Dick Vitale to Call 1st CBB Game in Nearly 2 Years for Cooper Flagg, Duke vs. Wake

Basketball Hall of Famer Dick Vitale is returning to the broadcast booth for the first time in nearly two years.

ESPN announced on Friday that Vitale will be on the call with play-by-play commentator Dave O'Brien for the Duke-Wake Forest game at Lawrence Joel Coliseum on Jan.

25.

Vitale also issued a statement about his return included in the announcement: "I am absolutely ecstatic and I can't believe this is happening after going through five major vocal cord surgeries, 65 radiation treatments and chemotherapy for six months.

It's been a very tough journey, but all of the prayers and messages from the beautiful fans have inspired me.

I can't thank Jimmy Pitaro and all of my ESPN colleagues who I consider my second family enough for the love they showed me through such a tough time.

I just hope that I can offer the people some basketball insights that can bring even more excitement to the game." Vitale has been on hiatus from broadcasting since 2023 when he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and underwent six weeks of radiation treatment.

After being given a clean bill of health in December 2023, Vitale announced in June that a biopsy showed he had a cancerous lymph node and would undergo surgery.

He revealed in a video post on Dec.

12 that a PET scan showed he was once again cancer-free.

Vitale has had four different bouts with cancer since 2021.

He told Dana Hunsinger Benbow of the Indianapolis Star in November 2022 that he lost his voice for four months after undergoing surgeries for pre-cancerous dysplasia and ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords.

The last time Vitale worked a game was as part of the international broadcast crew for ESPN during the national championship game between Connecticut and San Diego State on April 3, 2023.

Vitale has worked for ESPN as a college basketball analyst since the 1979-80 season.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

The University of Detroit, where Vitale was head coach of the basketball program for four seasons from 1973-74 to 1976-77, named its basketball court in his honor in December 2011.

Vitale's first game back is a marquee ACC matchup featuring a loaded Blue Devils team, led by Cooper Flagg, that is currently riding an 11-game winning streak against a Wake Forest squad that is off to a 13-4 start..

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