For the first time, longtime college basketball analyst Bill Raftery will call the Final Four on television.
CBS and Turner Sports announced Tuesday that Raftery will join the lead broadcast team for the NCAA Tournament, working alongside returning play-by-play voice Jim Nantz and Turner Sports NBA analyst Grant Hill. Raftery and Hill replace last year’s analysts, Greg Anthony (suspended) and Steve Kerr (coaching).
This year will mark the first time that Raftery has called the Final Four on television. He has served as a radio analyst for the event the past 23 years. His ascension to the #1 broadcast team means the break-up — at least temporarily — of his popular partnership with Verne Lundquist.
Kerr’s departure had already fueled speculation about this year’s Final Four broadcast team, and Anthony’s suspension sent that into overdrive. There had been talk that Reggie Miller, a divisive figure among basketball viewers, would get the nod. Former CBS lead analyst Clark Kellogg also seemed a likely possibility.
(Tue. news from CBS/Turner Sports)
