In a join press release, Turner and CBS announced the eight broadcast crews it will use to cover the NCAA Tournament starting next week. There are not many changes from last season.
- Jim Nantz / Bill Raftery / Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson
- Brian Anderson / Chris Webber // Allie LaForce
- Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel // Jamie Erdahl
- Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Dan Bonner // Dana Jacobson
- Brad Nessler / Jim Jackson // Evan Washburn
- Spero Dedes / Steve Smith / Wally Szczerbiak // Lisa Byington
- Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // Lauren Shehadi
- Carter Blackburn / Debbie Antonelli // John Schriffen
The teams in italics will go on to also cover the second weekend of action, which includes the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite 8. The top line team listed in bold will broadcast the Final Four and the National Championship Game.
Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing compared this year’s teams to last year’s. He found that while there are a few changes, most of what is new is the result of shuffling and not full overhauls.
– Steve Lavin won’t return as part of his trio with Brad Nessler and Jim Jackson.
– Len Elmore won’t return as part of his trio with Spero Dedes and Steve Smith.
– Ros Gold-Onwude won’t return as a reporter.
– Wally Szczerbiak moves from the studio to the court, replacing Elmore with Dedes and Smith.
– Lisa Byington replaces Gold-Onwude with Dedes, Smith, and Szczerbiak.
– Lauren Shehadi replaces Byington with Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas.
Joe Lucia, Awful Announcing
There isn’t a lot of change in the studio coverage either. Ernie Johnson and Greg Gumbel will take turns anchoring the New York studio, where Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Clark Kellogg will serve as analysts. Brendan Haywood, Seth Davis, and Candace Parker will again serve as analysts in the Atlanta studio. During the first weekend of the tournament, that studio will be anchored by Adam Zucker. Adam Lefkoe will serve as anchor for the first four games. Ernie Johnson will anchor Atlanta in the second weekend.
Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS will again be a one hour broadcast anchored by Greg Gumble with the New York analyst team.