It’s a sad day for college basketball. He was outstanding and a true professional at his craft. Longtime college basketball analyst and Final Four broadcaster Billy Packer died on Thursday. He was 82.
Packer attended Wake Forest, where he was named All-ACC in 1961 and 1962. He helped lead the Demon Deacons to three ACC regular-season titles and their first Final Four appearance in 1962. After his playing career, Parker went into broadcasting. He began broadcasting games in 1972. Packer spent more than three decades calling college basketball and worked on 34 Final Four broadcast teams throughout his career at both NBC and CBS.
His first Final Four came in 1975 when UCLA and coach John Wooden won the title. His last was Kansas’ win over Memphis in 2008. He received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio, and Sports Analyst in 1993.
