The NCAA Tournament has produced a lot of stars, including this year, where teams like Nebraska and St. John's have made historic runs to the Sweet 16, but there are some breakout sports media stars, too.
Awful Announcing has named the NCAA Tournament sideline reporters the "breakout stars" of March. And they're not wrong. There are few better gigs in sideline reporting than working the NCAA Tournament.
"For one, there’s simply no sporting event as exciting as March Madness. A 68-team, single-elimination bracket filled with hormonal college kids and equally hormonal head coaches competing in the highest stakes environment of their careers? All in front of a massive national television audience? Sign me up," Awful Announcing writes.
"And CBS Sports/TNT Sports have done an expert job of capitalizing on the borderline primal energy being displayed on the court. That is, in no small part, due to the work of sideline reporters, who are granted extraordinary access to players and coaches during the tournament."
Lauren Shehadi, 42, has been at the center of it all.
The Virginia native is perhaps better known for her MLB work, both in studio and in the field, but she's been shining this March.
Shehadi has done some epic sideline interviews that have gone viral, including one with Villanova head coach Kevin Willard, in which he "joked" that he was going to have to fire his assistant coaching staff.
"The only thing I'm gonna do is fire them and get a new staff," he told Shehadi.
Shehadi was also on the call of the second round game between No. 4 Kansas and No. 5 St. John's, which went down to the buzzer.
She had a great in-game interview with St. John's head coach Rick Pitino and then one with the St. John's guard who drilled the game-winning layup.
College basketball fans are loving her coverage
College basketball fans are loving her in-game coverage.
"You are in a league of your own ❤️," one fan wrote.
"I WANNA GROW UP TO BE LIKE SHEHADI ❤️," one fan added.
"I don’t know ball but I know icon when I see one ⭐️," one fan added.
"This pic is so good! You’re iconic!!" one fan added.
College basketball fans are clearly loving her performance this March.
