Tagged: ‘College Basket…’

posted by on April 3, 2013 1:33 PM

Rece Davis reflects on interview with injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware

A few days after suffering a gruesome season-ending leg injury in the NCAA Midwest Regional, Louisville Cardinals guard Kevin Ware gave ESPN’s Rece Davis his first on-camera interview Wednesday.

ESPN’s Rece Davis
(James Dockery/ESPN Images)

Ware, who is expected to be out at least a year but has been cleared to attend the Final Four in Atlanta this weekend, granted College GameDay host Davis the interview in Louisville.

Afterward, Davis gave Front Row some insight on the interview. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN College Basketball

posted by on March 28, 2013 8:00 AM

Four regionals in four days: Join ESPN.com’s Eamonn Brennan on his NCAA tournament #MyMadness tour

Eamonn Brennan's travel schedule (Created by Kristie Chong-Adler)

Eamonn Brennan’s travel schedule (Graphic by Kristie Chong-Adler)

ESPN.com college basketball writer Eamonn Brennan will give new meaning to the term “Final Four” over the next four days.

Brennan is hitting the road for a four-NCAA- regional-sites-in-four-days, whirlwind tour to cover the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.

Kicking off at 11 a.m. ET today — and continuing through Sunday — fans will be able to interact cross-platform with Brennan by using the hashtag #MyMadness. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN College Basketball

posted by on March 21, 2013 5:47 PM

ScreenGrabbed: Getting YOUR sign on ESPN’s air

Screen Shot 2013-03-20 at 9.50.43 AM

Before Tuesday’s well-executed court-storming after Robert Morris’s NIT upset win over Kentucky on ESPN, cameras caught the sign above during one of the returns from commercial break. Which got us thinking – is there a strategy that works best for ensuring YOUR sign will make it on air during a game. Producer Eric Mosley shares some insight:

“There really isn’t a standard formula or practice in regards to which signs we use on the air. Our director usually pans the crowd before the game and we see what signs are creative, funny and most importantly, appropriate to use when cutting around during the game. They will also identify any signs that are inappropriate and which ones we should avoid using if they are insulting or profane. Sometimes we will use [the shots] in edited packages if they seem to fit the mood or theme we are trying to portray.”

Filed in: ScreenGrabbed

posted by on March 20, 2013 3:29 PM

Barack-etology producer, Denny Wolfe, gets second opportunity for first visit to White House

ESPN's Andy Katz with President Barack Obama (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

ESPN’s Andy Katz with President Barack Obama. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Who says you never get a second chance to make a first impression? A year ago, ESPN features unit manager Denny Wolfe was scheduled to be a producer for President Barack Obama’s now-annual bracket completion exercise with ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz. But a 2012 Selection Sunday hockey game left Wolfe with a concussion and strict orders from his wife and his coordinating producer not to travel. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on March 19, 2013 8:00 AM

From the selection room to the green room, Greg Shaheen shares thoughts on his bracket journey to ESPN

Greg Shaheen was a familiar face on ESPN this past weekend.

Greg Shaheen was a familiar face on ESPN this past weekend.

Former NCAA Senior Vice President Greg Shaheen, who was the organizer of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for 12 years, spent this past weekend in Bristol, Conn. serving as a “selection committee expert.”

Shaheen’s unique perspective was widely praised across social media, as these Tweets confirm: continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on March 14, 2013 12:00 PM

ESPN college basketball analyst Brooke Weisbrod has all courts covered during Championship Week

Brooke Weisbrod and Beth Mowins during the Women's Big East Championship. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Brooke Weisbrod (C) and Beth Mowins (R) during the Women’s BIG EAST Championship. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Brooke Weisbrod’s itinerary

Arrived in Hartford, Conn., on Friday, March 8

BIG EAST Women’s Championship, Hartford, Conn.
· Second Round (March 9) on ESPN3 – Games 4 & 5
· Quarterfinals (March 10) on ESPNU – Games 8 & 9
· Semifinals (March 11) on ESPNU – Games 12 & 13

Traveled to Brooklyn, N.Y., on Tuesday, March 12

Atlantic 10 Men’s Championship, Brooklyn, N.Y.
· First Round (March 14) on NBCSN – Games 1-4

Atlantic 10 Women’s Championship, Brooklyn, N.Y.
· Championship Game (March 16) on ESPNU

Traveling to New Haven, Conn., on Sunday, March 17

Northeast Conference Tournament, Hamden, Conn.
· Championship Game (March 17) on ESPNU

Fly to Chicago on Monday, March 18
Selection Monday – UPS Total Performance Index Report for The Sporting News

Fly to Charlotte at 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19
College Basketball Live: NCAA Women’s Special 1-5 p.m. on ESPNU

Fly back to Chicago 8 p.m.

Brooke Weisbrod traveled often during her college basketball playing days, but that pales in comparison to her current schedule as a women’s basketball analyst.

Weisbrod is calling games in four conference tournaments in a one-week span, including six contests from the BIG EAST and title games for both the Northeast Conference and Atlantic 10.

A 2001 Coastal Carolina graduate, Weisbrod was the 2001 Big South Player of the Year and just the second player in her alma mater’s history to amass at least 1,000 points, 300 rebounds and 200 assists. She was also named the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the NCAA Woman of the Year for South Carolina.

After her collegiate career, Weisbrod joined ESPN in 2003 as a women’s college basketball analyst, and she has since added men’s basketball to her responsibilities. In addition to calling more than 25 regular-season games in 2012-13, she also works on college football, high school and studio programming.

