Student broadcasters captured the excitement as the 12th-seeded Panthers pull off their first-ever NCAA tournament win against Wisconsin.
PORTLAND, Ore. — As High Point University pulled off a dramatic late-game comeback in the NCAA tournament at the Moda Center, two student broadcasters captured every second of the emotion from courtside, delivering a call that mirrored the magnitude of the moment.
Junior Jimmy Rosselli and senior Griffin Wright, calling the game for High Point’s student radio, witnessed and voiced the program’s first-ever tournament win during a first-round matchup against Wisconsin.
“That’s what they needed. Time out. Time out. Portland, do you believe it?!” Rosselli said on the call with less than a minute to go.
For Rosselli and Wright, the opportunity to broadcast during March Madness was already a dream. Doing it together, in a game that turned into a defining moment for their school, made it unforgettable.
“Being broadcasters is our passion; it’s our love and being able to do it with my friend is a dream come true. It’s a blessing,” Rosselli said.
Rosselli handles play-by-play duties while Wright provided color commentary, a partnership the two built after becoming fast friends last year. Their chemistry, both on and off the mic, shaped how they approached the biggest game of their broadcasting careers.
“It’s not a professional broadcast. It’s just two dudes watching basketball at some points,” Wright said.
High Point entered the tournament as a 12 seed facing a heavily favored Wisconsin program, marking just the Panthers’ second NCAA tournament appearance. The team’s first trip ended in a first-round loss to Purdue last year, something both broadcasters said lingered heading into this year.
“The expectation for this year was a little different,” Wright said. “It’s not a feeling me and Jim wanted to feel again.”
Rosselli said part of their job is translating the intensity of the moment for listeners who aren’t in the arena.
“I think the energy when you’re courtside is a lot different than when you’re just watching it from the stands,” he said. “Part of being a broadcaster is channeling that energy that you’re feeling and staying professional and narrating the game, but also making sure you showcase that passion, so that your listeners understand how big of a moment it is.”
Late in the game, High Point trailed by four points with just over a minute remaining before a three-pointer cut the deficit to one. Moments later, a go-ahead layup completed the comeback, sending the broadcasters and their listeners into a frenzy.
“I really can’t remember a lot about it because it was just so much emotion going through it,” Wright said. “It was sad, anxious, angry, amazingly happy and then relief.”
“They launch down court…” Rosselli said on the call as time expired. “Throw on the glass slipper, it’s a Cinderella story in Portland, Oregon.”
Rosselli said moments like that are why broadcasters prepare, even scripting key lines ahead of time, but leaving room for raw emotion.
“I try to have one line that I know I want to say and then the rest I kind of just let come out in the moment because I want to make sure the passion is felt,” he said.
Rosselli said he had multiple lines written down, some that were in favor of High Point and others in favor of Wisconsin, in the event either team had a buzzer beating shot. One thing he said he didn’t have, was a line in case High Point lost.
“He told me to.” Jimmy said of Griffin. “He told me you better have one for if we lose. Dude, it’s just going to be me crying. If you want the honest truth. I don’t think about the loss.”
For the pair, the stakes were even higher knowing this could be their final game together. Wright is set to graduate, while Rosselli has another year remaining. Heading into the matchup, both believed their run might be ending.
“I thought going into yesterday, that it was going to be my last game ever broadcasting with my best friend,” Rosselli said. “To see us win and get one more day out of it, hopefully many more.”
“For the first time in program history, High Point breaks through. We will see you in the round of 32.” Rosselli said on the call as the team celebrated on the floor.
No matter how far High Point advances, both broadcasters say the experience and their friendship is what will last.
“I love this guy, and without him, none of this would’ve happened,” Rosselli said.