MARCH MADNESS fans blasted “how is this allowed” after a “rigged” selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament.
Basketball fans are getting ready for the epic battle this month.
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68 teams from all over the country will be playing for glory.
But there’s been one pick that’s left people baffled.
North Carolina are shock choices to compete in March Madness.
That’s despite the side failing to land a signature victory this season.
As it happens, the school’s athletic director Bubba Cunningham is also the NCAA’s selection committee chairman.
And while there are no suggestions of foul play, some basketball fans feel that North Carolina’s inclusion shows that the March Madness draw was “rigged.”
One fan said: “How is this allowed?”
Another declared: “This selection was rigged.”
One noted: “I’m a fan but even I’ll admit they shouldn’t be there.”
Another added: “This needs to be corrected.”
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Meanwhile, an ESPN college basketball analyst also blasted UNC’s inclusion in the competition.
Sean Farnham said: “That has to be a typo. UNC can’t possibly be in this NCAA Tournament field.
“This is an example of why we don’t need to expand the tournament.”
However, Cunningham has come out swinging in defence of the selection.
He said: “All the policies and procedures were followed and (No2 Keith) Gill can address exactly how UNC was discussed because I was not in the room for any of that.”
Vice chair Gill added: “Our policies require the AD of any school to recuse themselves and actually leave those discussions and they are now allowed to participate in any vote as well.
“Saturday night we took our final vote and voted in four teams in the field, and we had a contingency vote.
“That was the last team on the field, it was based on Memphis and UAB. Memphis won and that put North Carolina in the field.”
