NBA & College Hoops Crossover: Bilas Joins NBA Booth for Clippers-Knicks, Van Gundy to Call North Carolina at Virginia

BasketballCollege Basketball - Men'sNBA

NBA & College Hoops Crossover: Bilas Joins NBA Booth for Clippers-Knicks, Van Gundy to Call North Carolina at Virginia

ESPN’s basketball analysts Jay Bilas and Jeff Van Gundy will join forces next week as they share their respective booth space. The unique crossover will begin on Friday, Jan. 17, when college basketball and NBA draft analyst Bilas will join the ESPN NBA team of Mike Breen, Van Gundy and Lisa Salters to provide commentary as the New York Knicks host the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. ET. Van Gundy will crossover and team with Bilas, play-by-play veteran Sean McDonough and reporter Jeannine Edwards for ESPN’s Big Monday Presented by Verizon contest featuring North Carolina at Virginia at 7 p.m.

“Jeff and Jay are two of the best in the business at delivering direct and knowledgeable analysis that entertains fans. We’ve recognized an on-air chemistry between them during their NBA Draft assignments and have been looking for an opportunity to have them work games together in their respective sports,” said Mark Gross, ESPN senior vice president & executive producer. “One thing a three-person combo of Jeff and Jay with their traditional on-air partners of Mike Breen and Sean McDonough will not be is boring or un-informative.”

Bilas will travel from New York City to the first week of ESPN College GameDay Covered by State Farm – the eight-week Saturday morning and evening college basketball program originating from the site of ESPN’s Saturday Primetime Presented by DIRECTV telecast. The first of the season is a special split-site show that will air live from the historic Palestra in Philadelphia at 10 a.m. ET on ESPNU and continues at 11 a.m. on ESPN. The 8 p.m. show will caravan to the site of the Saturday Primetime game – No. 18 Louisville at Connecticut at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Bilas is joined on GameDay by host Rece Davis and analysts Digger Phelps and Jalen Rose.

In addition to the Bilas and Van Gundy crossover, NBA analyst and La Salle legend Tim Legler will join John Saunders on the call of the La Salle vs. Temple men’s college hoops game at noon on ESPN2. Legler will also join the GameDay crew for a segment featuring the Philadelphia Big 5 – an informal and historic league of five prestigious Philadelphia universities: La Salle, Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Villanova. A member of La Salle’s Hall of Athletes, Legler played at the Palestra venue from 1984-88, leading the team to a NCAA Championship berth his senior year. At the time, Legler played for current Temple head coach Fran Dunphy, who previously served as lead assistant coach at La Salle.

The Saturday college programming is part of ESPN’s “My Home Court” initiative – culminating a week-long celebration of college basketball’s greatest venues.

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Networks
Fri, Jan. 17 7 p.m. Los Angeles Clippers at New York Knicks Presented by State Farm
Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Jay Bilas & Lisa Salters
ESPN / WatchESPN
Sat, Jan. 18 10 a.m. College GameDay Covered by State Farm
Rece Davis, Bilas, Digger Phelps & Jalen Rose
ESPNU / ESPN / WatchESPN
  Noon Temple vs. La Salle
John Saunders & Tim Legler
ESPN2 / WatchESPN
Mon, Jan. 20 7 p.m. Big Monday Presented by Verizon: North Carolina at Virginia
Sean McDonough, Bilas, Van Gundy & Jeannine Edwards
ESPN / WatchESPN

 

-30-

Rachel Margolis Siegal

A part of the Internal Communications team at ESPN, I began with the network in 2010 as part of the College Sports PR team. Always an avid sports fan and not an athlete – I grew up a huge fan of the Hartford Whalers, while also watching my brother compete at different levels. I became the manager of several high school sports teams and continued that hobby into college. While at Quinnipiac, I worked in the Sports Information Department, which led me to a summer internship at the New Haven Ravens, a AA baseball team, and an eventual job with the Athletic Communications Department at the University of Connecticut. After my five-year stint at Connecticut, I spent six years as Director of Communications at the BIG EAST Conference in Providence, R.I. before joining ESPN.
Back to top button