RAZORBACKS’ RUN through SEC Tournament gauntlet cut short.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Arkansas men’s basketball team didn’t get a chance to see whether it could make history at the SEC Tournament in Bridgestone Arena this week.
Instead of playing South Carolina in a second-round game as scheduled Thursday night, the Razorbacks flew home in the afternoon after the tournament was canceled because of health concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced the decision Thursday morning shortly before Alabama and Tennessee were scheduled to play the first of Thursday’s four games.
Later Thursday, the NCAA announced that all winter and spring championship events — including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments — were canceled.
Arkansas ended its season at 20-12 after beating Vanderbilt 86-73 on Wednesday night in what turned out to be the last game of the SEC Tournament.
The Razorbacks were attempting to become the first team to win five games in five days at the SEC Tournament — and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid — since it was expanded in 2013 with the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M.
“Obviously, I’m very disappointed for our student-athletes and our coaching staff who have invested so much time and energy training through the summer, fall, and then all the hard work this season,” Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said. “To not be able to see this thing played out is so disappointing for them.
“Across the Southeastern Conference, this is a major event. But a decision was made that we all believe in.”
Every Power 5 conference canceled its tournament Thursday.
Early in the week, the SEC Tournament was scheduled to be played as planned. At halftime of the Arkansas-Vanderbilt game Wednesday, it was announced fans would not be allowed to attend games for the rest of the tournament.
By Thursday morning, the SEC staff and conference’s athletic directors had made the decision to cancel the tournament.
“I’ve not had a situation as difficult and emotional as this one to make a recommendation to our presidents and chancellors that we cancel the remainder of our men’s basketball tournament,” Sankey said at a news conference at Bridgestone Arena. “It was a moment where I had to stop and actually catch myself and recompose myself.
“I tell you that simply to say there’s no one in this conference who’s taken these decisions lightly, and I would not want to work with another set of presidents, chancellors and athletic directors in the world.”
Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday, but Yurachek said Musselman and the players were naturally disappointed.
“But I think everybody involved understands,” Yurachek said.
Many fans booed when it was announced in Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night that they wouldn’t be allowed to attend other SEC Tournament games.
“I was a little surprised by the booing,” Yurachek said. “I think that was raw emotion in the moment. “I understand the disappointment of the fans, just like I understand the disappointment of our student-athletes and our coaching staff.
“As an athletic administrator, this has been my life for 27 years. I’m disappointed that I don’t get the opportunity to see our student-athletes compete.”
Yurachek said the SEC athletic directors met for numerous hours Wednesday.
“We started conversations yesterday at 8 o’clock in the morning, and I think throughout the course of the nine or 10 hours we met things changed hourly,” he said. “Yesterday’s conversations started with a significant number of ‘what if’ scenarios. Then we had an emergency meeting this morning to seriously discuss canceling.”
Yurachek said the SEC “absolutely” made the right decision considering the NBA announced it was suspending its season after Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus.
“You see international soccer players now testing positive,” Yurachek said. “I think you see that no one is immune to this.
“Some people will handle it better than others, but … I’m not a medical professional, but the advice and counsel we are receiving from people who are is that we’ve got to work together to try to contain this as a country. These mass gatherings like sporting events just don’t make a whole lot of sense.”
There wasn’t an announced attendance for the Arkansas-Vanderbilt game, but most of the arena’s lower bowl was full.
“I am really glad our guys got to play tonight in front of fans,” Musselman said in his postgame news conference Wednesday. “I think it’s probably one of the last times this year that there will be [a sporting event with] fans. They got a chance to experience that in a great environment.
“For a game on the first night of the tournament, it was a great turnout.”