Instead, Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg and newcomer Steve Kerr, on hand via the new CBS/Turner partnership, were largely deferential with each other, proving to be easy listening rather than overbearing.

"The three-man booth is very different," Kerr said Sunday. "It either works or it doesn't, depending on the chemistry. In this case, it worked well. With Clark and I, neither of us has a problem deferring. There's no ego involved. If he says something I'm already thinking, I don't care."

Kellogg agreed Sunday: "The chemistry was fine, and we had a good time. And the games were close, if not superbly played."

And, he noted, viewers weren't seeing something completely new because NBC's team of Dick Enberg, Billy Packer and Al McGuire three decades ago was "one of the best (on-air teams) of all time."

Given the NCAA runs from teams with underwhelming regular seasons, fans might conclude there's no need to follow college hoops until the tournament or that the tournament field needs to be expanded. "It probably will expand," Kerr said. "But I hope not." Kellogg agreed: "We're where we need to be for a while."

But Kerr also suggested the so-called First Four could be tweaked: "Have all eight teams in those from power conferences — just the bubble teams rather than league winners — going head-to-head."

And Kerr said, "It's almost unfair that it's all about the NCAA tournament now. Kansas ends up 35-3 after getting to the Elite Eight, and a lot of people feel their season was a failure."

Charles Barkley predicted Saturday that we would not see another First Four team make the Final Four, but then he also predicted Virginia Commonwealth and Kentucky would win. Kerr said: "It wouldn't shock me if we saw something like this again. There's so much parity."

For tonight's final, Kerr won't make a prediction because he's calling the game but said Butler "looks like the most solid team out there." Kellogg said pick 'em: "It's a real toss-up."