It took me long enough, but I have finally deciphered what the Madness in March describes – the selection process for the 68 teams that will advance to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Even Maxx is mad, sharing my sentiment: “Joe Lunardi can kiss my big ole butt.”

No, I am not about to protest that my Tar Heels, still beloved but testing me, spent the last couple of weeks on Lunardi’s dreaded “First Four Out” before Virginia busted their bubble on Thursday night. Lunardi, as you should know, is the self-proclaimed guru of what is called Bracketology, and he has been trolling the ACC for weeks, apparently getting a kickback from the Big 12 commissioner.

My Tar Heels, who were a healthy Armando Bacot ankle away from winning the NCAA title last year, returned four starters from that team, and the season’s pre-season No. 1, instead of building upon that accomplishment, have looked like the guys who gather on Saturday mornings at the YMCA. Their plunge into mediocrity is a string on the finger that in basketball, shooting does matter, and in today’s world of parity, you had better win those final 5 minutes.

Instead, I want to present to you evidence that is more overwhelming than the case was against Alex Murdaugh of the madness of the selection method. The following will be difficult to understand, so read slowly, even more slowly if you are a Dook fan. If you cheer for N.C. State, find someone to read it to you.

Entering Thursday’s game against Virginia, UNC had just one of those coveted “Quad 1” wins, that one coming at home against Virginia, ranked No. 6 at the time. So, if UNC had won that game, the Heels would have two Quad 1 wins, right?

Nope. The win over Virginia would have dropped the Yahoos far enough in the NET standings that UNC’s home win would no longer count as Quad 1, but Thursday’s win would have, because it would have been on a neutral court. So, in Lunardi’s world, 1 plus 1 equals 1.

A team could defeat the 1969 UCLA Bruins in November, but by March that win would be as valuable as defeating Slippery Rock if injuries had turned the Bruins into the Washington Generals. In other words, the value of a victory is on a sliding scale.

There is plenty more.

In Lunardi’s world, West Virginia and Oklahoma State, both with losing records in the Big 12, the current Flavor of the Month, and coming off lopsided tournament losses, are locks to be dancing. Clemson, 14-6 in the ACC and fresh from whipping the Wolfpack, still has the proverbial “more work to do.”

No one expects perfection, but we should expect more than transparently flawed.

The news isn’t all bad. My Marches have typically been mapped around UNC’s post-season schedule, from which I am now unentangled. I don’t even have to be in front of the TV on Sunday night when the brackets are unveiled.

We UNC fans are an entitled bunch, but mad is not what I am feeling. Sad is, for the coaches and players who made the sacrifices, not for me. I can handle the ribbing.

Next week I will be in Pinehurst playing golf with a bunch of fraternity brothers from UNC. Last year, we did the trip in May, but decided to move it to March, when the weather is much more iffy.

The plan was to watch UNC in the NCAA tournament as a group, but we all know about the best laid plans. The weather better be nice, or I will be mad.

So now there are 67 upcoming NCAA tournament games and I have no team to root for.

Wait a minute. Dook and State are in the field. I do have teams to root for. I should know who on Sunday.