Latest news with #BubbaCunningham
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bill Belichick insists girlfriend Jordon Hudson ‘doesn't have anything to do with football'
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick insists his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is not a distraction and said he has addressed the relationship with his new team. The relationship between the 73-year-old Belichick and Hudson, who is 24, has attracted huge amounts of media attention as the coach prepares for his first season as a college head coach. Last week journalist Pablo Torre reported that Hudson had been barred from UNC's football operations. Torre cited 11 sources, including two who claimed Hudson was specifically told she was 'no longer allowed in the football building'. UNC later denied those reports and Belichick told ESPN on Tuesday that he had spoken to his players about the issue. 'Really off to the side,' Belichick told ESPN. 'It's a personal relationship, and she doesn't have anything to do with football.' Hudson has been a prominent figure around Belichick since his arrival at UNC last December. The six-time Super Bowl-winning coach took over the Tar Heels' program on a $10m annual salary, making him the highest-paid public employee in North Carolina. Hudson's influence on Belichick's media presence was thrust into the spotlight during an April interview with CBS Sunday Morning. While promoting his new book, Belichick was asked about how he and Hudson met. Hudson, off-camera, interjected, saying, 'We're not talking about that.' On Tuesday, UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham again said the school had no issues with Belichick or Hudson. 'Bill's been great to work with,' Cunningham said. 'He talked about practicing like a pro and he runs a professional organization that is teaching students how to be professional in all aspects of their life. He is a very determined, professional individual, and that's the way he carries himself and the way he conducts the program.' Belichick was in attendance at last weekend's Miss Maine pageant, where Hudson finished as a runner-up. He said that he does not believe such storylines are a distraction for his players. 'I talked to the players when we meet with them,' Belichick said. 'We want to make the players the best they can be and giving them the best opportunity on and off the field.' Belichick was known for his ruthlessly focused approach during his long reign with the New England Patriots. He said he hoped to bring a similar philosophy to UNC. 'Everything we do is a pro model,' Belichick said. 'Head coach, general manager, and we want the players to develop professionally in every aspect.'
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
UNC's First Four win draws record TV ratings
March 20 - While North Carolina's addition to the NCAA Tournament was deemed controversial, there is no denying the program's March pedigree and it was evident in record First Four television ratings on Tuesday. According to Front Office Sports, North Carolina's 95-68 victory over San Diego State in an NCAA Tournament play-in game earned 2.2 million viewers on TruTV for a First Four single-game record. Adding in the 1.4 million that watched an earlier play-in game between Alabama State and Saint Francis (PA), the evening earned a First Four record of 3.6 million combined viewers. The Tar Heels earned a tournament bid with a 22-13 record but were just 1-12 in Quad 1 games. West Virginia was left out with a 19-13 record but a 6-10 mark in Quad 1 games. West Virgina governor Patrick Morrisey went as far as to announce an investigation into the NCAA and the tournament selection committee. Adding to the controversy is that North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham is the chair on the NCAA Tournament selection committee and earned a bonus when the Tar Heels defeated San Diego State to officially grab a tourney spot. North Carolina now is set to face Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in a game that will be televised on TNT.
