Best College Hoops Announcers List
Bobby Knight displays his enthusiasm after being named to our "College Basketball Announcers All-Star Team" List
The Big10Rant College Basketball Announcers All-Star Team was put together like a basketball team, announcers who fill roles, have some diversity and yet compliment each other so we have a well rounded club.
We have the best play-by-play point guard, a couple of veteran Hall of Fame analysts in the paint and two promising newcomers in the wings.
Our #1 play-by-play man is Gus Johnson. What an organ does for a church- Johnson’s pipes do for buzzer-beaters and underdogs, especially during March Madness. He can pull you into any game, but give him a down to the wire tilt and his rousing roundball enthusiasm will have you jumping for joy out of your lazy-boy. If Gus just walks into a gym, Cinderella gets excited.
Jersey guy Bill Raftery is smart and well informed, has a sharp wit and is a pleasure to listen to. He doesn’t have to scream or holler. Sometimes you need a dictionary for his signature phrases such as- “off the tin,” “with a kiss,” “nickel-and-dimers,” “faked out of his lingerie,” and his number one hit- “onions.” This is the guy you want announcing a blowout.
Bobby Knight is our Professor of Hoops. He wasn’t great in studio shows- mostly because Digger Phelps and Dickie V wouldn’t stop kissing his ass. But as an analyst this guy is great. A no-nonsense learning experience, and I was never a big fan. Immediately identifies tactics, strategies and solutions. His games are must see and if I was a coach I would have my players tuning in every game.
Doug Gottlieb is our necessary antagonist, every team has one- the guy you like if he is on your team. Gottlieb has a great sense of the entire landscape of the college game, is opinionated with good judgement and will challenge fellow announcers. Displayed great insight into recent games in Maui. Independent and tough- should be around for a while.
Hubert Davis rounds out our team, with Knight and Gottlieb we need a little comic relief. Davis is very enthusiastic and is always having fun, his enjoyment for the game is contagious even on television. Naturally he has great tobacco road lineage. He displays basketball intuition and humor, but knows when to get serious and focused.
