CBS' three-man team of Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill are set to call the Final Four beginning Saturday evening, and it "should be a compelling conclusion to the season." But the Duke team led by top NBA prospect Zion Williamson "would have been a dream of a viewership draw for CBS." So it is "understandable if the network might lament that the most compelling personality to come along in many years will not be there" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/5).
Meanwhile, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl's scandal-ridden past makes him one of a "few unwanted guests" at the Final Four. And Virginia "isn't exactly salve for CBS' wounds," as their style of play "makes most casual fans want to claw their eyes out" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 4/5). CBS execs earlier this week "acknowledged the pockmarked past of Pearl," but they "could not yet confirm" how the net will cover that aspect of the Final Four. CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus: "Everyone is well aware of the transgressions. It's a decision we'll make when we get to Minneapolis" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 4/5).
