The West Virginia men’s basketball team was snubbed yesterday evening from a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Experts, coaches, and analysts have gone to social media to express their disbelief.
West Virginia’s athletic director, Wren Baker, released a statement following Selection Sunday. Baker expressed his heartbreak for the athletes and appreciation for head coach Darian DeVries.
“I can’t comprehend this team being left out. Our resume was better than several teams in the field and it’s a terrible travesty that we weren’t included,” Baker wrote on X.
The Mountaineers finished their regular season with an overall record of 19-12 before falling to Colorado in their first game of the Big 12 Tournament. They recorded six Quad 1 wins and no Quad 3 and 4 losses.
Former WVU baseball head coach Randy Mazey took to X to share the need to change the system.
“What a shame for the kids on our basketball team. I’ve seen this happen so much in my career to teams in other sports but when it publicly becomes this egregious, someone HAS to change the system,” Mazey wrote. “If the system doesn’t change, this will keep happening every year to more kids.”
Other big names such as Pat McAfee, Joe Lunardi, and even former player Miles (Deuce) McBride shared their disappointment.
McAfee was short in his statement, writing “WVU got screwed. Of course,” as well as McBride who simply tagged March Madness followed by “Ain’t no way.”
The Mountaineer fanbase speculates UNC’s selection over West Virginia has something to do with Bubba Cunningham, UNC athletic director, and his position as NCAA Tournament Selection Committee chairperson.
Lunardi released a statement sharing he doesn’t buy conspiracy theories regarding Cunningham but doesn’t believe both UNC and Texas should have both been selected.
“North Carolina and Texas were both flawed yet selectable, especially Texas, but not both at the same time. It’s a mixed message of the worst kind,” Lunardi wrote. “That winning doesn’t matter, except when it does, kind of like telling yourself not to drink while walking to the fridge to grab another beer.”
While the Mountaineer community remains disappointed, March Madness play will begin Tuesday.
