Jay Bilas Sends Controversial Message to West Virginia After March Madness Snub
On Sunday, the full 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament was revealed, and while much of it was expected, the selection of the 21-13 North Carolina Tar Heels raised significant controversy. With a 1-12 record against quad-one opponents, they received the final bid over the 19-13 West Virginia Mountaineers, who had a 6-10 record against quad-one teams.
The debate intensified when the public caught onto the fact that the chairman of the selection committee is none other than North Carolina’s athletic director, Bubba Cunningham. While Cunningham is not involved in decisions directly regarding his own school, many have questioned whether his influence played a role in the Tar Heels’ inclusion.
The decision sparked outrage in West Virginia, with Governor Patrick Morrisey threatening legal action and calling for an investigation into the selection process.
Amidst the fallout, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas weighed in on the controversy, delivering a clear message to West Virginia and the possible lawsuit that could follow the committee’s decision.
“When the bracket was revealed, I think I was like most everybody else—I was surprised to see North Carolina make it into the field as an at-large,” Bilas said. “I expected that they were going to be right there on the bubble. It may have been a difficult decision, but I figured teams like Texas, West Virginia, Ohio State, or Indiana would at least go in first.”
He added, “but there is one thing that’s a little bit bothersome. I mean, for West Virginia, complain all you want, make your case, let’s talk about whether the system was right, whether we should make changes, all that stuff. But this idea of a lawsuit against the NCAA or against the selection committee is really kind of silly, and I wish I were the judge in that case. Because one of the questions I would ask the plaintiff is, ‘How many games did you play? And how many of those games did you win?’ Well, if you don’t want to be at the end of the line and have the committee decide, then maybe you should think about winning more. Case dismissed.”
The Mountaineers certainly had opportunities throughout the season to strengthen their case, but the same can be said for a North Carolina team that had an extremely underwhelming season as a whole, considering the talent they boast, led by fifth-year senior RJ Davis and key returners Elliot Cadeau, Seth Trimble, and Jae’Lyn Withers.
North Carolina rallied off two ACC tournament wins before losing to Duke in heartbreaking fashion for the third time this season in the semifinals, while West Virginia had a prime opportunity to secure a Big 12 tournament victory in the first round but instead lost to Colorado, which just so happened to be the last taste they gave the committee before they came to a conclusion.
