Kevin Harlan, is there anything he can’t do?
Whether he’s calling the NBA, NFL, or college basketball, the sports broadcaster remains a national treasure. No wonder Awful Announcing readers rated his NFL booth among the best in the business, and we named him the best play-by-play announcer of 2024.
The CBS Sports broadcaster has already been putting on a masterclass during this college basketball postseason, and he proved just how in the pocket he is on Friday during a quick-thinking moment during the Ole Miss-North Carolina game.
With a little over two minutes remaining in the first half, the Rebels led the Tar Heels 41-23. Ole Miss guard Jaylen Murray tried to save an errant ball from going out of bounds, but his attempt was deflected by a North Carolina player in the direction of the broadcasting row.
That’s when Harlan jumped into the action, literally deflecting the ball while calling said deflection.
“DEFLECTED BY ME!” – Kevin Harlan never misses a beat on the play-by-play call. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/P5doovjhcH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 21, 2025
“Saves the ball with a leap. Knocked out of bounds, deflected me, and off to the side,” said Harlan while stretching his arm out to ensure the ball didn’t hit CBS analyst Stan Van Gundy.
“It was going right for you, did you see that?” Harlan said to Van Gundy.
“Great deflection!” said Van Gundy while watching the replay.
The alternative angle looks even more remarkable.
Another angle of the Kevin Harlan “DEFLECTED BY ME!” call. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/KxPOjLCmzx
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 21, 2025
Kevin Harlan remains a true renaissance broadcaster, capable of anything at any time.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.