A retired Jim Nantz has traded neutrality for teary eyes.
Nantz, the previous voice of March Insanity and a Houston graduate, is only a well-known fan of his alma mater at this level. And Houston’s record-setting, 70-67 Last 4 comeback victory Saturday towards Duke left him emotional as he watched from an costly seat on the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Name it “a comeback unlike any other.”
Nantz, 65, dabbed his eyes and put his arm round his daughter, Caroline, whose face was painted with the college’s emblem, as captured in footage shared by basketball analyst Jeff Goodman on X.
“That was incredible,” Nantz stated as he walked to the locker room, based on Daly Dose of Hoops.
That is the second Last 4 since Nantz retired from calling school basketball in 2023, when the ultimate three video games have been performed in … Houston, after all.
Nantz needed to act neutral when the Cougars have been within the 2021 Last 4, which marked their first look since three straight in 1982-84, proper after Nantz graduated.
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Now Houston has superior to Monday’s championship recreation towards Florida after overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit and happening a 9-0 run over the ultimate 33 seconds to steal the victory from Duke.
Houston had a win likelihood of 1.5 p.c with 8:17 left, based on the faculty basketball analytics web site EvanMiya.com.
The Cougars had not trailed by 14 factors in any recreation this season earlier than their stifling protection took over, and the Blue Devils struggled to even execute an in-bounds move.
Ian Eagle changed Nantz as the primary tv voice of the Last 4.
His alma mater, Syracuse, is working by itself Last 4 drought, with no appearances since 2016 after going six instances below legendary coach Jim Boeheim.
Tip-off in Monday’s championship is ready for 8:50 p.m. ET.