The North Carolina Tar Heels are in. UNC will be dancing in March Madness after the NCAA Selection Committee confirmed their place in the tournament. Though doubts linger about the Tar Heelsâ inclusion, star RJ Davis remains confident, issuing a firm comment following their selection to the 68-team field.
Itâs what every college basketball program fights for during the grueling season. Conference championships are nice, but what everyone is really after is an opportunityâone shot to make it into March Madness. Because once the frenzy tips off, anything can happen.
North Carolina did just thatâsqueezing into the NCAA Tournament despite the controversy surrounding their selection. The debate was fueled by UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunninghamâs position at the helm of the selection committee. While he wasnât directly involved in discussions about the Tar Heels, his name alone sparked skepticism among many fans.
The Tar Heels were selected as an 11 seed, but have been set to play in the First Four. On March 18, North Carolina will take on San Diego State in Dayton, Ohio. Needing a win to make the final 64-team bracket, UNC will have the eyes of the nation upon them, as a loss would lead up to everybody pointing their fingers at the Committee for their disputed decision. RJ Davis, however, has the utmost confidence in his team, dropping a six-word statement.
RJ Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels moves the ball during the game against the Elon Phoenix.
âGod doesnât make any mistakes,â Davis stated on his Instagram stories, along with a post from the Tar Heels official account.
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NCAAB News: RJ Davis makes firm statement about Tar Heels ahead of March Madness
Criticism on UNCâs selection
The conversation surrouding the Tar Heelsâ potential selection was one that heated up going into the Selection Show on Sunday. And while many expected North Carolina to make the cut, it didnât neccesarily mean they agreed with the verdict.
âYou look at it and everybody says, âOkay, well, they got a spot because they had the fourth best non-conference strength of schedule in the NCAA.â You canât schedule your way in,â ESPNâs Sean Farham said. âI donât care who you play. I care who you beat. They beat American and UCLA. Thatâs it. Thatâs not a resume that gets you in the NCAA Tournament.â
Regardless, North Carolina has the talent to win games in March and even go on a Cinderella run during the NCAA Tournament. The stakes are ever high for UNC, as the pressure is on them to make the most out of their tickets to March Madness.
