Bill Raftery addresses college broadcast future, possible retirement ahead of Final Four

Bill Raftery is one of the most beloved college basketball analysts out there. He’s delighted fans with such catch phrases as, “man-to-man!” and “Send it in Jerome!” over the past few decades. His unbridled enthusiasm for the game of basketball is infectious and rubs off on everyone around him. Recently, Raftery, known as “Raf” by many, spoke with Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. He opened up on his broadcast future and potential retirement ahead of his 10th Final Four.

Bill Raftery addresses retirement: ‘If they still want me, I still enjoy doing it’ https://t.co/tmgSwpbS5X

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Has he given much thought about how much longer he’ll broadcast? “Not really. I’ve been blessed with support from other people, so I never really think about it. I’m sure at some point they’ll let me know if you’re not doing your job, but I just sort of take each year as it goes. It’s been delightful this year. There’s never really been a year in my mind where I’ve felt tired. Plus, the tournament rejuvenates you. It’s like a whole different step up. I just sort of do whatever they ask and, God willing, if they still want me, I still enjoy doing it,” Raftery explained.

What are his thoughts on NIL and the transfer portal? “Whether you like it or not, whether it’s distasteful or not, it’s just another area where you just have to go full steam ahead. I think there had to be a correction at some point to let the young guys benefit. The level it’s gone has far exceeded what a lot of people thought, but I think calmer minds and heads will prevail and they’ll get it where it’s feasible and reasonable at some point,” Raftery continued.

What are his favorite venues of college basketball? “All the old ones, I hate to say that. Glaser [La Salle] – of course I played there. We love Duke other than the announce position — we’re all the way up at the ceiling. Gallagher-Iba [Oklahoma]. A lot of the Big Ten buildings are just phenomenal in terms of the fan base reaction. Kansas just jumps out there obviously,” he noted.

What were some of the craziest moments in games he’s called over the years? “It’s not the craziest moment, it’s moments and hours, but that’s the six-overtime Syracuse-UConn game [in 2009]. When Jim Boeheim was running out of bodies, and they’ve got four guys on the floor that have no energy left, they can’t even move, and he has a guard come into the game who’s frantic—jumping up and down, moving his arms. It was so out of character with the other four guys because of their exhaustion,” Raftery explained.

Of course, he also mentioned his most iconic call. “I guess Jerome Lane always stands out — the dunk in Pittsburgh, when he tore the backboard down. Send it in Jerome!”

On January 25th, 1988, Jerome Lane of Pittsburgh jumped over a Providence defender (Carlton Screen), sending down a backboard shattering dunk that instantly became an iconic piece of college basketball history. Lane not only shattered the glass completely but sent Screen crashing to the floor after he tried to take a charge, but failed.

The Pittsburgh mascot would eventually run around the court with the rim, and the game ended up being delayed for more than half an hour as the facilities staff found a replacement basket, while cleaning up the shattered pieces of glass. Lane was one of the leaders for a Pittsburgh team that would eventually go on to win 24 games and a Big East Regular Season title. You can read more about the iconic moment here.

A remarkable athlete during his playing days, Raftery graduated from Saint Cecilia High School (Kearny, New Jersey), where he starred, becoming the all-time leading scorer in state history (2,193 points.) He held the record for nine years. Raftery earned all-state honors in hoops, leading his team to the state championship his senior year. He also earned all-state honors in baseball and soccer.

In his college playing days, Raftery suited up for the La Salle Explorers, where he led them to the NIT. In the 1963 NBA Draft, he was selected in the 14th round (82nd overall) by the New York Knicks, but he never played in the league.