The North Carolina Tar Heels’ inclusion in the NCAA Tournament field has ignited considerable backlash from media members within the sport. On Monday, college basketball broadcaster John Fanta voiced his criticisms regarding the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s decision to award the Tar Heels a bid while appearing on FS1’s Breakfast Ball. He expressed his grievances over what he described as the “crime” of including North Carolina in the tournament.
“North Carolina being in the NCAA Tournament is a crime,” Fanta declared. “They had two wins over the field, one of which came against American. Their only victory over a high-major team in the tournament was against UCLA, in a game that UCLA essentially handed away. If a team with a 2-10 record against tournament teams receives a bid, what are we doing here? West Virginia, despite losing their best player Tucker DeVries in December, managed to secure a win at Kansas while shorthanded, beat Iowa State in Morgantown, and claimed neutral site victories over both Arizona and Gonzaga. Why don’t these results matter? West Virginia deserved a spot. I’d even argue for Indiana over North Carolina because they at least defeated Purdue and won against a Michigan State team that was ranked on the two-line.”
“North Carolina being in the NCAA tournament is a crime.” 🗣️ — @John_Fanta reacts to UNC’s March Madness bid pic.twitter.com/mBcOV0tgS0
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) March 17, 2025
Fanta’s points are tough to refute, particularly when considering other teams like West Virginia, Indiana, and potentially Ohio State and Boise State, all of which have legitimate claims to being included in the tournament over North Carolina. It’s conceivable that the Selection Committee factored in West Virginia’s underwhelming performance, which included a loss to No. 16 seed Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament, yet when contrasting the resumes of West Virginia and North Carolina, the Mountaineers’ record stands out as significantly stronger. While some, like ESPN’s Jay Bilas, may insist that debating the final tournament spots is futile, Fanta views North Carolina’s at-large bid as an outright injustice to the teams that were left out.
Regardless of differing opinions, North Carolina now has the opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, set to face San Diego State in a First Four matchup on Tuesday night. The Tar Heels are currently favored by 4.5 points across most sportsbooks.
