CHARLESTON – West Virginia state government officials want answers from the NCAA after West Virginia University’s men’s basketball team was snubbed by the selection committee for the championship tournament.
The Mountaineers were the first team left out of the 68-team field announced March 16. WVU finished the season at 19-13 and 10-10 in the Big XII.
“West Virginia had an outstanding year and knowing Tucker DeVries was hurt, player availability is something we talk about quite a bit,” committee chairman Bubba Cunningham, who is athletic director at North Carolina, said. UNC’s Tar Heels were the last team to make the cut.
“The Mountaineers really got hurt,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said March 17 on Newsmax. “What a ridiculous call to not put them in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. I have to say that. This is outrageous. A little home cooking going on in North Carolina.”
Morrisey and state Attorney General J.B. McCuskey had a press conference Monday afternoon to announce plans to ask the NCAA to provide explanations for their selection process for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
"West Virginia deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament," Morrisey said at the press conference. "This was a miscarriage of justice and robbery at the highest levels. ...
"This stinks at the highest level. This doesn't pass the smell test."
Citing WVU’s “incredible season” and noting that “every single expert bracket projection” had WVU making the field, McCuskey said the snub is difficult to understand.
“Given the major event that the tournament has become, all fans deserve to know how the selection committee makes its choices,” McCuskey wrote in a letter to the NCAA. “Just for the teams, those criteria affect scheduling, lineup choices, and more.”
McCuskey also said he believes the public deserves to know what objective metrics are used by the committee to ensure the best 68 teams are in the tournament.
“And as we look ahead to another season, these student-athletes deserve to know the rules of the game and what they might be up against,” McCuskey wrote.
McCuskey said he is optimistic the NCAA will work with the state to provide some clarity about the decision to ensure the process is fair, trustworthy and transparent for all student-athletes and fans moving forward.
Morrisey said it is too early to consider at lawsuit against the NCAA.
“We need objective criteria to make sure everyone knows this is a level playing field,” he said at Monday’s press conference. “That’s what we’re asking for.
“I think it’s premature to talk about the litigation right now. We need answers right away. We’re never going to rule anything out. This smells a great deal. I would ask the NCAA to work and collaborate with the state. It’s nothing they should hide.”
McCuskey agreed.
“It’s incumbent on me to work with the governor to make sure this process is fair,” he said at the press conference. “What I know is that if something does smell, the best way to relief the smell is to be transparent about what’s going on.
“It’s always best to start in a collaborative way. That explanation will solve a lot of our problems. We would certainly welcome that to be the process going forward. ...
"What we are asking for is a level of detail and a level of transparency, level of accountability, so teams like West Virginia can plan in the future and say, 'What are we supposed to do to get into the tournament?' We need to know what they are looking for."