Voices of March Madness

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 18, 2013

Voices of March Madness

Marv Albert

This marks the third year CBS Sports and Turner Sports join forces to broadcast all 67games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Here's a look at some of the broadcasters who will bring you the action. Albert: The legendary sports broadcaster -- and Syracuse alum -- returned to call tournament games in 2011 for the first year of the CBS-Turner partnership. He'll partner again with Steve Kerr for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games.

Greg Anthony

The versatile CBS and Turner Sports host will serve in the studio again for this year's tournament. Anthony was a two-time Honorable Mention AP All-America for UNLV in 1990 and 1991. His 1990-91 squad is considered one of the best college teams of all time.

Charles Barkley

Arguably the most popular sports broadcaster in America, Barkley will once again work the tournament as a studio analyst. Drafted out of Auburn by the 76ers in 1984, he's been at Turner Sports since 2000.

Doug Gottlieb

The former ESPN talkie moved to CBS last summer and will serve as both a game and studio analyst during the tournament. Gottlieb played for Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, leading the nation in assists in 1998-99 and helping the Cowboys advance to the Elite Eight the following year.

Greg Gumbel

Gumbel has served as a studio host for CBS's coverage of college basketball since 1998. He'll do the same for this tournament along with Turner's Ernie Johnson and Matt Winer. He's a graduate of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.

Kevin Harlan

Alternating between television and radio, Harlan will once again call tournament games for CBS, Turner Sports and Dial Global on the radio. The University of Kansas grad called the NCAA Final Four and championship game for Dial Global from 2003 to 2007.

Ernie Johnson

The longtime straight man for Charles Barkley on TNT's iconic "Inside The NBA" studio show, Johnson will serve as a studio analyst on both CBS and Turner during the tournament. A University of Georgia grad, Johnson is in his 23rd year as the studio host for Turner's NBA telecasts.

Clark Kellogg

Kellogg has been the lead college basketball analyst for CBS since 2008 and will work the Final Four and title game once again this year alongside announcers Jim Nantz and Steve Kerr. He has worked the tournament in some role for CBS since 1993. As a collegian, Kellogg played for Ohio State and earned All-Big Ten and Most Valuable Player honors in 1982.

Steve Kerr

The five-time NBA title winner will serve as a game analyst for the Final Four and championship game alongside Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg. Kerr will work the earlier rounds with longtime Turner Sports partner Marv Albert. As a collegian, Kerr played at Arizona from 1983-1988, making it to the Final Four in 1988.

Verne Lundquist

The Hall of Fame broadcaster has been with CBS since 1982 (he's done college basketball for the past 29 years) and was on the call for the famed 1992 Regional Final between Duke and Kentucky when Duke star Christian Laettner hit his memorable jumper to win the game in overtime. He was also on the call for George Mason's upset of top-seed UConn in the 2006 Elite Eight. He's an alum of Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas.

Reggie Miller

The veteran Turner Sports broadcaster -- he works Thursdays alongside Kevin Harlan for TNT's NBA coverage -- will serve once again as a game analyst for the tournament. In January, Miller became the ninth UCLA men's basketball player to have his jersey number (31) retired.

Jim Nantz

This is Nantz's 23rd year as one of the voices of the NCAA tournament and he has called the play-by-play on more network broadcasts of the Final Four and title game than any other announcer in the tournament's history. A graduate of the University of Houston, Nantz took over as CBS's lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball in 1991.

Bill Raftery

The longtime CBS analyst has worked March Madness games for two decades, peppering his commentary with trademark phrases such as "onions" and "send it in, Big Fella!" During the season, he is partnered with Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas. Raftery is scheduled to serve as an analyst for the title game on Dial Global radio. He is an alum of La Salle University.

Kenny Smith

The popular "Inside The NBA" host -- and a longtime foil for partner Charles Barkley -- will work in the studio again this year. Smith played his college ball at North Carolina from 1983 to 87 and holds the school's career assists record with 768.

Tracy Wolfson

This marks the fifth consecutive year Wolfson will work as the sideline reporter for the Final Four and national championship game. A Michigan grad, she has been the lead sideline reporter on CBS's college football coverage since 2004.

Jay Bilas

One of the most thoughtful voices on college basketball, Duke alum Bilas won't be calling any tournament matchups for CBS or Turner but he'll be seen on a near-nightly basis on ESPN analyzing the game. He'll also call one of the Final Four games for ESPN International.

Dick Vitale

For the first time in his 34-year broadcasting career, Vitale will call the Final Four. He'll be doing it for ESPN International -- which will reach viewers in 150 countries and territories across 35 networks outside the United States. Brad Nessler will serve as the play-by-play announcer for the national championship alongside Vitale, a Seton Hall alum.