'A masterpiece of a tournament': Ernie Johnson shares thoughts on March Madness 2024

Sports fans may know Ernie Johnson best for his steady presence on "Inside the NBA." The six-time Emmy award winner and Sports Broadcasting Hall-of-Famer will welcome fans to the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament Thursday.

Johnson will captain his 13th edition of March Madness behind the Turner Sports desk but the process going into the big dance remains similar to the first time Turner carried the tournament in 2011.

"The prep that you do now is enough to get you through Thursday and Friday," Johnson said. "That's kind of is the baseline. How are we going to introduce folks to this team? Well, and then what if somebody gets knocked out and it's like, okay, now let's focus on what have these teams done in the tournament?"

For Johnson the key to broadcasting the tournament is delivering the audience an opportunity to connect with the story behind the ten players on the court.

"If you ever get out of the storytelling business, you're doing the fan a disservice because it gives that fan a reason to like somebody and to follow a team," Johnson said.

Johnson spoke to USA TODAY as a part of Buffalo Wild Wing's "Beat the Buffalo" competition where fans can compete against the brackets of an actual buffalo. (Brackets that Johnson described as, "very beatable")

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Ernie Johnson on March Madness 2024

USA TODAY: Are there any teams or players or coaches that, if the opportunity arises, has a story you'd like to tell?

Ernie Johnson: What we're trying to do, whether it's March Madness, the NBA or whatever you covering, is if you can humanize somebody, it makes them rootable. It's not just a guy with a number on his back, hitting another three-pointer or a coach shouting on the sidelines, there were stories there.

I remember at Longwood, Griff Aldrich, his story struck me because he's got adopted kids and my wife and I have done the same thing. I remember, last time they were in the tournament, I reached out to Griff just to talk. Not to talk hoop but just to kind of talk life.

I'm finalizing all my prep now, those are files that I keep every year, and there were notes like that scattered throughout my research. In the event that, hey, if this team does make this run, this will be a great thing to talk to this kid about or this coach about.

To give you specifics, no. But in general, yeah, there are a bunch of those in (my preparation) where man, if I get the chance to talk to this guy, I want to talk about this story.

USA TODAY: For someone who turns on the TV, TNT and sees the show, sees the pregame or the in between and they might not realize how much prep goes in? What does that process look like for you this year?

Ernie Johnson: The process looks like it has for the last 13, 14 years that we've had this partnership with CBS. I started building files on every team I thought could make the tournament and then adding to that and updating them every year.

I've got more than 200 files on more than 200 teams that I update every year. Okay, when's the last time in? Who's their coach? How long has he been there? What's their March Madness history? Who are their top five guys, you know, interesting facts about the school or about the coach.

That's a nonstop deal and now I'm just kind of finalizing that. So that every game that's played, I've got a six page (research packet). Some of its stats, some of its rosters, but a lot of it is notes and stuff on the teams themselves.

USA TODAY: This tournament, as compared to many years past and compared to the women's tournament, doesn't have an A-1 star. Does not having that one central figure give you the room to explore stories?

Ernie Johnson: I think a lot of times when there is not that central figure, or there's not that team, just because it's that open. You can't wait to see how it plays out.

On the women's side not only do you have you have Caitlin (Clark) but you got an undefeated South Carolina team at 32-0 that stays undefeated because a player who hasn't hit a three pointer banks one in to win the game and the conference tournament.

I think it's those kinds of stories that are compelling, that get eyeballs to the set. So no, the fact that there's not like a Caitlin Clark on the men's side doesn't detract. I think it just kind of what it leaves you, as you turn the TV on Thursday at noon is saying: this canvas is totally blank and this could be a masterpiece of a tournament.