Archdeacon
As diligently as they go about their business, virus never far from thoughts of players, administrators.
FAIRBORN — Saturday morning, with hismen’s teamabout to play Green Bay that afternoon and again today, Wright State athletics director Bob Grant held his breath every time hisphone rang.
“We’re just a phone call away fromeverything changingdramatically,” Grant said. “It’s the kind of situation where you worry: ‘Is thatone ofour teams that justhad a positive test? Is it an opponent who had a positive test?’” The WSU men’s and women’s basketball teams — likemostother Division I programs — are trying to navigate through a cobbled-together college season that is being buffeted daily by the medical and mental challenges of theCOVID- 19 pandemic that has upended daily life all over the world.
“Everything is so topsy-turvy and unprecedented right now,” Grant said. “I think we all realize this is really a fragile and volatile situation.” While theRaiders have fared better thanmany programs, both in the area and around the nation, they still have had to deal with the uncompromising nature of the virus.
Already amonth ago, WSUoffifficials said eight women’s players andsevenmen’splayershadtested positive forCOVIDin the summer and preseason. And both teams had games canceled earlier this season because of positive tests with an opponent or them.
The men’s teamis nowlooking especially healthy on the court. With Saturday’s 67-53 win over Green Bay at the Nutter Center, the Raiders are 5-1.
The talented women’s team is 3-3 going into next Friday’s game at Youngstown State.
Across town the University of Daytonwomen’s teamhas played two games. In late November, Flyers coach Shauna Green contracted COVID — as would name coaches like JimBoeheim of Syracuse, Michigan State’s TomIzzo, Pitt’s JeffffCapel, Scott Drewof Baylor and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes this season — and quarantined two weeks.
Green came back for a Dec. 6 game and then the programtemporarily shut down operations to deal with other COVID issues. Since then fifififififive games have been canceled.
TheMiamimen’s team has put operationsonholdaswellbecause of virus issues, and the Division II men’s programat nearby Cedarville has played one game. Some smaller schools in the area have canceled their seasons altogether or postponedthestart of playuntil
at least January.
On Christmas Day, Duke University announced its women’s teamhad voted not to finish the season because of recurring COVID issues. They became the first team from a Power 5 conference to stop playing.
“IsawthatandIwondered, ‘Is that the first of a bunch of dominos to fall?’” Grant said.
While he knows how vulnerable the season is, Grant said: “Idon’t look at theDuke situation asdoomand gloom and ‘Ohmy goodness this is gonna happen!’”
He believes the Raiders’ medical staff and trainers are providing excellent care for the team and that head coaches Scott Nagy and his staff with the men and Trina Merriweather and her assistants with the women have the best interests of the athletes at heart.
And, most of all, the athletes themselves are making the sacrifices they need to stay safe and keep their teammates safe, as well.
“I think our true north at Wright State is going to be the student athletes’ safety and welfare and the second we don’t think we can keep them as healthy and safe as possible, we’ll pivot in a different direction,” Grant said.
The Horizon League has instituted a new format to keep travel and venue changes to a minimum this season, which is why both WSU-Green Bay games this season will be played this weekend at the Nutter Center and then on Jan. 1 and 2 the Raiders play their next two games with Oakland in Michigan.
Saturday at theNutterCenter no fans were allowed to attendandbenchplayersand coaches sat on specially-assigned, well-distanced chairs spread out over three rows.
For now that is working, but like Grant said, things canchange inaninstant. Day after day games are being postponedorcanceledacross the college basketballworld.
Wednesday it was UCLA against Oregon. The day beforeitwasNotreDame-Syracuse. LastMondaytheSouth Carolinamen’s teamput the season on pause.
No. 1Gonzaga has had five games canceled this month. Florida postponed three games this month.
Fifteen days agotheGators star, Keyontae Johnson, the SEC preseason player of the year, collapsed face first on the court in a game against Florida State.
He had COVID-19 in the summer and once he was rushed to the hospital, he was put in a medically-induced coma as doctors dealt with his condition. He was diagnosed withmyocarditis, a condition causing inflammation of the heart muscle that can lead to fatal consequences.
Doctors aren’t sure if COVID caused the myocarditis, but since then twomore athletes — MiamiHurricanes football player Al Blades Jr. andVanderbiltwomen’s basketball playerDemiWashington, both who had COVID 19 — have contracted myocarditis.
Their seasons are over, as is Johnson’s.
Situations like this have caused coaches like Capel, Duke’sMikeKrzyszewskiand Iona’s Rick Pitino to publicaly question why college basketball is being played in a pandemic.
“I don’t think it feels right toanybody,” saidKrzyzewski, the winningest college coach of all time.
Capelwasofthesamemind when he spoke to the media Dec. 7, just 12 days before he tested positive: “These kids are out there laying it on the line to entertain people. Something just doesn’t feel right about it now.
“The numberswerewhat they were back in March. I don’t know how you cancel it inMarch but say it’s OK to play now.”
Capel also took issue with the fact that college players are risking their health, but they aren’t getting paid.
That argument is for another time.
Of prime importance now is keeping players and coaches safe. There’s something to be said about the mental health that comes from a sense of normalcy, but that lays a lot of responsibility on the coaches themselves.
And it is on that front that Grant thinksWright State has sideline leaders who are as good as you can get.
“I’ll admit there are few businesses that reward bad behavior like ours does, but that’s not howTrina or Scott are wired. They’re not about winning at all costs. They’re not about self-promotion or seeking headlines.
“Ihaveabsolutelynodoubt in my mind that Scott and Trina care about the student-athletes first and foremost. Theywon’tdoanything to jeopardize theirhealthand safety. I can’t tell you what peace that gives me. It allows meto feel good about things when I lay my head on the pillow at night.”
Then all he has to worry about is that suddenwake-up call the next morningwhen, as he put it, everything can change dramatically.