Never a doubt: UNC fans steal Joe Lunardi’s dance partner on way to March Madness

Sunday's NCAA Tournament reveal featured plenty of noteworthy shockers, but none more confounding than North Carolina's inclusion as a No. 11 seed in the South Region and playing in the First Four.

UNC finished the season 22-13 with a 13-7 record in the ACC. The Tar Heels went on a run late in the campaign, including advancing all the way to the ACC Tournament semifinals, before losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Cooper Flagg-less Duke Blue Devils.

We cannot dispute the overall talent on UNC's roster, nor the job Hubert Davis has done stabilizing this team after a rocky start. That said, March Madness is supposed to be a meritocracy. The Tar Heels' resume just does not stack up on paper, making them a classic bid thief disguised as a blue blood powerhouse.

UNC beat one ranked team all season: UCLA, all the way back in December. The Bruins mark UNC's only win against the NCAA Tournament field. So, while North Carolina might have the volume of wins to earn a look from the committee, their resume is completely lacking in the quality department. This is a team that has struggled to match up with top-flight, Q1 competition all season long.

Their gut-wrenching loss to Duke in the ACC tourney, without Cooper Flagg on the floor, was a prime example of UNC's tendency to come up small in big moments. Duke swept all three matchups with the Tar Heels this season, and UNC was down 21 points at halftime in a game not featuring the ACC Player of the Year (and potential Wooden Award winner).

We should credit UNC's comeback effort. They almost pulled it off. But, unfortunately, March is not a time for "almost." We cannot let the Tar Heels coast on program reputation when other teams accomplished more this season.

Social media, naturally, had some thoughts.

Social media reacts to stunning North Carolina NCAA Tournament bid

North Carolina is a good team. I wouldn't put an unexpected deep run past them. Sometimes, all you need is a lucky break. UNC was so close to beating Duke. So close to a few more Q1 wins. This is a team with plenty of experience in these moments. North Carolina has a couple key freshmen, but runs through established vets like R.J. Davis. Just don't be shocked if the Tar Heels deliver.

That is not really the problem, though. This is not a matter of "good team" or "bad team." It's a debate between deserving and undeserving. We cannot reward a program for its decades of past excellence. An NCAA Tournament bid needs to be rooted in present qualifications, of which UNC has precious few. Even if the Tar Heels make some noise, that won't take away from the disappointment of this bid.

ESPN's Joe Lundari has been appropriately skeptical of UNC's case all season, keeping them on the bubble, but understanding their soft CV. Now, North Carolina is dancing, whether we like it or not. At the No. 11 seed, UNC will need to win its Play-In matchup against San Diego State for a chance to face No. 6 Ole Miss. Those are both winnable games, but if UNC gets bounced early, a lot of folks will mount their high horse and unleash their takes.

Watching North Carolina while teams like West Virginia are stuck at home (or in the NIT) just won't feel right.