Playing during the pandemic is a test of teams’ adaptability

playing have wondered why the season is continuing as coronavirus Sacramento State has a game at Cal numbers surge across the country. Poly scheduled for Dec. 21, two days “I don’t think it feels right to anyafter the Hornets host UC Davis. Cal body,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski Poly has the same COVID-19 testing said earlier this week before the Blue standards, so it should be easy for the Devils canceled the rest of their nonHornets to pull off. conference schedule. “Basically, it

It’s not, like nearly everything that was the mentality of ‘Get as many comes with trying to play college games in as possible.’ I would just basketball in a pandemic. like for the safety, the mental and

Sac State’s coaches and players physical health of players and staff to need to have a test before they can assess where we’re at.” play the Mustangs, so after traveling College basketball was put in a south, they’ll have to do it early on difficult position when the NCAA game day. Cal Poly has an on-campus Tournament was canceled in the testing site, but there’s no guarantee spring, causing a $375 million revenue results will come back before the 2 shortfall for the NCAA. The 2021 p.m. tipoff. NCAA Tournament will be played in

So while trying to prepare for a one location — likely Indianapolis — game the day after a long bus ride, but getting there has already proven the Hornets will also be keeping an to be difficult. ear out for the all-clear call. Other sports have been able to pull

“If the results come back early, off seasons without too many dismaybe we’ll play at 1. If the results ruptions, but college basketball is come back late, maybe we’ll play at unique in that it is played indoors 3,” Sac State coach Brian Katz said. and has more than 300 teams trying “It’s just the unpredictability of everyto play at locations across the counthing we have to go through. It’s try. understandable, but it does take a Navigating the pandemic world has toll.” required creativity, adaptability, coop

Trying to play a college basketball eration and a whole lot of patience. season during a pandemic has not “You used to just have to worry been easy. Games were canceled, about your team and the scouting programs shut down due to positive report,” Baylor coach Scott Drew tests and replacement games were said. “Now you’ve got to worry about hastily scheduled — even before the everything.” start of the season on Nov. 25. Baylor had to pull out of an event

Since the season started, dozens of at Mohegan Sun after Drew tested programs have halted activities and positive for COVID-19, and the No. 2 daily cancellations — ranging into the Bears’ showdown against top-ranked hundreds so far — have become the Gonzaga was shelved due to positive norm. A handful of teams have yet to tests in the Zags’ programs. play a single game more than two Nearly every school has dealt with weeks into the season. similar issues in some form.

The Ivy League and a few other Even pulling off just one game has teams opted to not play at all before turned into a monumental task. the season started and some the Every conference and just about coaches whose teams are currently every school has varying protocols, so coaching staffs have had to turn into testing detectives. Once protocols are identified, there’s the matter of scheduling tests around practices and games so results can be attained before game time.

Backlogs in testing, particularly in areas where the virus is surging, can lead to delays in results, pushing back games hours, even days.

Santa Clara, which has relocated to Santa Cruz because its county has shut down games, sent someone to to Sac State on Friday to test players and coaches for Saturday’s game because it requires a PCR test 24 hours before playing.

Even when everything goes according to schedule, a game can get knocked off the rails at the last second. An official can test positive before a game. A player could test positive after flying to a road game, Contact tracing could knock players out.

Games have been canceled during warmups, so players often don’t know if they’re playing until the ball actually goes in the air.

“The fact is, the players were wanting to play,” said Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, among the handful of coaches who have tested positive for COVID-19. “It is an emotional drain on everybody, because you’re getting excited and want to play.”

Balancing the mental toll on players has become a part of the equation, too.

Coaches have to make sure the constant changes and unpredictability don’t become too much for the players.

Finding positives in difficult situations becomes a priority.

“It’s a really constant upbeat messaging to your players. Constant,” Katz said. “If you get down in the dumps about it, they’re going to get down further.”