CBS Sports' Lead College Basketball Analyst Billy Packer Talks Louisville-Kentucky  

          CBS Sports' 26th consecutive season of college basketball continues with a national doubleheader on Saturday, Dec. 16 with Kentucky at Louisville (1:30-3:45 PM, ET) followed by Cincinnati taking on No. 4-ranked Ohio State in the Wooden Tradition (3:45-6:00 PM, ET).

           Verne Lundquist and CBS Sports' lead college basketball analyst Billy Packer call the action live from Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. Bob Dekas, the Network's coordinating producer of college basketball, produces and Andy Goldberg directs. The Kentucky-Louisville contest also will be broadcast in HDTV.

             Tim Brando teams with Clark Kellogg to call the Cincinnati-Ohio State contest from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.  Steve Scheer produces and Jim Cornell directs.

           AT THE HALF, CBS Sports' halftime studio show, hosted by Sam Ryan, along with Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis, provides all the day's news, scores and highlights live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Vin DeVito produces and Linda Malino directs.                                                                              

            Tony Petitti is Executive Vice President & Executive Producer, CBS Sports.

*Coaches Poll as of 12/11/06

* * * * *

COURTSIDE WITH CBS SPORTS LEAD COLLEGE BASKETBALL ANALYST BILLY PACKER

  (On Match-up): Two of the most mature big men in the country will go head-to-head, Randolph Morris and David Padgett. Despite Padgett's knee problems and Morris' off-the-court-problems, they could be the difference makers in this game...Very seldom do you see a rivalry game of this kind that can be in the hands of two freshman guards. Derrick Jasper of Kentucky, I am very impressed with his potential of being able to be the backcourt leader for Kentucky. And Edgar Sosa, likewise, a player despite being a freshman, you can see him being very valuable to Louisville over the years.

(On Louisville-Kentucky Rivalry)

This is a great series that was memorable in 1983 when they first met after a long hiatus. I remember it like it was yesterday. Louisville won in overtime and went on to the Final Four to play that incredible game against Houston. You could cut the tension with a knife for the Louisville-Kentucky game. Everyone was expecting all kinds of fireworks and yet the fans were tremendous. It's the fact that they have great pride in their teams and it's been that way ever since the series resumed in 1984.

(Most Memorable Games in Series): The first two are ones that I broadcast. In 1994 when Louisville's Samaki Walker led the big upset with a triple-double...The coming out of Kentucky's Rex Chapman in 1986 with a tremendous victory performance...And the one game that really stands out is a game that I did not broadcast in the series in 2004, when Patrick Sparks hit the three free throws at the end of the game. I did not endear myself to Kentucky fans when I said he had walked.