"March Madness" is almost upon us, which means it's busy season for ESPN "bracketologist" Joe Lunardi, who provides detailed analysis on which teams will qualify for the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Lunardi, 42, the color analyst for Saint Joseph's basketball, has been putting together his brackets for espn.com since 1995. His role has expanded each year. He has been asked to appear on ESPN radio, the ESPN news channel, and even made it to the top - "Sports Center" on ESPN.

Lunardi will be spending the next 10 days at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., until Selection Sunday on March 16.

"Some people play golf. Others play poker. My hobby is studying the history of the NCAA Selection Committee and projecting it onto this season's pool of teams," said Lunardi, who began putting together his brackets years ago in an 80-page book, before ESPN acquired his services.

Lunardi wouldn't say how much he was compensated, but joked, "Let's just say I'll get another week down the shore this year."

Last season, Lunardi's "Bracketology" section on espn.com got nine million hits. His latest projections are updated every Monday night.EAt the height of March Madness, Lunardi said he received more than 200 e-mails a day, and appears on more than 100 sports radio shows across the country, but curiously enough not Philadelphia's WIP 610-AM.

"That's because WIP isn't a sports station," Lunardi said. "I'm on all over the country, except in my hometown.

Lunardi said it's great to be a "seasonal mini-celebrity," but he'd never give up his day job as assistant vice president for university communications at St. Joe's. Though it seems the love of his life is his brackets, Lunardi is married with two young daughters.

Lunardi can be seen on ESPN's "Sports Center" at 11 p.m. each Monday through the tournament.

The book on Manto

Fellow Bristol natives Mike Missanelli of WIP 610-AM and Jeff Manto will collaborate on a book about Manto's minor- and major-league baseball career called "The Transaction." The highlight of Manto's career happened when he hit four consecutive home runs for the Baltimore Orioles.

Calling the shots

Brad Nessler, Tom Tolbert and Bill Walton will call the action for the Sixers-Lakers in Los Angeles at 3:30 p.m. Sunday on ABC.EMichele Tafoya will be the sideline reporter.

Happy anniversary, USFL

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the USFL, ESPN Classic will air three games from the 1983 and 1984 seasons.

The New Jersey Generals will play the Chicago Blitz at 1 p.m. Sunday, followed by the Generals and Michigan Panthers at 3 and the Los Angeles Express and Houston Gamblers at 5.

Trivia question: Who was the play by play announcer for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL? The first person with the answer will get his/her name printed in this column next week.

Laura Nachman covers television and radio sports for the Courier Times. She can be reached at bradyresident@aol.com.