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness First Four winners and losers: North Carolina, West Virginia lead list
March Madness First Four winners and losers: North Carolina, West Virginia lead list Show Caption Hide Caption March Madness 2025: The Dos and Don'ts for filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket March Madness is finally here and Mackenzie Salmon has tips to help you fill out your NCAA Tournament bracket. Sports Pulse Now, March Madness can officially begin. We've soldiered through another First Four, in preparation for the NCAA Tournament's first round on Thursday, the date that many observers still consider to be the real start of the tournament. First, though, we had a trimming of the fat on Tuesday and Wednesday to whittle the bracket to 64 teams. Here are the winners and losers from the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio: Winners North Carolina, Xavier First Four victors make for good sleeper-team candidates. In 12 of the past 13 years featuring these First Four games, at least one team that played its way into the 64-team field advanced to at least the second round. VCU (2011) and UCLA (2021) went from First Four to Final Four. That history bodes well for North Carolina and Xavier. Those two No. 11 seeds that won their play-in games now will face No. 6 seeds Ole Miss and Illinois, respectively. Upset alert, anyone? Dunk enthusiasts If you enjoy points in the paint, then you loved Mount St. Mary's 83-72 win against American that featured a handful of rim-rattling jams. Mount St. Mary's offense functioned beautifully. Big men Jedy Cordilia and Dola Adebayo each supplied 22 points with unstoppable dominance at the rim, and some inside-out kick-outs resulted in nine 3-pointers for the Mountaineers, who looked better than your garden variety 16-seed. Bubba Cunningham North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham served as the chairman of the tournament selection committee that just so happened to choose the Tar Heels for the final at-large bid. Cunningham will be due a bonus in excess of $75,000 for the team's NCAA selection, per the terms of his contract. Rules dictate that Cunningham not be in the room while the rest of the committee members discussed North Carolina's tournament candidacy, but his presence as committee chairman nonetheless created at least the illusion of bias. North Carolina's 8-0 record against 'Quad 2' opponents highlighted its credentials, along with a sturdy NET ranking. It won two ACC Tournament games, while other bubble teams lost their conference tournament openers. Still, the Tar Heels carried a squishy résumé into Selection Sunday, anchored by a 1-12 record against 'Quad 1' opponents. Cunningham being the committee chair added fuel to the fire of the debate. By smashing San Diego State 95-68, the Tar Heels quieted critics who objected to their selection. Oh, and if the Tar Heels reach the Sweet 16, Cunningham will be owed another bonus. Sweet deal. Tony Madlock's wife The television broadcast Tuesday showed Stacie Madlock, wife of Alabama State coach Tony Madlock and mother to Hornets forward TJ Madlock, with her head in her hands during the game against St. Francis. Prayers answered. Alabama State beat St. Francis with a wild bucket in the final second. Losers Rodney Terry Texas coach Rodney Terry sits on a hot seat, and Texas blowing an eight-point halftime lead in its loss to Xavier didn't help his case for job retention. The SEC qualified a record 14 teams for this tournament. Now, it's down to 13 strong, as Terry awaits his fate. St. Francis, American The First Four continues to be a rough deal for the No. 16 seeds that are cast into play-in games despite winning their conference tournaments. Back when the NCAA Tournament featured only 64 teams, winning your conference tournament triggered guaranteed entry into the 64-team bracket. Tournament expansion changed this. Now, the four lowest-seeded automatic bids on the 16-seed line must win a play-in game to earn the right to play a No. 1 seed. Alabama State and Mount St. Mary's won and advanced to the first round. St. Francis and American bid adieu. Alabama State's last-second basket brought a swift end to St. Francis' second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. San Diego State After all that howling about North Carolina not deserving the final at-large bid, San Diego State shouted, 'Hold my beer!' The Aztecs' putrid performance against the Tar Heels suggested that San Diego State was the real dud of Selection Sunday, hiding in plain sight. The Tar Heels' torrid shooting ripped to shreds the Aztecs' typically stout defense. Mississippi Would you want to play the Tar Heels in Round 1 after the way they tormented San Diego State? North Carolina guard RJ Davis, an NCAA Tournament veteran, will enter the first-round game against Ole Miss blistering hot after making all six of his 3-point attempts against the Aztecs. If Davis stays hot, look out, Rebels. West Virginia What an awful stretch of days it's been for West Virginia. First, the selection committee omitted the Mountaineers, who beat six 'Quad 1' opponents en route to a 19-13 record. Then, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey embarrassed himself in a pathetic excuse for a news conference during which he threatened legal action in response to the committee choosing UNC over the Mountaineers. 'We need to get to the bottom of it,' Morrisey bloviated. West Virginia lost its first game in the Big 12 Tournament, 67-60, to Colorado, a team with 20 losses. There's the bottom of it. The defense rests. To top it off, West Virginia needs a new coach. Darian DeVries won't stick around to witness any more of Morrisey's charade. DeVries vamoosed for Indiana on Tuesday after one season coaching West Virginia. The final tally for West Virginia: No bid, one gasbag governor, no coach. Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.
