NCAA Div. I Women’s Basketball Championship Brackets To Be Revealed On ESPN

Courtesy: ESPN

Women’s college basketball fans will find out which teams will make this year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Division I tournament next week.

ESPN will reveal the complete field for this year’s tournament next Monday, March 17^th on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special Presented by Capital One.  The special presentation will air live on ESPN and online via WatchESPN.  Kevin Negandhi will anchor the broadcast.  He will be joined by veteran analysts Kara Lawson and Rebecca Lobo in studio for in-depth analysis of the team selections.  The trio will interview Baylor’s Kim Mulkey and Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw as part of the evening’s broadcast.

Also joining the discussion will be espnW.com writer Mechelle Voepel.  She will offer extra insight on ESPNU’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special Extended Coverage Presented by Capital One.  That special will air on ESPNU at 8pm ET.  ESPNU’s extended coverage special will feature an exclusive interview with Carolayne Henry, chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee among a number of interviews included in the broadcast.

ESPNU will follow up its special Monday night broadcast with a special two hour-long edition of College Basketball Live Tuesday, March 18^th at 1pm ET.  College Basketball Live: NCAA Women’s Special will follow up Monday night’s bracket announcement with an in-depth analysis of the tournament.  It will also feature live interviews with some of the top names in women’s college basketball.  Beth Mowins and Cara Capuano will co-host the special extended edition of College Basketball Live.  They will be joined by analysts Debbie Antonelli, Maria Taylor and Brooke Weisbrod.

Both ESPN and ESPNU will offer much more for audiences in their respective broadcasts.  More information on each is available online at http://espn.go.com/womens-basketball/ and http://espn.go.com/espnw/.  Along with the extensive coverage offered by ESPN and espnW, cast members from ABC’s hit drama Nashville will add their own touch to the broadcast, too.  Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere will open ESPN’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special Presented by Capital One live from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN.  In addition to their opening segment, ESPN will feature Britton’s take on Jason Aldean’s hit song ‘The Only Way I Know’ throughout the selection special’s broadcast.  The song, which featured Luke Bryant and Eric Church, will also be used throughout ESPN’s NCAA Women’s Division I tournament coverage.  Nashville airs Wednesday nights at 10pm ET on ABC.

ESPN and the ESPN family of networks will have full coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship beginning March 22^nd.  The networks’ full broadcast schedule is expected to be released soon.  More information on this year’s tournament and coverage is available online at http://espn.go.com/espnW, http://espn.go.com/womens-basketball, and http://www.facebook.com/espnW.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN College Football Analysts Announce Picks For BCS Bowls

Courtesy: ESPN

The holiday season is said to be the most wonderful time of the year.  For college football fans, it’s not Christmas, but the days after that are the most wonderful time of the year.  That’s because the biggest games of the college football season are played in the days after Christmas.  And fans can catch all of the action across the ESPN family of networks and online.  It all starts off New Year’s Day with the 100^th Rose Bowl and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.  Number Four Michigan State will face off against Number Five Stanford in the Rose Bowl presented by Vizio at 5pm.  Number Six Baylor and Number Fifteen UCF follow at 8:30pm in the annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

The new year football celebrations continue Thursday, January 2^nd with a matchup of Number Three Alabama taking on Number Eleven Oklahoma in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.  That game is slated for an 8:30pm start time.  The Discover Orange Bowl follows the next night at 8:30pm with Number Twelve Clemson taking on Number Seven Ohio State.  That games is also set for an 8:30pm kickoff.  Wrapping up the week of football festivities is the Vizio BCS National Championship next Monday, January 6^th.  The one-loss Auburn Tigers will take on the undefeated Florida State Seminoles in college football’s biggest game.

As college football fans across the country get ready for their most wonderful time of the year, ESPN’s college football analysts have made their own predictions as to the winner of each game.  Their picks are listed below.  It should be noted that the analysts in question did not pick the games that they are calling.

ESPN Analysts BCS Picks

Analyst	Rose Bowl #STANvsMSU	Fiesta Bowl #UCFvsBAY	Sugar Bowl #OUvsBAMA	Orange Bowl #CLEMvsOSU	Championship #FSUvsAUB
Anthony Becht	Stanford	UCF	Alabama	Ohio State	Florida State
Mike Bellotti	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Ohio State	Florida State
Kevin Carter	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Florida State
Todd Blackledge	Stanford	Baylor	—	Clemson	—
Ed Cunningham	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Florida State
Joey Galloway	Michigan State	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Florida State
Rod Gilmore	Stanford	—	Alabama	Ohio State	Auburn
Brian Griese	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Ohio State	Florida State
Brock Huard	Michigan State	Baylor	Alabama	Ohio State	Florida State
Danny Kanell	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Florida State
Tom Luginbill	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Auburn
Brett McMurphy	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Florida State
Jesse Palmer	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Ohio State	Florida State
Chris Spielman	Michigan State	—	Alabama	—	Florida State
Matt Stinchcomb	Stanford	Baylor	Alabama	Clemson	Auburn
Andre Ware	Michigan State

 

More information on all of the week’s upcoming BCS games is available online at http://www.facebook.com/CFBonESPN, http://espn.go.com/ncf/index, and http://twitter.com/espncfb.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

WNBA Has Strong Start To Season

Courtesy: ESPN

The 2013-2014 WNBA season is off to a pretty strong start.  This weekend’s double header saw the Washington Mystics taking on the Tulsa Shock and the Chicago Sky facing off against the Phoenix Mercury.  The double header pulled in a 0.3 household coverage rating and averaged 366,000 viewers (P2+), including the most viewed regular season game on ESPN2 in nine years.  The pair of games featured the top four teams from this year’s WNBA draft presented by State Farm.  It included ESPNs “3 to See” trio of Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky), Skylar Diggins (Tulsa) and Brittney Griner (Phoenix).  ESPN and the ESPN family of networks will focus on the “3 to See” throughout the WNBA season.  This includes coverage online at ESPN.com and espnW.com. 

