With a 1-12 record in Quad 1 games, UNC’s inclusion in the NCAA Tournament bracket felt out of place. The only thing keeping them afloat? Their ninth-ranked conference strength of schedule—fifth toughest in the country per the critics. Seth Davis summed it up best. Fast forward to now, and the Tar Heels are doing everything they can to silence the doubters. They didn’t just win—they demolished San Diego State. But even after a statement 95-68 victory in Dayton, the skepticism hasn’t faded.
Tuesday night’s matchup against San Diego State was supposed to be a tough battle. Some even saw it as an easy win for SDSU. But UNC had other plans. From the jump, the Tar Heels set the tone, and analysts like Jim Spanarkel and Spero Dedes were quick to take notice.
“Well, if 15 minutes of basketball says anything, it says that [North Carolina] belongs in this game right now… Wow!” – Jim Spanarkel. “Oh, you think they’ve answered the questions?” – Spero Dedes. A lot of credit goes to RJ Davis, who dropped 26 points while going a perfect 6-for-6 from deep. His six three-pointers tied Caleb Love’s program record for the NCAA Tournament—Love had hit the same mark against UCLA in 2022.
“Well, if 15 minutes of basketball says anything, it says that [North Carolina] belongs in this game right now…Wow!” -Jim Spanarkel
“Oh, you think they’ve answered the questions?” -Spero Dedes pic.twitter.com/Bale7Tnk9X
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 19, 2025
And it wasn’t just Davis. Seth Trimble chipped in 16 points, helping UNC make history with 14 total three-pointers—the most they’ve ever hit in an NCAA tournament game. Before that, their best showing was 13 against Marquette in 2022. By halftime, the Tar Heels were shooting 61% from the field and 7-of-9 from three. Davis’ long-range buzzer-beater put them up 47-23, sealing SDSU’s fate early.
Now, UNC advances to face No. 6 seed Mississippi in a South Region game on Friday. Meanwhile, San Diego State—despite leading the nation in field goal percentage defense—had no answers. Despite grabbing a win in such a competitive game, Tar Heels didn’t get what was expected from the spectators.
Despite a victory, spectators didn’t take Hubert Davis and UNC seriously!
The mockery knows no stop. “They would have done the same thing to WVU, who they’re ranked 15 spots ahead of,” wrote a user on X. The Tar Heels had a good game for their part. They led their opponents by as many as 40 points and snapped San Diego’s record of limiting teams to no more than 80 throughout the season. But the disappointment comes from the fact that, it is only the lowers-ranked teams that UNC performs well against.
“Until they get humiliated by an SEC team in the round of 64.” – Another user chimed in. Before Tuesday’s win, UNC had only beaten two teams that made the NCAA tournament—UCLA and American—leaving them with a brutal 2-10 record against March Madness squads. With the San Diego State victory, that record now stands at 3-10.
And it gets worse. UNC went 0-5 against ACC teams that made the NCAA tournament and just 2-7 against ACC teams with winning records. Their last game against Duke—where they had a chance to capitalize on freshman Cooper Flagg’s absence due to a sprained left ankle—didn’t help their case. The outrage over UNC’s selection goes beyond just stats. Fans couldn’t believe how a team that went 0-8 against the top 20 in the NET rankings and 1-10 against the top 40 managed to sneak into the tournament. “Ends do not justify means.” – Another user voiced.
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Final Four-Semifinals-North Carolina vs Duke, Apr 2, 2022 New Orleans, LA, USA North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks with his team during a time out against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half during the 2022 NCAA men s basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports, 02.04.2022 20:29:57, 18010279, Hubert Davis, TopPic, Final Four, NPStrans, NCAA Basketball, Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBobxDonnanx 18010279
On NCAA.org, the selection committee has attempted to debunk various myths about how teams get chosen. But the backlash over UNC’s inclusion has resurfaced the long-standing debate over fairness. It’s become a prime example of what fans refer to as “Myth No. 8”—the idea that certain teams get the benefit of the doubt based on brand power rather than performance.
“This Tar Heels win feels so fake. And I’m not just saying that because I took SD State.” – Yet another X user chimed in.
Despite all the noise, RJ Davis and the Tar Heels aren’t letting it get to them. “We can’t control the noise. What we can control is how we prepare and how we perform on the court.” – Davis said in a press conference.
And on Tuesday night, he did just that. But the question remains—was this win proof that UNC deserved their spot? Or just another spark before the fire dies out?
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