NBC Sports
18-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
North Carolina's Inclusion in Men's Basketball Tournament is an Optics Problem for the NCAA
Selection Sunday wouldn't be what it is without its snubs. Sure, we'd probably still all tune in to see the four No. 1 seeds and which potential Cinderella teams have the most advantageous matchups. But what we really want is to see which bubble teams sneak in and which ones get left out. Even in the least divisive years, there's usually at least one semi-debatable inclusion or a seeding issue that seems worth discussing. And then there are some years, like this one, that result in a full-blown controversy — one that could have been easily avoided. North Carolina was the very last team into the 68-team field despite its paltry 1-12 record in Quad 1 games, which were its most challenging games. More than 77 percent of bracketologists tracked by the Bracket Matrix had the Tar Heels on the outside looking in. Almost all of the bracketologists had West Virginia safely in the field, and the Mountaineers ended up as the first team out. The problem — the piece of the puzzle that turned an ordinary snub into a full-fledged controversy — was that the chairman of the selection committee was UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham. It's a terrible look, no matter what the NCAA and the involved parties say. Cunningham explained multiple times on Sunday that the policies and procedures of the Division I men's basketball committee prevent the athletic director of a school from being in the room while the group discusses his or her school. Cunningham said that was the case all week when this year's committee discussed North Carolina. He made the rounds for interviews on Sunday night alongside Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill, the vice chair of the committee, so Gill could answer questions about the Tar Heels' inclusion. I am sure Cunningham followed those rules. I am also sure everyone remaining in the room believed they were evaluating all the bubble teams fairly. But the optics mattered here, and they were bad. Optics matter when the NCAA relies on subjectivity and uses a closed-door selection process to determine its field. We, the public, have to believe that teams were chosen, seeded and bracketed fairly, and that each member of the committee did his or her job with integrity. Again, I have no doubt in my mind that everyone on this particular committee checked all of those boxes. But there's a reason conflicts of interest are often defined as being real or apparent. It's just as bad to give anyone the impression that someone is receiving favorable treatment. Cunningham was asked about these apparent conflicts of interest, not just for him in this isolated incident but also for other athletic directors and conference commissioners that serve on these types of committees. 'It weighed on me a lot,' Cunningham said. 'I will say that it also weighs on commissioners and it weighs on other ADs when it comes to seeding. With a commissioner that would have multiple teams that are under consideration, they're hoping their teams get in. It does weigh on you. You have a personal, professional responsibility at your institution. You're part of a committee of 12 that represent the membership. 'I think people recognize that and honor it. Quite honestly, I think you can sometimes say less in any setting because you want to make sure that you don't even get up to that line of integrity. I think that's just part of what we have to work through, the way the committee is designed.' That's the problem, though. And it's one that is easily avoidable — if the NCAA and its schools cared to change how they pick teams for their championship events, especially with one worth as much as March Madness is. The NCAA (and the College Football Playoff) should not have sitting athletic directors or current conference commissioners as members of their selection committees. I understand that these are prestigious assignments. I get that there are only so many retired players or coaches to fill out the roster. But we cannot and should not start the best week of the year with tinfoil hats on and pitchforks out. That's precisely what happens when you have apparent conflicts of interest. You always run this risk. And it doesn't help matters that the grandstanding governor of West Virginia called a press conference on Monday to call the snub of the Mountaineers (owners of six Quad 1 wins) a 'miscarriage of justice and robbery at the highest levels.' It doesn't help, either, that Cunningham's contract at North Carolina includes a bonus for NCAA basketball tournament participation — an extra $67,905 per team that qualifies. (The UNC women earned a No. 3 seed in the women's tournament, so Cunningham receives the same bonus tied to their inclusion as well.) On Monday, I asked NCAA president Charlie Baker what he made of the controversy and the larger topic of ADs and commissioners serving on these selection committees. He told me that there are always debates and discussions about the teams at the margins. 'It's been going on forever,' Baker told NBC Sports. 'It's actually one of the reasons why I think if we can come up with a way to make the math work and the geography and the logistics work on expanding the tournament from 68 to 76 (teams), I think it's a conversation worth having. 'The bigger we can make the field going in, the less likely it is that it's going to sting as much as it does (to be left out). It probably still will, I suppose, on some level, but it may sting less than it does today.' Baker brought up the exclusion of Indiana State and Seton Hall last year, the biggest snubs last Selection Sunday. 'It's inherent in the process,' Baker said, adding that the ground rules, procedures and policies involved in the selection committees underscore how seriously the members take their roles and responsibilities. And they do. I know plenty of administrators who have served on this very committee over the years. That's not the issue. The problem is what it looks like. It looks like a bunch of committee members did their buddy a solid by picking his team to make the field even though that team played poorly in all but one of their biggest games. It's very hard to gain the public's trust and, unfortunately, all too easy to lose it. What this all looks like is the concern — and I certainly hope the NCAA spends some time thinking seriously about how to fix it. Brad Thomas and Vaughn Dalzell analyze the West Region of the NCAA Tournament, both discussing why they like St. John's to advance to the Final Four over No. 1 seed Florida. Brad Thomas and Vaughn Dalzel weigh in on the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament, highlighting both Gonzaga and Clemson as teams that could surprise in March.
