Charles Barkley delivered yet another unforgettable moment during yesterday’s March Madness coverage. During the halftime show for the Xavier-Illinois game, Ernie Johnson asked Barkley a seemingly straightforward question:
“What was your biggest takeaway from the first half?”
What followed was a hilariously awkward exchange that left his co-panelists in stitches. Caught completely off guard, Barkley hesitated before responding,
“Well, I think… that’s a good question.”
As it turned out, Barkley hadn’t been watching the Xavier-Illinois game at all. Instead, he admitted to being engrossed in the Michigan State-Bryant matchup, which was unfolding at the same time.
“You know, Ernie, I’m not gonna lie—I was paying attention to the Bryant score. So give that to Clark or Kenneth, please,”
Barkley confessed, referring to his fellow analysts Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith.
Ernie Johnson asked Charles Barkley what his biggest takeaway from the first half of Xavier-Illinois was.
Chuck was not expecting that question and was unable to answer it.
He was watching Bryant-Michigan St. pic.twitter.com/HQduujDBg5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 22, 2025
The admission prompted laughter from the entire panel, with Kenny Smith quipping, “That’s his job,” and Clark Kellogg playfully questioning why Barkley couldn’t keep tabs on multiple games. Even Ernie Johnson couldn’t help but chuckle, calling it a “first” for the show.
As for the game itself, Illinois held a 40-35 lead at halftime and went on to secure an 86-73 victory over Xavier.
