When you tune into pro or college basketball games this fall, odds are you will see plenty of Robbie Hummel.
The former Purdue standout, who also had a cup of coffee in the NBA, has roles calling the NBA and NCAA men’s basketball at TNT, NBC and CBS this year. Two summers ago, Hummel called Olympic men’s basketball in Paris.
As a rising star across multiple networks and a consistent presence on both of the networks that call the NCAA tournament, Hummel is sure to be a constant in the lives of basketball fans going forward.
And according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Hummel has now become the “heir apparent” to the legendary Bill Raftery to call the men’s Final Four.
“TNT picked up him last year, now CBS is going to have him do regular-season games, so you add those two things together. Raftery, he’s not going anywhere, he’s still going strong, but at some point he may retire,” Marchand explained on his podcast this week.
“And for a long time, it was Jay Wright who was the obvious heir apparent. You put him with Grant Hill and Ian Eagle on the Final Four and there you go. Hummel, I don’t think he’s there yet, maybe, on the depth chart, but he will be.”
While not the biggest name, Hummel is a dedicated student of the college game at a time when that is less popular for analysts. And he is a tireless worker, saying yes to opportunities at nearly every network that airs men’s college hoops games.
As just one example: This season, Hummel will be part of Peacock’s intriguing “On the Bench” experiment as a color commentator embedded within a team’s bench.
Raftery remains a sharp and popular game analyst calling the biggest games on CBS (or TNT for the Final Four), but the network needs a backup plan considering that he is 82 years old.
And according to Marchand, who is as plugged in as anyone, Hummel is that guy right now.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.