Have your pencils and scorecards ready. When CBS Sports tips off the NCAA Basketball Tournament next week, these are your announcers who will be callling the games on "The Road to the Final Four" starting Thursday, March 18th:

New York Studio: Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony & Seth Davis

Lead Announcers: Jim Nantz & Clark Kellogg

The Rest of the Teams:
Dick Enberg & Jay Bilas
Verne Lundquist & Bill Raftery
Kevin Harlan & Dan Bonner
Gus Johnson & Len Elmore
Tim Brando & Mike Gminski
Ian Eagle & Jim Spanarkel
Spero Dedes & Bob Wenzel

Although the announce teams are pretty much the same as last year, you'll notice that Craig Bolerjack is conspicously absent from CBS Sports' NCAA Basketball tournament coverage and that Spero Dedes is the newest kid on the NCAA/CBS block. I believe Spero calls Lakers' games these days out West and has also done some work on NFL Network before joining CBS working NCAA Basketball games earlier this season. Exact site assignments have yet to be revealed. For those nowhere near a TV, ESPN Radio 1000 locally will be carrying extensive coverage of the Westwood One/NCAA Radio Network starting next Thursday.

ugh...brutal. raftery is the worst...THE WORST, JERRY.

bilas is tolerable but a total dukie.

Again, Gus Johnson with no respect.

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I'm just the messenger. Awfulannouncing.com has the goods concerning the crews who will be working the games on CBS next week. Unfortunately, I don't have nearly enough info concerning the Westwood One/NCAA Radio Network crews. I wouldn't be shocked if the smooth-sounding John Tautges plays the role of Tommy Tighe on Westwood One this year. John had been hosting Westwood One's NCAA Radio coverage until a year ago when Tommy served as studio host and sent listeners across America like a New York City traffic cop. Westwood One, like CBS Sports on the TV side, makes a concerted effort to take listeners to every game and every finish.

Have I mentioned how much more enjoyable March Madness has been for me since Billy Packer left?

CBS Sports has yet to figure out they have these two great announcers right here in Chicago...Mike North and Dan Jiggetts????

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Bilas always sounds so creepy when he talks about players. It's like he wants to sleep with them rather than analyze the game.

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He does Utah Jazz games

That may explain why Craig is out in favor of the younger Spero Dedes, Bagels.

I got to disagree I kind of like Raftery in a weird way definately find him an easier listen than Vitale or Bilas .....ONIONS!

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That was my implication