Fran Fraschilla notes possible biases, questions at-large for North Carolina in NCAA Tournament

North Carolina is the talk of college basketball right now because of their surprising inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. Fran Fraschilla at ESPN was one of those who joined in on it considering the obvious connection for the Tar Heels’ on the Selection Committee.

Fraschilla tweeted out several comments on the at-large berth for UNC as the Last Team In for March Madness last night following the release of the bracket on Selection Sunday. He felt it was a conversation worth having whether they should be in the field or not but that it was one that did include the natural point that Bubba Cunningham, their athletic director, was the chair of the committee.

“Whether North Carolina should be in or not is a good debate,” Fraschilla posted. “Their AD is the chairman of the selection committee but cannot be in the room when the Tar Heels are discussed. But it’s human nature that it doesn’t hurt UNC’s chances when other members of the committee have spent so much time with him. Not criticizing it but just pointing it out.”

However, Fraschilla changed his tone a bit once he realized that North Carolina being in meant that West Virginia was out. He then spoke on the Mountaineers’ behalf, as well as for the Big 12, considering how it looks that the Tar Heels made it in out of the ACC.

“Put this out before I realized @WVUhoops was not included in the field. For some reason, even with 4 of Top 12 @Big12Conference teams in NET, league was thought to be “down.” Even if was No.1 in @kenpomeroy nine of last 11 years,” Fraschilla wrote. “Obviously, I have no issues @SEC’s “outlier” year but ACC was historically horrendous. Human nature in that conference room prevailed.”

“In my wildest dreams, I never thought they would do this to @WVUhoops,” continued Fraschilla. “But again, as smart as these people are, it always comes down to who’s in the room with you deciding. It has always been that way.”

Fraschilla also quote tweeted on a comment about Cunningham’s lack of involvement, per procedure and protocol, when it came to the committee’s decisions on North Carolina. That may have been the case but, in the end, those on the committee still were around Cunningham enough to think it could have given UNC the edge they needed to make it.

“No (he was not in the room), but when they wheeled in the hamburger and ice cream bar for the committee, he was,” Fraschilla wrote. “Again, it’s human nature not to disappoint your friends.”

Conspiracy about this committee is clearly going to be there considering the selection chair out of Chapel Hill and the eventual berth for North Carolina. Fraschilla was just the latest to point it out ahead of the Tar Heels’ matchup in the First Four from Dayton on Tuesday.