Thanks to a single-day record of five games decided by one point, second-round NCAA Tournament play on Thursday averaged a 6.6 overnight rating across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. The 6.6 marks the highest opening Thursday for the tourney in at least 24 years. The overnight is up 10% compared to a 6.0 for last year's opening Thursday. Like '14, the early primetime window led the day with a 7.8 overnight, up from a 7.7 last year. The second daytime window, which featured UCLA's controversial win over SMU and Ohio State's OT victory over VCU, garnered a 6.7 overnight, the highest in 24 years and up 24% from a 5.4 last year. Thursday's late primetime window earned a 7.1 overnight, up 15% from a 6.2 in '14. Finally, the opening daytime window, which include wins by 14th-seeded UAB and Georgia State, averaged a 4.6 overnight, flat with last year (THE DAILY).
STEADY WAY TO START: In Boston, Chad Finn writes play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson during the opening game of Thursday's tournament play -- CBS' broadcast of Notre Dame-Northeastern -- "admirably resisted any urge to slide into hyperbole when it became clear Northeastern wasn’t going away." Heading into a second-half commercial break, he said, "We've got a good one going on here." His enthusiasm "enhanced what could have been perceived as an understatement." Analyst Steve Smith "occasionally devolved into cliché," but the tandem was "prepared, enjoyable, and quick to credit the Huskies’ talent rather than portraying them as a pesky David trying to slow Goliath" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/20).
YES! AND IT COUNTS! The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Andrew Beaton noted no announcer over the last four NCAA tournaments "has done play-by-play for more nail biters" than Marv Albert. Beaton examined games from the '11-14 tourneys, when CBS and Turner "have been broadcasting together, to see which announcers have called the most close games, counting all games that finish regulation within three points and awarding a bonus point for overtime games." Albert "was on the call" for a total of 17, including Norfolk State's defeat of Missouri in '12 (a 15-2 upset), as well as last year's Wisconsin-Arizona Elite Eight overtime thriller (WSJ.com, 3/19).
