Seminoles learn to adapt to challenges of COVID-19
Team needed to miss 17 days of action due to safety protocols
It’s been another challenging season for Florida State’s men’s basketball program. The Seminoles, like so many other programs, have been dealing with the effects of another round of rising COVID19 numbers.
FSU recently returned to action after missing 17 days with the team in COVID safety protocols that forced several postponements (North Florida, Boston College) and a cancellation (UCF).
While the Seminoles came away with an 83-81 win over N.C. State on Saturday, it’s been demanding, particularly with a roster filled with first-year players.
“It hasn’t helped with conditioning,” said FSU coach Leonard Hamilton. “We hadn’t played in about 17 or 18 days and during those days, we did work out. We did have some opportunities for them to be in the gym by themselves to get some shots up and challenge them to get a little exercise.
“Before the N.C. State game, I believe we had three days where we had a full complement of all our players together, as opposed to a few here and a few there.”
While FSU hasn’t identified how many players and staff tested positive for COVID, Hamilton confirmed that he was among them who did.
“We all are going through this challenging period dealing with the virus; it’s been kind of a moving target,” said Hamilton. “I hear some guys say they only test when they have symptoms, but I had it and I had no symptoms. So, how do you keep everybody safe?
“I’m concerned about the aftereffect and the long-term effects. We’ve tested a little bit more than maybe some other people only because I want to make sure we were on top of our game.”
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski expressed frustration with the lack of uniformity among teams within the ACC regarding testing protocols. The Hall of Fame coach has called for a return to mandatory testing in college basketball.
“It would be good to know if the team that you’re playing against has tested,” said Krzyzewski. “It would be good to know that. We don’t have a uniform policy on anything, and we adjust; there’s nothing as far as leadership in that regard.
“I know that people are doing things differently and not everyone has a choice to do that. My feeling, though, is that when you have a conference or group, everyone should be doing the same thing.”
The ACC’s Medical Advisory Board relaxed some of its COVID protocols, notably if a team reached an 85% vaccination threshold. While unvaccinated players and staff must undergo regular testing, vaccinated people are exempt.
Hamilton said the team’s experience with the virus last season helped shape some of the ways they’ve dealt with the situation this season.
“We tried to be more conscious of the fact that these guys are going through a very stressful period,” said Hamilton. “I tried to understand, be a little more tolerant, and then communicate more with them, dealing with their frustrations and not being able to go home for Christmas and not be having a chance to spend time with loved ones. We just tried to communicate more because each kid comes from a different place, mentally and emotionally.
“These are different types of times that we’re going through and I can’t imagine as an 18-, 19or 20-year-old, what I would have been thinking out of it being isolated and not having the opportunities to participate like these guys have had over the last couple of years.”
FSU (7-4, 1-1 ACC) travels to Wake Forest (11-3, 1-2 ACC) on Tuesday before returning home to host Louisville on Saturday.