Angell will pay tribute to Montross during first home broadcast since legend’s passing

By R.L. Bynum

Jones Angell’s first Tar Heel Sports Network broadcast of a home game since the passing of Eric Montross will be a special tribute to his friend and longtime color analyst.

Angell posted on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday night that he will call the broadcast of Friday’s 8 p.m. home game against Charleston Southern by himself while leaving an empty chair beside him at courtside.

For years, Montross sat in that chair at the Smith Center for hundreds of UNC games while working with Angell.

Montross lost his battle with cancer on Sunday, Dec. 17, at age 52, after being diagnosed in March.

There will be a moment of silence and a tribute to Montross before the game.

During the first network broadcast after the tragic news, the 81–69 victory Dec. 20 in Charlotte over Oklahoma, Angell delivered a heartfelt opening segment with a tribute to Montross. For that game, UNC’s players wore shooting shirts with “Montross” and “00” on the back.

After the opening segment that’s in the above YouTube video, Angel, Adam Lucas and Tyler Zeller, one of the rotating group of analysts on the network broadcasts this season, shared more emotional memories of Montross, which you can hear on this audio link starting at 10:00.

Friday’s game will be the first men’s basketball broadcast on the network since then.