CBS and Turner Sports go into their third year producing the NCAA Men’s Final Four® for America’s viewing pleasure. For the 32nd straight (and possibly last) year, CBS will air the Final Four on broadcast television.
CBS begins its coverage on Saturday with the Final Four Show live from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA at 4 p.m. ET hosted by Greg Gumbel and accompanied by analysts Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Doug Gottlieb and Kenny “The Jet” Smith. Seth Davis will be a reporter to the show and Basketball Hall of Famer Lesley Visser will be a contributor.
Then after the pregame show, National Semifinals begin. Overall number 1 seed Louisville will take on Cinderella Wichita State starting at 6:09 p.m. ET. That will be followed at approximately 8:49 p.m. with Michigan and Syracuse. Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will call the action from their courtside position. Tracy “The Wolf” Wolfson will report what is happening from the benches.
We have the CBS/Turner preview of its coverage plans for Saturday.
CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS’ “ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR” CONTINUES IN ATLANTA WITH EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF NCAA® MEN’S FINAL FOUR ON CBS ON SATURDAY, APRIL 6
Louisville, Wichita State, Michigan and Syracuse Vie for College Basketball’s National Championship
Louisville, Wichita State, Michigan and Syracuse march in to Atlanta as Turner Sports and CBS Sports provide exclusive coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and Final Four. For the 32nd consecutive year, CBS Sports broadcasts the national semi-final games live on Saturday, April 6 (6:00-11:00 PM, ET) and the National Championship game on Monday, April 8 (9:00 PM, ET-conclusion) from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga.
Saturday’s Final Four features Wichita State versus Louisville with tip-off scheduled for 6:09 PM, ET. Forty minutes after the game concludes, Syracuse takes on Michigan to determine the other participant in Monday night’s Championship game. CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, and Turner Sports’ Steve Kerr call the games, with Tracy Wolfson serving as reporter. Nantz calls his 28th Final Four and National Championship, Kellogg works his fifth, and Kerr joins Nantz and Kellogg for the third time.
Leading in to the semi-final games on Saturday, April 6 (4:00-6:00 PM, ET) is THE FINAL FOUR SHOW on CBS, hosted by Greg Gumbel with analysts Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Doug Gottlieb. Seth Davis reports and Lesley Visser contributes. The show features tournament highlights, analysis of the four participating teams and interviews with coaches and players live from the Georgia Dome.
Included in the broadcast are features on:
* LOUISVILLE’S KEVIN WARE
“Just go win the game,” is what Louisville sophomore guard Kevin Ware said after suffering a compound fracture to his right leg during the first half of the Cardinals’ Midwest Regional Final against Duke. Coach Rick Pitino used Ware’s comments to rally the team. After surgery last Sunday night, Ware, who hails from nearby Conyers, Ga. joins his teammates in Atlanta at the Final Four. He talks about how his Louisville family helped him cope with the injury. The Cardinals’ Russ Smith, Peyton Siva and Chane Behanan reveal what it was like to witness the awful injury to their friend and teammate. They also discuss how they were emotionally able to compose themselves to persevere and defeat Duke. Joe Zappulla produces.
* MICHIGAN’S ALL IN THE FAMILY
As Michigan makes its first Final Four appearance in 20 years, family ties is the dominant theme. Some of the names on the roster; Robinson, Hardaway and Horford are familiar to basketball fans. What roles have their relatives played on the Wolverines path to the Final Four? Although the young Wolverines may follow in the footsteps of their famous basketball fathers and brothers, Coach John Beilein’s squad has built a legacy of its own by overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat Kansas in overtime before dominating Florida in the South Regional Final. Alanna Campbell produces.
* SYRACUSE’S MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS
As Syracuse was playing in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament, star Orange point guard Michael Carter-Williams had something else on his mind, a tragedy that happened in Hamilton, Mass. His childhood home, where his family resided, was destroyed by a fire. During the Orange’s game against California in the third round of the Tournament, Carter-Williams glanced up to see his mother Mandy crying in the stands. He had no idea what had occurred. After the game, Carter-Williams ran out of the Syracuse locker room to find his family. After he embraced his mom, she told him about the situation, and more importantly, that their family was fine. Since then, Syracuse’s success in the postseason has inspired his family during a time of great need. Sarah Rinaldi produces.
* WICHITA STATE’S CARL HALL
Wichita State has enjoyed a spectacular season knocking out No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 Ohio State to become the first ninth-seed in 34 years to reach the Final Four. But the Shockers’ surprising success has been especially sweet for senior forward Carl Hall. Six years ago, the 6’8” 240-pound forward was told he would never play basketball again following a diagnosis of neuro-cardiogenic syncope, a heart condition that produces an irregular heartbeat. This condition caused him to pass out on the court on several occasions. In 2009, his doctors introduced him to a medication that would control the problem. Slowly, Hall began his return to basketball, eventually earning a scholarship offer from Wichita State. Now he is living out his dream, playing in the Final Four, not far from his hometown of Cochran, Ga. Jeff St. Arromand produces.
Special Features
* PAT SUMMITT
With more than 1,000 wins and eight national championships during her Hall of Fame career, Pat Summitt’s accomplishments as head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers are unsurpassed. Now, she is facing another type of opponent, Alzheimer’s. For the first time ever, the legendary coach and her 22-year-old son, Tyler, sit down together to share their inspirational story. The two reveal to Lesley Visser why Summitt went public so early with her illness and why they remain so optimistic during this latest and most challenging chapter of her life. Charlie Bloom produces.
* JIM ROME INTERVIEWS FINAL FOUR COACHES
Two of this year’s Final Four head coaches, Gregg Marshall of Wichita State and John Beilein of Michigan, have never advanced to the National Semi-Finals. For Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Louisville’s Rick Pitino, it’s relatively familiar territory. Boeheim has led his Orange to four Final Four appearances, winning it all in 2003. Pitino has guided three schools, Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to a total of seven Final Four appearances. His 1996 Wildcats won the national title defeating Boeheim and Syracuse. All four coaches sit down together with CBS Sports’ Jim Rome to provide an inside look at this year’s Final Four match-ups. Charlie Bloom produces.
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Also on Saturday, CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR broadcasts THE BEST OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2013 (1:00-2:00 PM, ET). Hosted by Greg Gumbel, the show recaps the college basketball season looking at the biggest headlines, break- out players, best stories and plays of the year. Also, CBS Sports’ Tim Brando and Bill Raftery along with reporter Lewis Johnson are on hand for the HIGH SCHOOL SLAM DUNK & 3-POINT CHAMPIONSHIPS (2:00-3:00 PM, ET; taped 4/5/13), which highlights the nation’s elite high school players as they compete in Atlanta over Final Four weekend in a Slam Dunk contest and the Boy’s and Girl’s 3-Point Championships.
Hosted by Greg Gumbel, NCAA MARCH MADNESS FANDEMONIUM (3:00-3:30 PM, ET) celebrates basketball through the eyes of some of the most passionate and ardent fans of the game. Following, HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL (3:30-4:00 PM, ET) celebrates the achievements of five former NCAA student athletes Jeff Keith, Kelly Brush, Jeff Faine, Curtis Pride and Jason Thompson who made a difference off the field. Turner Sports’ Ernie Johnson hosts.
Mark Wolff, coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ NCAA basketball coverage, produces the 2013 Final Four and Bob Fishman directs. Eric Mann produces the preview and halftime programs, and Bob Matina directs. Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.
That will do it.