In the midst of unquestionably her busiest week of the year, Weisbrod spoke with Front Row about her job and the experience of covering so many college tournaments during Championship Week.

How do you prepare for four tournaments in a one-week time span?
I do a lot of reading, make calls and watch game clips. ESPN has a great research and news department that sends daily emails to keep us dialed in. I also try to work ahead whenever I can. It is amazing how much you get done in the 20 minutes while waiting to board your plane.

How do you make it work not knowing the teams until the last minute?
I follow the main storylines from the conferences and know the big picture stories. There is a good chance I’ve already seen a couple of the teams, which also helps. I also take a deep breath and remind myself to enjoy the moment. I love the magic of the tournaments.

continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN College Basketball

posted by on March 14, 2013 8:00 AM

Former NCAA tournament executive Greg Shaheen joins ESPN for Championship Week, Selection Sunday coverage

Greg Shaheen (Photo courtesy of Greg Shaheen)

Greg Shaheen

Greg Shaheen, the organizer of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for 12 years until 2012, will join ESPN for this weekend’s coverage of Championship Week and Selection Sunday.

Shaheen will provide insight from his experiences of being “in the room” with past selection committees for ESPN’s Bracketology, SportsCenter, halftime studio segments, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com. Shaheen spoke with Front Row about what he will offer, who he is most looking forward to working with and more.

How will your experience enhance ESPN’s coverage?
I view this as an opportunity to bring perspective on what hasn’t been widely understood about selection weekend. There is a lot more to the process than most people know and the experience in the room is unlike anything I suspect I’ll experience for the rest of my life.

Understanding where the committee likely is in the process, the impact of games just completed, in-progress and on-deck (oops, wrong sport) should allow the on-air discussion to take on a different fee — that’s the perspective I hope to contribute toward this weekend.

How much college basketball have you watched this season? Any particular moments or performances stand out? continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements, Behind The Scenes, ESPN College Basketball

posted by on March 11, 2013 3:30 PM

Basketball analyst, former BC hoops star and Bristol native Malcolm Huckaby grew up in ESPN’s backyard

Malcolm Huckaby/Jim Barbar

ESPN basketball analyst Malcolm Huckaby and play-by-play commentator Jim Barbar called Horizon League men’s basketball tournament action this weekend. (ESPN)

Former college and professional basketball standout Malcolm Huckaby was no stranger to ESPN prior to joining the company as a college hoops analyst this season.

One could say he literally grew up with it.

Huckaby — a guard at Boston College who helped lead the Eagles to the Elite Eight in 1994 — was raised in Bristol, Conn., less than a quarter mile from ESPN’s headquarters.

“I could see ESPN from my front porch,” said Huckaby, who has worked more than two dozen contests in his first year with ESPN including tonight’s Iona versus Manhattan Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball title game (9 p.m. ET on ESPN2).

“I walked by it a million times in my childhood, but actually never stepped foot on the campus until this year, so of course I thought it would be cool to work there,” he said. “But I always wondered if it was something I could do.”

In addition to broadcasting, the Bristol Central High School graduate (Class of 1990) works in the financial services field in the greater Boston area. He credits his mother with an assist in getting his broadcasting career started.

“My mom, Elouise, was on me for a few years about getting a job at ESPN,” Huckaby said. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on February 26, 2013 1:00 PM

Front & Center: Analyst Andy Katz on his ESPNU show Katz Korner

ESPN's Andy Katz on the set of Katz Korner. (ESPN)

ESPN’s Andy Katz on the set of “Katz Korner.” (ESPN)

Click HERE to listen or visit iTunes to download the podcast and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Front & Center podcast. Also, make sure to check out the ESPN Radio app, available for the iPad.

The madness of March doesn’t really seem all that mad once you hear Senior ESPN.com Writer Andy Katz’s season-long college basketball schedule. From his daily writing for the site to his sideline reporting at games to his in-studio work, Katz goes pretty much non-stop from Midnight Madness (October) through One Shining Moment (April).

This year, Katz’s plate has overflowed with a brand new podcast (co-hosted by analyst Seth Greenberg), hosting duties for ESPNU’s The Experts (Tuesdays, 1 p.m. ET with re-air at 2:30 p.m., ESPNU) and his new show, Katz Korner (Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m., ESPNU).

In the Front & Center podcast above, Katz covers a range of topics from his goals for Katz Korner to his affection for Outside the Lines and his thoughts on whether college basketball needs “fixing,” as some have suggested.

Filed in: ESPN College Basketball, Front & Center, Podcast

posted by on February 19, 2013 3:46 PM

Behind the scenes of UNITE’s first basketball game: Iona at Manhattan

Last Friday, Feb. 15, hosts Danny Kanell, Reese Waters and Marianela Pereyra traveled from their Bristol-based UNITE studio to the Big Apple to call their first basketball game, Iona at Manhattan, on ESPNU.

The MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) contest lived up to its ESPN Rivalry Week designation. Manhattan outlasted Iona 74-73 in double overtime.

Rookie basketball analysts Kanell and Waters and sideline reporter Marianela were helped by veteran play-by-play voice Doug Sherman.

The pictures above capture some of the UNITE team’s behind-the-scenes preparation and on-air presentation.

Front Row talked with Kanell, also known for his role as an ESPN college football analyst, prior to the game.

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, ESPN College Basketball, UNITE