PITTSBURGH, PA -- The brackets have been filled, and we know who, where, and when the #1 seeded Orange are playing in the NCAA Tournament's second round. But unless you’re planning a trip to Pittsburgh, how will you be able to see them on TV?
SU’s first round game with UNC-Asheville is scheduled to tip off at approximately 3:05 p.m. eastern time on Thursday. The game will be broadcast live on truTV, with Kevin Harlan, Len Elmore, and Marty Snider providing commentary.
Harlan is a veteran NBA and college basketball announcer, having started his career with the NBA’s Kansas City (now Sacramento) Kings in 1982. He is probably best known for his work on TNT calling national NBA games. He also has plenty of college experience, having worked on the local level for the University of Kansas (his alma mater) and the University of Missouri as well as the Final Four for Westwood One radio.
Elmore was an All-ACC and All-American forward and center for the Maryland Terrapins in the early 1970s and enjoyed an eight-year career in the NBA. He has called college basketball games for CBS and ESPN for the last 13 years, with another short three year stint in the early 1990s before he embarked on a career as an attorney.
Snider has been a sports reporter since the early 1990s, specializing in auto racing. He joined Turner Sports in 1998, working on their NASCAR coverage. This makes him a curious choice to report on NCAA Tournament games, but it’s his second year in that capacity so I’m inclined to cut him some slack. He has also put in some time as a sideline reporter for NBA playoff coverage on TNT.
This is the second year of a 14-year, $10.8 billion partnership between Turner Sports and CBS Sports to provide live coverage of every NCAA Tournament game in its entirety. You’ll remember that in previous years only games deemed of interest to your geographic region were shown on your local CBS affiliate, and unless you had a dish or went to a sports bar you were at the mercy of the CBS programmers to get the best games.
This year’s games will once again be shown on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV, where the SU-UNCA contest will appear Thursday afternoon. truTV was formerly known as Court TV and usually specializes in ‘reality’ based programming such as trials or ‘caught on tape’ shows. SU’s first round win over Indiana State last year was also shown on truTV.
If SU beats the Bulldogs on Thursday, they will play on Saturday afternoon vs. the winner of the Kansas State – Southern Mississippi game. That game precedes the Orange and Bulldogs on Thursday, tipping at approximately 12:40 p.m. eastern.
