How High Point basketball student broadcasters went viral during March Madness

Jimmy Rosselli and Griffin Wright determined they’d do no matter it took to get to the Huge South match.

After they crunched the numbers, they estimated that between fuel, meals and a college-budget-friendly Airbnb, a three-day, two-night keep in Johnson Metropolis, Tenn., would value between $300 and $500 every. Not excellent.

However the Excessive Level College pupil broadcasters didn’t wish to miss this. At finest, the duo would supply the soundtrack for some historical past. At worst, the 19-year-old Rosselli, who handles play-by-play duties, and the 21-year-old Wright, his finest pal and colour analyst, would make one other reminiscence and decide up some new materials for his or her reels alongside the best way.

Little did they know.

In one of the thrilling convention championship video games of March Insanity, Excessive Level rallied from 15 factors down within the second half to beat Winthrop 81-69 to safe the primary NCAA Event berth in program historical past.

The sport was thrilling sufficient. The decision from Roselli and Wright was — to cite the parents at Mid-Main Insanity — “absolute electric factory.”

Eyes popping, hearts racing and voices rising, the duo skilled each emotion conceivable throughout the Panthers’ run — even clutching onto each other courtside on a number of events as their pleasure grew. And in a viral clip that’s equal elements hilarious, endearing and all that’s good about March Insanity and pupil media, the 2 launched themselves to the 1 million-plus individuals who have seen it throughout TikTok, X, Instagram and Fb.

Absolute electrical manufacturing facility. pic.twitter.com/R2AP46gnMB

— Mid-Main Insanity (@mid_madness) March 11, 2025

“For it to go viral is just the craziest thing that’s ever happened to us,” Rosselli mentioned.

“We’re just two idiots who love sports, and we love doing it together,” Wright added. “It’s kind of like ‘Dumb and Dumber’ over here, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Rosselli, a sophomore from Huntington, N.Y., and Wright, a junior from Richmond, Va., determined to movie themselves for the championship recreation after noticing the broadcasts from Excessive Level’s quarterfinal and semifinal video games did strong streaming numbers.

They didn’t have a digicam — “college budget,” Rosselli joked — they usually knew their cell telephones wouldn’t have sufficient storage for 60 minutes of uninterrupted filming. In order that they determined to go stay on Instagram, each so Rosselli’s household and mates might observe alongside in actual time and so the duo might archive the footage.

When Wright put collectively a lighthearted TikTok the morning after they returned to campus — sharing their perspective from the sport — he didn’t intend for it to achieve the lots.

“It was just supposed to be a nice little (thing) for High Point alumni, maybe High Point family members,” he mentioned. “Maybe a couple of other people. But it just ended up blowing up.”

ESPN’s social staff, “The Mark Titus Show” and several other different media retailers discovered Wright’s submit, which completely encapsulates the whirlwind the 2 mates skilled throughout the second half.

“(Six Flags) just took down the Kingda Ka,” Rosselli mentioned of the previous quickest and tallest curler coaster on the earth. “I think we might have rebuilt it.”

When the Panthers went down by 15 factors, the video exhibits Rosselli and Wright grimacing, virtually in ache from what they had been witnessing.

“(High Point has) one of the best benches in the nation. And they need to start showing why,” Rosselli opined on air.

“They can go on a 10-0 run very quickly,” Wright adopted up. “But with 15 minutes left in this game and you’re down by 15, you need it to come fast.”

It did.

Guard Bobby Pettiford kicked issues off with a 3-pointer earlier than ahead Terry Anderson barreled by the paint for a layup to start out chipping away. Rosselli and Wright received excited when ahead Simon Hildebrandt hit a 3-pointer from the suitable facet to chop Winthrop’s result in 5 factors after which went into an all-out frenzy when senior guard Trae Benham drilled a brand 3 to tie the sport.

“BENHAM FROM WAY OUT,” Rosselli yelled. “TRAE BENHAM, OH MY GOODNESS.”

When Benham then drove the size of the courtroom and made a layup (and received fouled) moments later, Rosselli leaned again in his seat whereas Wright jumped up out of his, the 2 grabbing one another’s go well with jackets for ethical assist.

“TRAE BENHAM, YOU ANIMAL,” Rosselli mentioned. “AND ONE.”

By the top of the clip, Rosselli is nearly out of breath. He’s panting, Wright’s tongue is out and the 2 buddies can hardly comprise their pleasure.

Following the win, they celebrated the easiest way they knew how — with hen nuggets, french fries and donuts.

“After the game, he was like, ‘All this yelling got me hungry,’ ” Wright mentioned of Rosselli, laughing. “I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ So we had to get McDonald’s. And McDonald’s had a Krispy Kreme in it. So we had a good little postgame lunch.”

As Excessive Level (29-5) enters the NCAA Event this week with the No. 13-seeded Panthers set to tackle No. 4 seed Purdue on Thursday in Windfall, R.I., Rosselli and Wright can be on the decision once more.

For Rosselli, who virtually determined to forgo school altogether and head to Los Angeles to pursue a comedy profession, the chance to broadcast video games feels surreal. In between learning for a Spanish take a look at and attending varied membership conferences final week, he referred to as three lacrosse video games and a baseball recreation, all earlier than Choice Sunday.

Wright, who performed highschool basketball in Richmond, can bear in mind spending his childhood filling out brackets together with his father, hoping sometime he’d get the possibility to see a March Insanity recreation in particular person.

“I think it really hasn’t hit yet for me,” he mentioned. “But when I get there, it’s definitely going to be a roller coaster of emotions because of everything that got me here.”

Pettiford, the staff’s third-leading scorer, acknowledged Wright final week as “the dude” on the video that now has Excessive Level’s campus in central North Carolina buzzing.

This time, the college helps the duo finance the journey. Rosselli and Wright traveled with the Panthers on the constitution flight and can be staying on the staff resort in Windfall.

Mark it down as an unforgettable expertise for 2 aspiring broadcasters who had no concept March may very well be this candy. Rosselli, although, could wish to pack additional garments for the Panthers’ journey to the Huge Dance.

“It was funny, we were in the car ride back (to High Point) and he was like, ‘Griff, I think you wrinkled my shirt permanently,’ ” Wright recalled, laughing about the best way they clung onto one another for expensive life.

“And I was like, ‘My bad, Jimmy.’ But at the end of the day, that’s just who we are. And I will probably damage a lot more shirts in the future.”

(Picture of Griffin Wright and Jimmy Rosselli: Chris Jones / C. Jones Pictures)