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CBS SPORTS' WILD WEEKEND OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL FEATURES WOMEN'S AND MEN'S MATCH-UPS ON SATURDAY, JAN. 5 AND SUNDAY, JAN. 6

No. 1-ranked Connecticut Women Highlight Schedule

Former Women's Olympic Coach and Auburn Head Coach

Nell Fortner Serves as Studio Guest

 

CBS Sports' wild weekend of NCAA Basketball tips off on Saturday, Jan. 5 (12:00 NOON-6:00 PM, ET) with a tripleheader, featuring a women's doubleheader followed by a men's game. The first women's game features Penn State at Michigan State (12:00 NOON) followed by No. 3-ranked Tennessee battling *No. 14-ranked Notre Dame (2:00 PM, ET), and a match-up between longtime men's rivals, Louisville and Kentucky (4:00 PM, ET) concludes the day.

 

On Sunday, Jan. 6 (1:30-4:00 PM, ET) women's action precedes CBS Sports' NFL coverage of the AFC Wild Card game as *No. 1-ranked Connecticut meets Purdue.

 

Saturday, Carter Blackburn calls the play-by-play for the Penn State-Michigan State game along with analyst Nancy Lieberman. Deb Gelman produces and Suzanne Smith directs. 

 

Don Criqui and Rebecca Lobo will call the Tennessee-Notre Dame match-up.  Bob Mansbach produces and Chris Svendsen directs.

 

Verne Lundquist joins CBS Sports' lead college basketball analyst, Billy Packer, to call the action for Louisville-Kentucky from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Bob Dekas, CBS Sports' Coordinating Producer for college basketball, produces and Cathy Barreto directs

  

On Sunday, Beth Mowins is joined by Deb Antonelli for the Connecticut-Purdue contest.  Ken Mack and Jim Cornell produce and direct, respectively. 

 

AT THE HALF®, CBS Sports' halftime studio show is hosted on Saturday by Gus Johnson who will be joined by Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis and Auburn head coach Nell Fortner. James Brown and Fortner will be on the set on Sunday. AT THE HALF®, live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City provides all the day's news, scores and highlights.   Vin DeVito produces and Linda Malino directs on Saturday. On Sunday, Eric Mann produces and Bob Matina directs. 

 

Tony Petitti is Executive Vice President and Executive Producer, CBS Sports.

 

(*AP poll rankings as of 01/01/08)

Courtside with CBS Sports' Lead College Basketball Analyst Billy Packer

 

(On Louisville-Kentucky): There has never been a situation where there is as much tension over the two programs since their rivalry began on an annual basis. In a different way I think the tension for this game is very similar to the tension for the first game I did when the series resumed in the NCAA tournament way back in 1983. The reasons stem from more to do with injuries for both teams than it does with the fact that they are not capable of winning some quality games. Injuries have depleted the teams. You never anticipate before the season starts that there would be such a rash of injuries. Because these programs have such high profile, and such great histories, it's difficult to accept anything other than Championships.

 

(On Louisville and Kentucky making NCAA Tournament): They have dug themselves into a really deep hole, but anything is possible. Last year after the Louisville-Kentucky game I thought that Louisville would have a very difficult time getting into the NCAA Tournament. But they righted themselves and had a spectacular February in a very difficult league. This year the Big East is very brutal in terms of the depth of teams. That is going to make getting an at-large bid very difficult. What might help Kentucky this year is the SEC is somewhat down compared to where they have been in the past. Now that Billy Gillispie is playing with a full complement of players, it's possible they could right themselves enough to become an NCAA Tournament team. But, they really have a mountain to climb.

 

(On injuries): I'll be anxious to see how Derrick Jasper's leg will hold up under Louisville's pressure, and see how much stamina he will have. In regards to Louisville's David Padgett, who I thought was sensational against Cincinnati considering the injury he sustained in November, what will he be like by Saturday? How will that leg respond? They are both emotionally down, but how well they regroup physically will be something to watch that will be extremely interesting.