TALKING HEADS: Noah Savage, right and Derek Jones get ready to broadcast a Princeton University men’s basketball game at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Savage ’08, a former Princeton men’s hoops star, has joined the ESPN college hoops broadcasting team this winter as a color commentator.

By Bill Alden

Getting into standup comedy after graduating from Princeton University in 2008, Noah Savage has performed at such venues as Caroline’s and Gotham Comedy Club in New York City along with underground room and colleges on the east coast.

Last week, Savage brought his wit to a national stage in another context: providing color commentary for ESPN college men’s basketball broadcasts in Philadelphia and Tennessee, working the Davidson-Saint Joseph’s game on January 14 and the Tennessee State-Tennessee Tech contest last Thursday as part of his debut season with the network.

For Savage, a former Tiger men’s basketball star, getting the ESPN gig this winter took the persistence he displayed in  scoring 873 points for Princeton and earning second-team All-Ivy League honors in his senior season as a 6’5, 220-pound forward.

After sending tapes of his broadcasting work to ESPN over the years, he got an interview and secured an audition for an off-air broadcast of a college game in Charlotte. Sticking with his style that mixes humor with inside hoops info, Savage was hired.

“You can be really good but if the person hiring wants something different, they want something different,” said Savage, 33, a native of Princeton who starred at Princeton High and the Hun School before heading across town for college. “You have to be yourself and not think what they want. That is my attitude. I have always wanted to be the guy who was entertaining and a little fun when it is appropriate but still respecting the game and making the game the centerpiece and elevate it.

Savage cut his teeth in broadcasting in the 2009-10 season by working as a color man with play-by-play pro John Sadak on WPRB radio broadcasts of Princeton men’s hoops.

“John really helped me a lot to get started and teach me the ropes,” said Savage, noting that Sadak has gone on to work for such national outlets as Westwood One radio and CBS Sports Network and was succeeded on the Princeton broadcasts by Derek Jones.

“He was very complimentary and he was giving good feedback. We had a good chemistry right away. Obviously, working with Derek Jones has been phenomenal as well. Starting off, I was really lucky.”

In getting his start with ESPN, Savage is getting to call a number of games, focusing on A-10, Ohio Valley Conference, and Ivy contests.

“Everybody has been great; you want to have a good broadcast and it is almost like playing on a team,” said Savage.

“As long as you are on the same page, it comes from the right attitude of wanting to do a great job and elevate the broadcast and make it interesting and fun. There has been a really good movement towards making it fun.”

That movement clearly suits Savage. “I definitely want to be funny and have fun but also have strong opinions about basketball,” said Savage.

“I want to show know what I am talking about both within the league and breaking down the Xs and Os without getting too far into the weeds. The other thing is I like to explain common misperceptions.”

In order to achieve those goals, Savage puts in a lot of work.

“It is a ton of preparation,” said Savage. “You go to shootarounds, you go to practices, you talk to coaches, and you do your charts. The SIDs at the schools will give you really good information. They give you the notes from the school and form the league. You want to know about the entire league for the big picture. I make what I call a cheat sheet that has got the whole league. It is whatever you have got to do to be ready.”

Along with handling that grind, Savage seeks to spice up the broadcast, taking part in a video of a dunking drill in conjunction with the Tennessee State-Tennessee Tech which showed him getting rimmed out in his effort at a jam.

“I am trying to do that every game,” said Savage with a laugh.

“I had running shoes on for that but I was wearing khakis and a dress shirt. I am going to wear basketball shoes the next time. It is my idea; it is let me see if I can actually dunk here. I think it would be cool.”

For Savage, getting the chance to call games all over the country has been very cool

“I am a basketball junkie,” said Savage, who does a weekly sports and pop culture podcast “Old School New School” with his father-in-law and noted sports psychologist Rick Wolff, carried on iTunes and Libsyn.

“To me, no job is better than another job. I thought the game I did last night [in Tennessee] was heaven. I am with Derek. There were 19 dunks. It is awesome, it is all fun. That is the thing, every game has something interesting about it.”

Looking ahead, Savage is interested in pursuing his passions for comedy and hoops.

“I would absolutely love to do both broadcasting and comedy; there are a few guys who do sports and comedy,” said Savage, who runs a monthly comedy show with his wife, Alyssa Wolff at the Von in New York City and includes his comedy schedule on his Instagram at yoitsthesav.

“If I was a headline comic, I would just do that when it isn’t basketball season,
depending in the gig. I want to do both, that is the ultimate goal. I don’t want to choose.”

In the meantime, Savage is fired up to work the basketball season as it heads into March Madness.

“It has been unbelievable, I am super pumped,” said Savage. “I just want to keep it going.”