Spanarkel, the former Duke guard who was a first-team All-American in 1979, will call all four game telecasts Friday for CBS Sports at the Bradley Center.

"I wouldn't say it's a grind," Spanarkel said in a telephone interview. "It's a long day. I don't think it's a grind because, quite candidly, I look at it from the standpoint that I'm lucky to be doing it. I enjoy doing it. You are on some type of live television regionally, nationally for the better part of eight solid hours over a 10- or 11-hour period of day. The word 'grind' doesn't come to mind for me. I would say it's more intense because of the length of time that is involved with it."

Spanarkel, the 16th overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft, went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks. These days he is a certified financial planner at Merrill Lynch in New Jersey, his home state, and is an analyst for New Jersey Nets game telecasts. His play-by-play partner for the NCAA tournament broadcasts is Ian Eagle, the television voice of the Nets.

Spanarkel, 52, and Eagle are working their 13th NCAA Tournament together.

"Knowing your partner real well helps because the energy level for two guys - it's easier to pick yourself up when the other guy is doing it and vice versa," Spanarkel said. "So we are constantly reminding ourselves about keeping the energy at a good level. Even if the game is not progressing the way everybody wants it to, in terms of not being a barnburner, you still have to deliver a solid performance in terms of energy."

Spanarkel thinks the most intriguing of his first-round matchups is between No. 6-seeded Xavier and No. 11-seeded Minnesota, the first game Spanarkel and Eagle will handle.

"There are some interesting parts of that game because when you look at Minnesota, they are a very good team," Spanarkel said. "Tubby Smith obviously is a big-time name coach. You go up against a Xavier team that as the year has gone on has gotten better and better. That's a very good matchup."

The Oklahoma State-Georgia Tech game, the third game in the Milwaukee order, is another matchup Spanarkel likes. He does not think there is much difference between teams when you get up in the No. 7 vs. No. 10 teams, which the Cowboys and Yellow Jackets represent.

"Kansas I think is probably a little bit ahead of the pack," Spanarkel said about the entire field. "Then you have the next three to eight teams that are very good, solid teams. But 10 through 25, I think a lot of teams have interchangeable parts and the ability to knock people off. I would not be surprised if this year you have more of what looks to be, from a seeding standpoint, upsets."

Spanarkel said of the eight teams playing in Milwaukee the only one he thinks can win the national title is Ohio State.

"Evan Turner is the kind of player who can carry a team for a long period of time," Spanarkel said. "Pittsburgh came into the season in the Big East and did much better than their preseason pick (ninth in the conference)," Spanarkel said. "They play that style where they try to wear you down a lot. Jamie Dixon is very good at it. I can see them making a run, but winning the whole tournament? If they got to the Final Four, would they be able to get past two of the best three teams left standing?"