No. 3 Michigan held off a valiant effort by No. 23 Wisconsin 68-65 in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon in Chicago. The CBS top crew of Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, and Grant Hill had the television call, and the chaotic finish especially brought out the best of Eagle and Raftery.
Wisconsin’s Austin Rapp went off for all of his 18 points in the game’s second half, all on three-pointers. One sequence featured Rapp nailing triples on consecutive Badgers possessions to give them a four-point lead with under four minutes remaining, and Eagle and Raftery went wild.
“(John) Blackwell, looking for Rapp, he will fire,” Eagle said. “OOOH! HE’S NOT HUMAN! THIS HAS BEEN A RAPP-ER’S DELIGHT!”
“Nick (Boyd) drives, kicks, another one, Rapp,” Eagle said on the next Wisconsin possession. “OOOH, IT’S RIDICULOUS! AUSTIN RAPP IS STUCK ON AUTOMATIC!”
“HOO HOO!” the always energetic Raftery responded.
Ian Eagle: “Looking for Rapp, he will fire. OOOH! HE’S NOT HUMAN! THIS HAS BEEN A RAPP-ER’S DELIGHT!… “OOOH, IT’S RIDICULOUS! AUSTIN RAPP IS STUCK ON AUTOMATIC!”
Bill Raftery: “HOO HOO!” 🏀🔥🎙️ #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2mntRIFtyB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 14, 2026
Michigan followed that with a 7-0 run to take a 65-62 lead into the final minute, but Wisconsin’s Nick Boyd made a three-pointer to tie the game.
“Boyd, BULLSEYE!” Eagle said.
“HOO! RIGHT IN THE EYE!” Raftery said. “(Roddy) Gayle contesting big time! That kid is tough-minded.”
But the Wolverines answered with what would be the game-winning bucket on a three-pointer from Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg with 0.3 left on the clock.
“(Elliot) Cadeau, a little shake-and-bake. Winding down, LENDEBORG… OH YEAH!” Eagle said. “THREE TENTHS ON THE CLOCK! THE BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR DELIVERS!”
And it led to a trademark “onions” call from Raftery: “THIS KID STEPPING UP WITH SOME MAJOR ONIONS!”
Ian Eagle: “Boyd, BULLSEYE!”
Bill Raftery: “HOO HOO! RIGHT IN THE EYE!”
Ian Eagle: “Winding down, LENDEBORG… OH YEAH! THREE TENTHS ON THE CLOCK! THE BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR DELIVERS!”
Bill Raftery: “THIS KID STEPPING UP WITH SOME MAJOR ONIONS!” 🏀🧅🧅🚨🎙️ #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/mBayuA8SJv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 14, 2026
Eagle, Raftery, and Hill form what Awful Announcing readers voted the best booth in sports in 2005. Nobody captures the madness of March better than the Eagle and Raftery combo, and Hill complements them with sharp analysis.
The trio will get one more NCAA Tournament tune-up with Sunday’s Big Ten Championship game at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, when Michigan takes on No. 18 Purdue.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.