CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein with Kentucky guard Otega Oweh (Photo by Michael Grant) CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein with Kentucky guard Otega Oweh (Photo by Michael Grant)
By Michael Grant on

This is March, which means it’s Jon Rothstein’s favorite time of year.

The CBS Sports college basketball insider is a key figure in March Madness coverage. He was a sideline reporter for last weekend’s first- and second-round games at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Rothstein is best known for his unwavering dedication to college basketball, regardless of the time of year or world events. And, of course, his popular catchphrases. 

Awful Announcing caught up with Rothstein to discuss the 2026 NCAA Tournament so far and see who he thinks can win it all.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Awful Announcing: What are Jon Rothstein’s top five favorite catchphrases?

Jon Rothstein: “Wow, this is like picking between children. ‘This is March.’ ‘We sleep in May.’ ‘Some people have hobbies. I watch college basketball.’ ‘Anarchy? Nope. Just college basketball.’ That’s four. And I’d say the fifth one is ‘Grab your nitroglycerine pills.'”

Where is the weirdest place someone has said ‘We sleep in May’ in you?

“It wasn’t exactly that, but on my honeymoon, we were in Europe. We were taking a flight, I believe, from Naples, Italy, to Greece to go to Mykonos. Somebody just came up to me in the airport and wanted to talk about the Atlantic 10. It goes to show you that the passion for college basketball is universal.”

What does it take to be good at sideline reporting?

“The one thing about sideline reporting, you learn after a while, and you learn with repetition, is you want to always add to the broadcast. You want to be very succinct in your commentary. The sideline role is a lot different from being someone who hosts a podcast or someone who chimes in on a studio show. I try to make everything I’m doing as quick as possible. I try to ask really, really short questions. I want to be in and out as quickly as possible.”

Is there a coach who excels at sideline interviews?

“Matt Painter, whom I was with last weekend in St. Louis, always gives well-thought-out answers during the course of a game. I think Matt’s just somebody who’s always been able to articulate what he’s trying to accomplish in a game plan and always able to take you behind the scenes of what his team is trying to accomplish at that juncture in the game or that juncture in the season.”

What surprised you the most in St. Louis?

“I would just say how connected Iowa State was after they lost Joshua Jefferson. There are certain things you can’t obviously get from just watching on TV, but when you’re around them for a couple of days, and you see how they operate, and you see how connected they are. I thought the fact that they lost one of the top ten players in college basketball and still were able to beat a power conference opponent so handily really reiterated just how strong a bond that T.J. Otzelberger has built in that locker room.”

Where does Mark Pope go from here after Kentucky’s disappointing season?

“Chemistry, rhythm, and role allocation. I think you’ll see Kentucky prioritize maybe fewer players of impact this year during the offseason. Also, look, any team that loses its starting point guard and its starting projected five-man is not going to be the same team. Jaland Lowe, I thought, watching the game against Iowa State, would have had a major impact on this team just because he was somebody who could set the table and run an offense. Kentucky finished with 11 assists and 20 turnovers against Iowa State. It was apparent they did not have a pure table-setting point guard, so, to me, his health and retention is obviously one of the biggest keys entering next season.”

Which team has the most favorable path to a national championship?

“I think the team that’s the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, Duke, probably has the toughest task because of the East region. You look at those four teams—those four coaches have combined for 18 Final Four appearances and five national titles. I would say Michigan right now, just because Michigan is in a situation where we don’t know if Alabama’s going to have Aden Holloway, and Iowa State is dealing with a major injury to its best player, Joshua Jefferson.”

Who has been the best player in this tournament?

“We’re getting to the point now where Darius Acuff, to me, is appointment television. Look, Cam Boozer is going to be the National Player of the Year, and rightfully so. He has been the best player on the team that was the No.1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, but I don’t want to dismiss what it’s like to have a dynamic guard like Darius Acuff. The NCAA tournament is about guard play, and the best guard right now plays for John Calipari in Arkansas.”

Why have there been so few upsets?

“Well, finances are involved now. When you get finances involved in putting rosters together, there’s more of a separation between the haves and the have-nots. But Texas is on a path similar to the one NC State was on in 2024. I know Sean Miller’s the coach. I know Texas is a great brand. But Texas finished 18-14 and is now in the Sweet 16. We had an upset with High Point beating Wisconsin. We had VCU beating North Carolina. We also had St. Louis blow out an SEC team in Georgia. Utah State beat Villanova. So, we have seen some lower-seeded teams win and advance in the NCAA tournament.”

What is your prediction for the Final Four?

“My original Final Four picks are still intact, so I’m not going to waver from that. I have Purdue, UConn, Houston, and Michigan. I’ve got Purdue over UConn (for the national championship).”

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

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