Virus testing stirs debate of inequities

Add COVID-19 testing to the differences between the women’s and men’s tournaments that has coaches and players unhappy in Texas about what they say is a growing list of inequities.

The NCAA has run 8,015 tests through Sunday with only one confirmed positive at the women’s tournament using daily antigen testing. The men are using daily PCR tests, considered more accurate. A few false positives at the women’s tournament have been quickly retested using the PCR test.

Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and Setsuko Ishiyama, the Cardinal’s director of women’s basketball, issued a statement Saturday night upset at “evidence of blatant sexism” that is “purposeful and hurtful” leaving them feeling betrayed by the NCAA.

“Women athletes and coaches are done waiting, not just for upgrades of a weight room, but for equity in every facet of life,” according to the statement. “Seeing men’s health valued at a higher level than that of women, as evidenced by different testing protocols at both tournaments, is disheartening.”

NCAA basketball administrators apologized Friday for the differences between the tournaments and vowed to do better after photos went viral highlighting the contrast between the women’s weight room and the men.

But Stanford asked university presidents and conference commissioners for accountability on who made these decisions and why.

“This cannot continue to be business as usual,” Stanford wrote on social media with the statement.

Oregon

The Oregon Ducks moved on in the West Region without the usual excitement that accompanies moving on.

Or with that momentum boost, either.

The Ducks earned a free pass to the second round after positive virus tests bounced VCU Saturday from the NCAA tournament hours before a scheduled tipoff. Waiting for Oregon Monday will be No. 2-seeded Iowa, which is now tournament-tested after an 86-74 win over Grand Canyon.

Meanwhile, the seventhseeded Ducks straddle a fine line between rested and rusty. By the time Oregon takes the floor, it will have been 10 days since the Ducks played in the Pac-12 Conference tournament.

“I don’t think there will be rust,” Oregon guard Will Richardson said. “We’ve been practicing every day, going hard, treating every day like game day. I think there will be a little nerves for some of us. But we’ll quickly get over that.”

Oregon coach Dana Altman is hoping the Ducks can weather the first 10 minutes, just to settle in and get back “in the flow of things after a 10-day layoff,” he said.

It certainly was a wild swing of emotions for the Ducks on Saturday. Altman said he was in the middle of a pregame meal when athletic director Rob Mullens summoned him out of the room.

“I knew something was wrong,” Altman said. “I got a little nervous. I was worried maybe it was our guys.”

Oregon State

The underdogs from Oregon State got into the spirit of playing at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Hours before their second-round game Sunday against Oklahoma State, the Beavers posted a video on Twitter of 7-foot-1 center Roman Silva carrying 6-3 guard Gianni Hunt over to the basket to measure the rim’s height. Coach Wayne Tinkle helps with the measuring as well.

It was a recreation of a similar scene in the movie “Hoosiers” that was filmed at Hinkle.

UNLV

The school promoted assistant Kevin Kruger, putting a familiar name in charge of a program trying to regain its former luster. The school announced Sunday that Kruger will replace T.J. Otzelberger, who left to become the head coach at Iowa State. The former Runnin’ Rebels point guard is the son of Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger, who led UNLV to four NCAA tournament appearances between 2004-11.