The North Carolina Tar Heels’ NCAA Tournament journey is off to a chaotic start.
North Carolina dealt with significant travel problems on Monday ahead of their First Four game in Dayton, Oh., according to Luke DeCock of The News & Observer. The Tar Heels had to delay both their press conference and their practice Monday evening due to delays involving the NCAA-provided charter flight.
The Tar Heels’ flight had been due to arrive in Dayton around 4 p.m. local time. However, delays meant the flight wound not arrive until about 6:30 p.m., roughly 40 minutes after their press conference was scheduled to start.
Anyone who is a believer in omens will probably see this as a bad sign for a North Carolina team that many think should not even be in the field. The Tar Heels’ inclusion has sparked a firestorm of controversy over the last 24 hours, and the criticism has been exacerbated by their athletic director’s role in the selection process.
There is clearly no danger of North Carolina not being ready to play Tuesday’s scheduled First Four game against San Diego State, which is scheduled to tip after 9 p.m. However, there are some people that are probably enjoying whatever headaches the Tar Heels are experiencing as a result of their travel inconveniences.
The Tar Heels are viewed as narrow favorites in Tuesday night’s game. At this point, they will probably relish the opportunity to quiet their critics with a victory.
