Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Announcers For The Regional Semifinals & Finals

For the 3 people who care (me being one of those people), here is the list of Thursday and Friday's games, along with the broadcasting duos that will be calling them. (Announcers stay in the same region for Saturday and Sunday's finals)

Thursday:
  • Xavier vs. West Virginia (Phoenix, 7:10pm) -- Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
  • North Carolina vs. Washington St. (Charlotte, 7:27pm) -- Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
  • UCLA vs. Western Kentucky (Phoenix, 9:40pm) -- Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
  • Tennessee vs. Louisville (Charlotte, 9:57pm) -- Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas

Friday:

  • Wisconsin vs. Davidson (Detroit, 7:10pm) -- Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
  • Texas vs. Stanford (Houston, 7:27pm) -- Jim Nantz and Billy Packer
  • Kansas vs. Villanova (Detroit, 9:40pm) -- Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
  • Memphis vs. Michigan State (Houston, 9:57pm) -- Jim Nantz and Billy Packer

This is great news for fans of Davidson and Villanova. Gus and Len were dealt a bad hand when all of their Denver games where underwhelming last weekend. I'm sensing that Gus has some built up energy that's just dying to get out, and hopefully he'll be able to work some of that out in the games on Thursday. Imagine if the Davidson vs. Wisconsin game is tied with 2 minutes to go! Good times! I like the games that Raftery and Lundquist were given. Bill should have a blast with the Xavier vs. West Virginia contest. And we should take note that Packer wasn't given a game featuring a mid-major. Nantz and Packer get what could be two amazing games, let's hope that Packer doesn't ruin them by talking about how Duke isn't in the tournament anymore, or worse, defending a blatant non-call for the entire game. I like these pairings a lot.

1020 & 8101

2 comments:

  1. Damon - posting broadcasters at 4:37 AM - now that's loyalty to your inquiring readers.

    So tell me something about the Stanford team that I don't know? In one of my pools, I have them going to the final 4, I don't remember why I did that now.

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  2. No time of day/night is too outlandish for me to deliver the 'hard' news that my readers deserve and demand.

    Chaz -- While I can't read your mind and explain why YOU have Stanford going to the final four...I can tell you that Stanford is a good/boring team that finished 2nd to UCLA in the PAC 10. They are led by sophomore twins, Brook & Robin Lopez. Both are 7 feet tall and both do the bulk of the scoring and rebounding for this Stanford team. Trent Johnson is a solid coach, even if he tends to lead like a drill sargent, and I recently wrote about point guard, Mitch Johnson, who has the ability to control a game and dictate tempo. The reason I liked Stanford in this year's tournament is because: 1) I didn't trust/like this team at all during the regular season, so of course they were going to prove me wrong in the Tournament, and 2) They have a really decent draw to the final four...I thought they could defeat Marquette, Texas, and Memphis if those were the teams that came their way. But then they would be destined to lost to UCLA for the fourth time this season in the Final Four.

    I need Stanford to get to the Final Four if I have any chance to win something in Tim's pool. So go Fighting Trees!!! Or whatever their mascot is.

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