UConn men dealing with disruptions

Current quarantine due to positive COVID leaves team feeling anxious

The UConn men have endured an anxiety filled week since beginning a 14-day coronavirus-related shutdown of team activities.

The Huskies hope to resume basketball practice next Thursday when the quarantine period ends.

That's only six days before their scheduled regular-season opener against Central Connecticut State University on Nov. 25 in Storrs. Cue more anxiety.

Coach Dan Hurley says it's still a possibility that the Huskies will play that game, but nothing is set in stone during these tumultuous times.

"As of right now, we've got an opener on the 25th and a game on the 27th," Hurley said during a Zoom call with the media on Thursday. "We're committed to other games right now. But this is obviously a fluid situation. We have a responsibility to take the absolute best care of our players."

Hurley's list of concerns stretch from Storrs to Stamford. And he has far more questions than answers.

UConn's entire routine has been interrupted and disrupted. The Huskies are doing the best they can to stay connected and keep their spirits up during the break.

Losing two full weeks of practice takes weeks to recover from, according to Hurley.

It's challenging to get players to regain their intensity and focus after taking just one day off, Hurley says, never mind two weeks.

It's uncharted territory for Hurley and his team.

"Overall, there's a high level of concern for the team," Hurley said. "The 14-day shutdown, there's never a good time to go into quarantine for any person, but when you're creeping closer to games beginning and your opener, there's a level of anxiety that

coaches and players all share right now about our ability to be prepared for opening night.

"Not just to play well, but just to be in the type of physical condition for a player to be safe to go out on game night after missing so much time."

The shutdown adversely impacts players like Akok Akok ( Achilles) and Brendan Adams (foot) who are working their way back from injuries. Tyler Polley (knee) also is making a comeback but is further along than his teammates.

All three have made great strides but now are dealing with another hurdle.

"It's a major disruptor for the progress that they were making and then just the team overall," Hurley said. "If you haven't practiced for two weeks and done anything that resembles the intensity of game-like conditions and then you crush your team that first day back with a two hour, 20 minute practice, you have a high risk of getting somebody hurt or really debilitating your team. So it's a tricky thing."

Players do have access to the practice facility and weight room. They follow strict guidelines, only working out a with single basketball and with their roommate. No coaches can be involved during workouts.

They can do some conditioning work but it's not the same as a typical session.

"There's just a lot of challenges to keep those guys anywhere near the level of fitness that you would need to play a 40-minute basketball game," Hurley said.

Hurley declined to comment when asked about his team's test results during the shutdown, which began after one player tested positive for COVID-19.

Coronavirus-related disruptions have hit several other Big East programs.

Marquette recently finished its 14day shutdown and Villanova paused its basketball activities earlier this fall while Seton Hall just started a quarantine break on Wednesday.

"I know that a number of schools have gotten into quarantines for extended periods of time," Hurley said. "It's very concerning. We were put in a position to take care of these guys. That's your No. 1 responsibility is to take great care of your players.

"We've got to make decisions with our scheduling based on what's in the best interest of our players and their welfare physically. Everything is on the table for us right now."

After hosting CCSU in the season- opener, UConn is tentatively scheduled to play Hartford on Nov. 27 at Gampel Pavilion.

Three other non- conference games will be held at the Mohegan Sun. UConn will compete in the Legends Classic, facing Vanderbilt on Dec. 1 and either BYU or USC on Dec. 3. The Huskies also will play North Carolina State on Dec. 5.

The Huskies will be basically in a bubble once the students leave campus just before Thanksgiving to finish the semester remotely.

"Potentially, our eco- system is going to shrink and become maybe more conducive to the virus not spreading, which would provide us time to practice and have a better chance at playing games," Hurley said.

Hurley expects disruptions to be a regular part of the upcoming season. It's all about adapting and making good decisions on the fly, he added.

UConn has time to figure out the path forward before playing its much-anticipated Big East opener on Dec. 11, hosting St. John's.

Some difficult decisions will need to be made.

"We're just evaluating what's in the best interest for us, what can we do leading into the most important part of our season and the most likely part of our season, which is Big East play," Hurley said. "That's what we want to try to put ourselves in position to be as close to full strength for."