Billy Packer, 82, longtime Final Four basketball analyst, dies - ESPN

Longtime college basketball commentator Billy Packer, the voice of the NCAA tournament for more than 30 years, died Thursday night.

Mark Packer told The Associated Press that his father had been hospitalized in Charlotte for the past three weeks and had several medical issues, and ultimately succumbed to kidney failure.

After earning all-state honors as a high schooler in Pennsylvania, Packer attended Wake Forest, where he was named All-ACC in 1961 and 1962.

He helped lead the Demon Deacons to three ACC regular-season titles and their first Final Four appearance in 1962, when Packer was named to the all-region team.

"His understanding of men's college basketball, his analysis of the game, and his love for its place in higher education has ensured a legacy that anyone can envy," late NCAA president Myles Brand said at the time.

"He is a friend of intercollegiate athletics, and I want to thank him for the enormous contributions he has made to the NCAA's Final Four tournament, as well as on many, many other occasions over several years."