels sent a strong message in their First Four game against San Diego State. The Aztecs, who led the nation in field goal percentage defense, were no match for UNC’s fast-paced game. With star guard RJ Davis leading the charge, UNC dominated, winning 95-68. Naturally, coach Davis believes his team is peaking at the perfect time.

“I just feel like this group is getting better. Regardless of the outcome, I feel like we’re getting better – and I feel like our confidence is growing. It did during the ACC Tournament – and then after having a tough loss to Duke, it just continues to grow. We’re getting better. Over the last month and a half, two months, we’ve just gotten better and better. It’s coming at the right time.”

UNC is set to face 6th-seeded Ole Miss on Friday in Milwaukee. It’s their first-ever matchup in March Madness, and surprisingly enough, the Tar Heels are entering as the favorites. ESPN gives UNC a 56.3% chance of advancing to the second round. A huge turnaround for a team that was just outside the bubble a week ago.

While much has been said about Boo Cunningham’s involvement, the Tar Heels have done an excellent job blocking out the noise. Now, the question is — can they keep it up and make a deep run? Stay tuned for more updates!