The broadcast of the Mystics/Shock Memorial Day 3pm broadcast earned a 0.3 rating with 314,000 viewers.  The 5pm game featuring the Sky and Mercury pulled a 0.4 rating with 455,000 viewers.  It was the most viewed game on ESPN2 since the Phoenix took on New York on July 11^th, 2004.  That game pulled in a 0.5 rating with 487,000 viewers. 

The 2012 WNBA regular season on ESPN2 averaged a 0.2 household coverage rating.  Coverage of the 2013 WNBA season returns Saturday, June 8^th at 3:30pm with a matchup of the Phoenix Mercury and the defending WNBA champion Indiana Fever.  The game is the first of the 2013 WNBA regular season.  It will air on ABC.

WNBA fans can keep up with the latest scores and more from around the league when they “Like” the WNBA on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/wnba.  Fans can keep up with all the latest around the WNBA on ESPN via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ESPN and on the official ESPN website at http://www.espn.com.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest spots and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

WNBA Kicks Off 2013-2014 Season This Weekend On ABC

Courtesy: ESPN

The 2013-2014 WNBA season starts next Monday.  And it all kicks off with a double header on ABC.  The double header will feature the top four teams from this year’s WNBA draft presented by State Farm.  It all starts with a match between the Washington Mystics and Tulsa Shock at 3pm ET.  The Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury follow at 5pm ET.  Along with the games, ESPN will offer an in-depth look at course taken by the league’s top picks—The “3 To See–from college to the pros.  The “3 To See” are Elena Delle Donne (Delaware to Chicago Sky), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame to Tulsa Shock), and Brittney Griner (Baylor to Phoenix Mercury).

ABC’s double header matchup is just part of Monday’s season opening celebration of the WNBA.  ESPN Classic will air a Memorial Day weekend marathon featuring a series of games featuring the “3 To See.”  The full slate of games is listed below.

ESPN Classic Memorial Day “3 to See” Marathon

Date	Time (ET)	Game
Sun, May 26	4 p.m.	2012 NCAA Women’s National Semifinal: Connecticut vs. Notre Dame Diggins 19 points leads ND to an 83-75 win
	6 p.m.	Connecticut at Notre Dame (2013) Diggins scores 29 points in ND’s 96-87 triple-overtime win
	8 p.m.	2013 NCAA Championship Second Round: Delaware vs. North Carolina Delle Donne nets 33 points in loss in final home game
	10 p.m.	2012 NCAA Women’s National Championship: Notre Dame vs. Baylor Griner has 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks in win
	Midnight	2012 NCAA Championship Second Round: Kansas vs. Delaware Delle Donne scores 34 points in loss
Mon, May 27	1:30 a.m.	Notre Dame at Tennessee (2013) Diggins has 33 points, five assists and four steals in victory
	3:30 p.m.	2012 CAA Championship: Drexel vs. Delaware Delle Donne dominates with 27 points and 10 boards in win
	7 a.m.	Connecticut at Baylor (2011) Griner leads with 25 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks in victory
	9 a.m.	Delaware at St. John’s (2013) Delle Donne tallies 29 points, 16 boards, two assists and two blocks in overtime win
	11 a.m.	2011 NCAA Women’s National Semifinal: Connecticut vs. Notre Dame Diggins nets 28 points in win over UConn and National Player of the Year Maya Moore
	1 p.m.	Baylor at Connecticut (2013) Griner scores 25 points in win, including 3,000th of her career

 

Fans of the WNBA will also get to see the return of the Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star Game on July 27^th.  The game will air that day at 3:30pm ET on ABC live from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.

The team of Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo, and Carolyn Peck return once again this season to call the games, with Ward calling the play-by-play action.  Holly Rowe and LaChina Robinson will serve as reporters for select games.  Sue Bird—seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Champion with the Seattle Storm—will join the broadcast team this season from the ESPN Studio.  This includes the opening day double header.  Bird is sidelined this season while she recovers from left knee surgery.

The full season schedule is available below:

2013 WNBA Regular-Season Schedule (subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Networks
Mon, May 27	3 p.m.	Washington Mystics at Tulsa Shock Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck & LaChina Robinson	ESPN2
	5 p.m.	Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe	ESPN2
Sat, June 8	3:30 p.m.	Phoenix Mercury at Indiana Fever Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe	ABC
Wed, June 12	8 p.m.	Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever Pam Ward & Carolyn Peck	ESPN2
Tue, June 25	8 p.m.	Phoenix Sun at San Antonio Silver Stars Pam Ward & Carolyn Peck	ESPN2
Tue, July 2	8 p.m.	Tulsa Shock at Connecticut Sun	ESPN2
Tue, July 9	9 p.m.	Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx	ESPN2
Thu, July 11	9 p.m.	Los Angeles Sparks at Tulsa Shock	ESPN2
Thu, July 18	10 p.m.	Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks	ESPN2
Tue, July 23	7 p.m.	New York Liberty at Indiana Fever	ESPN2
Sat, July 27	3:30 p.m.	Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star Game (Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.)	ABC
Tue, Aug 6	10 p.m.	Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury	ESPN2
Tue, Aug 20	10 p.m.	Los Angeles Sparks at Seattle Storm	ESPN2
Sat, Aug 24	7 p.m.	Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx	ESPN2
Wed, Sep 11	8 p.m.	Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky	ESPN2

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.