You better get those brackets completed, because March Madness is finally here.
On Thursday, March 21, Mississippi State and Michigan State kick off the Round of 64 with a 12:15 p.m. ET tip-off. This game will pit a Bulldogs team that nearly won the SEC Tournament final against Auburn, knocking off a NCAA Tournament 2-seed in Tennessee along the way, against a Spartans team that has made the Big Dance 26 consecutive years.
The winner will likely face the West’s top seed, UNC, on Saturday, March 23. North Carolina is coming off a loss to NC State in the ACC Championship, but not before winning eight straight games to get to that point.
The Tar Heels are trying to go from zero to hero, with their sights set on a seventh NCAA Title after missing the Big Dance entirely last year. They’re a deep, experienced team, led by Armando Bacot and ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.
One thing that I always enjoy about watching March Madness is the announcing team, as the on-air talent can make a broadcast thoroughly more enjoyable with their calls.
UNC knows the trio that will be calling its game, welcoming Brian Anderson on play-by-play, Jim Jackson as the color analyst and Allie LaForce as the sideline reporter.
Broadcast Team for Charlotte Regional Thursday with Games at NoonET and 2:30PMET on CBS and 6:50PMET and 9:20PMET on TNT:
Play By Play: @BAndersonPxP
Analyst: @jimjackson419
Reporter: @ALaForce
Games being Played at Spectrum Center in Charlotte
— Tyler Wong (@TylerWong65) March 20, 2024
Anderson is the Milwaukee Brewers’ longtime play-by-play announcer, Jackson is a former 14-year NBA veteran who now calls games on TNT, the Big East Network and FS1, while LaForce is a host and reporter on TNT.
I can’t recall hearing Anderson or Jackson call a game before, but I love watching games with LaForce on the broadcast team. Her game analysis really allows viewers to feel like they’re at a game.
Will North Carolina play like the team that went on separate 10 and 8-game win streaks this season, or the one that faltered against a red-shot Wolfpack squad?
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.