Vitale was a key part of the early boom of college basketball on ESPN. That was more than THIRTY years ago. By the 90s, he was getting tiresome. Now he's a circus act, a parody of himself.
You want a guy who was a far worse recruiter but a far more solid color commentator? Look no further than Bob Wenzel. How he lasted nine years I still don't know, but he is pretty good on TV, doesn't try to be part of the show and his biggest flaw is there might be a few minutes in a row where he's kind of dull. But if the game is good, so is he. And yes, I'm surprised.
But obviously the Rutgers tie is not what made Vitale Vitale. Not our fault.