March Madness selection committee chairman explains why UNC was seeded higher than Tennessee

As the NCAA Tournament seeding process went along to build the bracket, a debate emerged for the final No. 1 seed. It ultimately came down to North Carolina and Tennessee in that spot, with the Tar Heels entering March Madness as the No. 4 overall seed.

According to selection committee chair Charles McClelland, there were a few factors in the decision. He pointed out both teams had strong seasons, and UNC won the games it was supposed to win.

Ultimately, he said, the separator came down to Tennessee’s early exit in the conference tournament.

“There was a lot,” McClelland said when asked about how much discussion there was about that spot. “A lot of discussion. Obviously, North Carolina got it. We looked at some head-to-heads with Tennessee, but overall, North Carolina had a magnificent season. They did what they were supposed to do in the regular season. Fell a little short in the tournament, and that’s ultimately why we gave them that No. 1 see on the fourth line.”

Looking at the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, Tennessee and North Carolina were as close as you can get at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. Beyond that, though, there were other factors in putting the Tar Heels higher in the seeding list.

Tennessee and North Carolina had a common opponent in NC State. The Volunteers beat the Wolfpack 79-70 in their lone matchup, and the Tar Heels won both of their games against NCSU during ACC play. However, the Wolfpack avoided three losses to UNC, defeating the Tar Heels in the ACC championship on Saturday.

What’s interesting, though, is that UNC and Tennessee played in the SEC-ACC challenge – a 100-92 Tar Heels victory. Add in the fact that North Carolina made the ACC Tournament championship and Tennessee fell to Mississippi State 73-56 in the SEC quarterfinals.

That meant the Vols were a No. 2 seed and the Tar Heels took the final No. 1 seed in the field.

Because of their seedings, North Carolina will now head to the West Region to take on the No. 16 seed, which will be the winner of Howard vs. Wagner in the First Four. Tennessee, meanwhile, is in the Midwest Region as a No. 2 seed and will square off against No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s – which captivated fans with its Elite Eight run just two years ago. Purdue is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.

The 2024 NCAA Tournament gets underway with the First Four in Dayton on Tuesday, with first-round matchups starting on Thursday.