USA Today
18-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: North Carolina vs. San Diego State odds, picks and predictions
The North Carolina Tar Heels (22-13) and the San Diego State Aztecs (21-9) meet Tuesday at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, in a NCAA Tournament First Four play-in game. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 9:10 p.m ET (truTV). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the North Carolina vs. San Diego State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. No. 11 seed North Carolina was the last team to make the field of 68, and it just so happens athletic director Bubba Cunningham is on the selection committee, and with the Tar Heels making the field, he receives a six-figure bonus from the university. To be fair, though, while UNC was a dismal 1-12 in Quad 1 games, they were 8-0 in Q2 games, including wins over the Dayton Flyers and SMU Mustangs, 2 other teams which were considered on the bubble. And, the Tar Heels had a nice win over the UCLA Bruins, while posting a NET ranking of 36th, while checking in 33rd in the KenPom rankings. So, while the selection of UNC looked a little shady, especially if you're a fan from Dallas, Dayton or, definitely, Morgantown, W. Va., the Tar Heels had some impressive metrics. UNC came within a whisker of potentially taking Duke to overtime in the ACC Tournament semifinals, but a lane violation by F Jae-Lyn Withers with 4.1 seconds left in regulation took a point off the board by UNC. That point would have tied the game at 72. Duke ended up eking out a 74-71 win. The Tar Heels will face the fellow No. 11 seed Aztecs, a national runner-up 2 seasons ago. G Nick Boyd, who transferred from the FAU Owls, stars for San Diego State. He went to the Final Four, losing to San Diego State with the Owls in April 2023. San Diego State was 3-6 in Q1 games, recording wins over the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars on a neutral floor, while also recording wins over NCAA Tournament teams the Colorado State Rams, Creighton Bluejays and UC San Diego Tritons. – Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now! North Carolina vs. San Diego State odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:02 a.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : North Carolina -210 (bet $210 to win $100) | San Diego State +170 (bet $100 to win $170) : North Carolina -210 (bet $210 to win $100) | San Diego State +170 (bet $100 to win $170) Against the spread (ATS) : North Carolina -4.5 (-115) | San Diego State +4.5 (-105) : North Carolina -4.5 (-115) | San Diego State +4.5 (-105) Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110) Can you survive? USA TODAY Sports' Men and Women's Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $2,500 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now! North Carolina vs. San Diego State picks and predictions Prediction San Diego State 73, North Carolina 69 SAN DIEGO STATE (+170) is about to give fuel to a bunch of the haters who are full-throat on social media about North Carolina (-210) not belonging in this tournament. The Aztecs lost to the Boise State Broncos in the Mountain West Tournament, but this is not the kind of time you want to see where you're trying to quiet the critics. San Diego State plays tremendous defense, allowing just 63.6 points oer game (PPG) to rank 14th in the nation, while limiting teams to 37.8% from the field, which was good for No. 2 in the country. The Aztecs hold teams to 30.2% from downtown, too, which was 21st in the country. North Carolina is going to struggle to spread the floor, and it will likely get frustrated by San Diego State's traps and half-court defense. Will it be as bad as the Virginia Cavaliers' loss in the First Four last season, and another black eye for the ACC? It's possible. SAN DIEGO STATE +4.5 (-105) is a good play if you're a little more on the conservative side, and you would like a little more room for error. The Aztecs were 3-2 ATS on a neutral floor this season, while scoring wins over No. 1 seed Houston and No. 9 Creighton. North Carolina -4.5 (-115) had some near misses, but it was unable to get those signature wins, which is why it has been a lightning rod for critics and boisterous fans on social media. UNDER 142.5 (-110) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most, and hold your breath. It's going to be tight. San Diego State cashed low when it was bounced by Boise State in the MWC tourney, and the Under is 3-2 in 5 neutral floor games this season. UNC cashed low in all 3 games in the ACC Tournament, and the Under is 4-0 in the past 4 games since March 8. The Under is 5-2 in the past 7 games on a neutral floor, too. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
