CBS Had To Replace Kenny Smith For Friday's NCAA Tournament Coverage CBS viewers might have noticed a change in the studio setup during Friday’s NCAA Tournament coverage. Kenny Smith, the longtime analyst, was replaced by Renee Montgomery, a former NBA and NCAA champion, who joined Adam Zucker and Charles Barkley at the desk. Zucker mentioned that Smith was “under the weather” for the second day of the tournament’s first round. Smith left the studio early on Thursday, departing just before the end of the Howard-Michigan game. The situation was severe enough to keep him at home overnight, though the exact cause remains unclear. Barkley, Smith’s longtime broadcasting partner, humorously addressed the situation, joking that Smith might have taken the day off to enjoy a beach vacation. “Keep your shirt on at the beach, Kenny,” Barkley quipped, after the rest of the desk wished him well. The tweet, shared by Awful Announcing, highlighted the lighthearted moment, with the hashtag #MarchMadness and #NCAATournament. While Smith’s absence could be due to illness—given his age of 61—some fans speculated he might be struggling emotionally after his alma mater, North Carolina, suffered a dismal day. The Tar Heels’ performance took a sharp turn, starting with fans initially mocking arch-rival Duke for losing to a 16-seeded team, Siena. However, Duke advanced to the Round of 32, while UNC’s own team was eliminated by an 11-seeded VCU squad. This marked UNC’s second consecutive one-and-done exit in the Round of 64 under head coach Hubert Davis. Fan reactions quickly turned to humor, with some suggesting Smith’s absence might be due to emotional distress rather than illness. One user joked, “Is he under the weather or crying about the UNC loss?” Another remarked, “That’s funny. Kenny seemed fine when Siena was winning.#ncaa_tournament #kenny_smith #charles_barkley #adam_zucker #rene_e_montgomery
NBA icon who vanished from CBS desk after March Madness upset suddenly absent in studio next day Following UNC’s stunning upset loss to VCU in the first round of March Madness, Kenny Smith left his CBS Sports desk—and the NBA icon was absent from Friday’s NCAA Tournament coverage. Smith was replaced by Renee Montgomery for Friday’s March Madness coverage. Smith’s absence from CBS and TNT Sports’ coverage of March Madness came just a day after he abruptly left his desk. On Thursday, Smith’s alma mater, UNC, fell 82-78 to VCU as the 11th-seeded Rams stormed back from a 19-point deficit to secure a shocking upset win in the NCAA Tournament. Terrence Hill Jr. led VCU with 34 points, including 20 in the second half. As he covered March Madness alongside Charles Barkley and Clark Kellogg, Smith left his desk in frustration following UNC’s loss. The former UNC standout had earlier appeared in bracket segments with Barkley before the game and had even picked UNC to reach the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels were eliminated in the Round of 64 for the first time since 1985, the year Smith played on the team. During that season, he averaged 12.0 points and 6.2 assists for a UNC squad featuring future NBA players like Brad Daugherty, Joe Wolf, Jeff Lebo, Dave Popson, and Steve Bucknall. Speculation suggested Smith’s departure may have been triggered by the loss, though some questioned whether he was unwell. On Friday, Smith was replaced by Renee Montgomery at the main desk in New York as viewers tuned in for the Round of 64. Host Adam Zucker, joined by Montgomery, Kellogg, and Barkley, introduced the day’s coverage and noted that Smith was under the weather. Zucker shared a get-well message, while Barkley teased his longtime “Inside the NBA” partner with a quip about keeping his shirt on at the beach.#kenny_smith #charles_barkley #vcu #unc #rene_e_montgomery
