By April MacIntyre Oct 18, 2009, 18:24 GMT
ESPN’s 2009-10 men’s college basketball telecasts will feature experienced commentators in familiar and new roles, highlighted by the return of two Basketball Hall of Famers:
Dick Vitale, in his 31st season with ESPN, will continue to call top games from various conferences, including an ACC game on Wednesday nights, the weekly Saturday Primetime series and will provide post-season studio analysis. He will primarily work with play-by-play voice Dan Shulman.
* Dick Vitale, in his 31st season with ESPN, will continue to call top games from various conferences, including an ACC game on Wednesday nights, the weekly Saturday Primetime series and will provide post-season studio analysis. He will primarily work with play-by-play voice Dan Shulman.
* Bob Knight will move to the weekly Big Monday Big 12 game with Brent Musburger and reporter Holly Rowe and various non-conference games throughout the season. He will continue to appear weekly on College GameDay Driven by State Farm, including on-site on select weeks, and provide post-season studio analysis. Knight, who joined ESPN in 2008 for Championship Week and post-season studio analysis, called a weekly Thursday night and select non-conference game telecasts last year along with College GameDay, and post-season studio analysis.
Fran Fraschilla, who worked the Big Monday Big 12 matchups last year, will now call a weekly BIG EAST game Wednesdays during conference play with veteran commentator and studio host John Saunders.
Fraschilla will also call select Big 12 contests with Big 12 partner Ron Franklin (who will work Wednesday night Big 12 telecasts with various analysts).
Commentator Dave O’Brien will move to the Super Tuesday Big Ten matchups every week in January with returning analyst Steve Lavin and reporter Erin Andrews (also a reporter for Saturday Primetime games with Shulman and Vitale).
Musburger, who has worked with Lavin and Andrews on the weekly Big Ten telecast since 2004, will join them for February telecasts.
Additional highlights include:
Analyst Jay Bilas will return to work Big Monday BIG EAST games with Sean McDonough and Bill Raftery (a network analyst since 1980), top non-conference telecasts on various days, a matchup on most Wednesday nights during conference play and the weekly College GameDay as well as select studio appearances.
Notre Dame All-Century Basketball Team member LaPhonso Ellis will join ESPN as a game and studio analyst. He will appear on ESPN’s Thursday studio coverage, a weekly ESPNU Wednesday night game with commentator Carter Blackburn and select ESPN and ESPN2 game telecasts. Ellis, who was selected fifth overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by Denver, holds the school record in blocked shots with 200 and is third in rebounding (1,075 rebounds), 12th in career points (1,505) and 22nd in points per game (15.5).
ESPN’s Super Tuesday SEC telecasts will feature the return of Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes and reporter Jeannine Edwards. Rece Davis and Hubert Davis will work select Thursday SEC telecasts.
In addition to working the sidelines on top games, Doris Burke will return to work as a game analyst on ESPN’s Thursday Night Showcase BIG EAST telecasts with Dave Pasch and they will also call the action on Saturday BIG EAST matchups.
Additional returning commentator pairings include: Mike Patrick and Len Elmore on ACC matchups and various top games as well as Terry Gannon and Stephen Bardo on West Coast Conference Thursday night telecasts.
Primary studio hosting duties on ESPN and ESPN2 will be handled by Rece Davis as well as Karl Ravech, Saunders and Dari Nowkhah.
ESPNU will field a team of commentators to call the 24-hour college sports network’s more than 200 games and extensive studio coverage. Highlights include former Providence coach Tim Welsh working a weekly Wednesday night game and former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried joining the network to call SEC telecasts.
Commentators appearing in regular weekly ESPN and ESPN2 time slots -- Big Monday, Super Tuesday, Wednesday Night Hoops and Thursday Night Showcase– plus Saturdays throughout the season (conference assignments can vary):
Saturday Primetime Play-by-play Analyst/Reporter
Jan. 16 – March 6Dan ShulmanDick VitaleErin Andrews
Various Days Play-by-play Analyst/Reporter
Select GamesDan ShulmanDick VitaleDoris Burke
Big Monday Play-by-play Analyst/Reporter
BIG EASTSean McDonoughJay Bilas and Bill Raftery
Big 12Brent MusburgerBob KnightHolly Rowe
Super Tuesday Play-by-play Analyst/Reporter
Big TenDave O’Brien or Brent MusburgerSteve LavinErin Andrews
SECBrad NesslerJimmy DykesJeannine Edwards
Various ConferencesMike PatrickLen Elmore
Wednesday Night Hoops Play-by-play Analyst/Reporter
ACCMike PatrickDick Vitale or Len Elmore or Jay BilasHeather Cox
BIG EASTJohn SaundersFran FraschillaAllen Hopkins
Big 12Ron FranklinBill Raftery or Fran Fraschilla or Hubert Davis or Stephen Bardo
WACTBD
Thursday Night Showcase Play-by-play Analyst/Reporter
BIG EASTDave PaschDoris BurkeAllen Hopkins
Big TenDave O’Brien or Terry GannonSteve Lavin or Stephen Bardo
West CoastTerry GannonStephen Bardo
SECBrad Nessler or Rece DavisJimmy Dykes or Hubert Davis
Saturday Play-by-play Analyst
BIG EASTDave PaschDoris Burke
Big TenDave O’BrienSteve Lavin
Big 12Ron FranklinFran Fraschilla
Atlantic 10Bob WischusenTim Welsh
ACCMike PatrickLen Elmore
SECBrad NesslerJimmy Dykes
In addition to regular assignments on ESPN and ESPN2, ESPNU will field announcer pairings on select days and conferences, including:
ESPNU Wednesday Play-by-play Analyst
ACC, BIG EAST, Big 12Carter BlackburnLaPhonso Ellis
ACC, BIG EAST, Big 12Dan McLaughlinTim Welsh
ESPNU Saturday Play-by-play Analyst
BIG EAST and Big 12Justin KutcherDickey Simpkins
BIG EAST and Big 12Clay MatvickStephen Howard
ESPNU Various Games Play-by-play Analyst
Todd Harris, Jim Barbar or Doug ShermanBob Wenzel, Miles Simon, Mark Adams or Rob Kennedy
ESPNU SEC Play-by-play Analyst
Rob Stone or Dan McLaughlinJay Williams or Mark Gottfried
SEC Network Play-by-play Analyst
Saturday and WednesdayEric Collins, Carter Blackburn, Dave Lamont, Dave Baker or Dave NealJoe Dean, Jr., Bob Wenzel, Mark Gottfried or Barry Booker
Big 12 Network Play-by-play Analyst
Saturday and select weekdaysDave Armstrong or Mitch HolthusReid Gettys, Bryndon Manzer, Jon Sunvold or Rich Zvosec
BIG EAST Network Play-by-play Analyst
SaturdayMike Gleason
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