Last Thursday, Virginia was gearing up for its first postseason game of 2020, an ACC tournament quarterfinal against Notre Dame in Greensboro after the Fighting Irish crushed Boston College the night before. At that point, with the coronavirus outbreak becoming a more serious issue, the game was going to be played with 150 "fans" in attendance. I'm not sure if that number included family and personnel essential to the teams, or who got to be in that group of 150.
As of Wednesday night, I had not written a preview for the game. My plan was to rush home after work, hammer something out, and get it up before the 7 p.m. tip. (Spoiler: I was going to predict a one- to five-point win for UVa, as became the norm.)
But it didn't end up mattering.
By about noon, the ACC decided to completely cancel the remainder of the conference tournament. Every other conference did the same thing. The last tournament to hold out was the Big East, but it
eventually caved, too. Here's some trivia for you for down the road: The last completed college basketball game of the 2019-20 season? Morgan State defeating Delaware State in a MEAC women's tournament game.
In the ACC, regular-season champion Florida State was declared the tournament champion in an awkward and somber ceremony.
Around this same time, the NCAA was figuring out what to do with the Big Dance. For a period of time Thursday afternoon, it seemed as if it was still going to go off when scheduled, albeit without fans in the stands. My thoughts turned to Selection Sunday and which team Virginia would draw in the first round. I knew it would be weird, but I was heartened by the fact that March Madness would carry on. This is maybe my favorite time on the sports calendar, along with the first couple of weeks of September when college and pro football begin.
But then, everything changed in the American sports world when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus. All of a sudden, players, coaches, and others felt vulnerable. Not long after that, the NBA and NHL suspended their seasons and MLB pushed back opening day.
By about 4 p.m. or so, the NCAA tournament was kaput, too, and within just a matter of 48ish hours, the college basketball season went from strange but still progressing toward its climax, to over.
Virginia, riding an eight-game winning streak, saw its season end prematurely -- along with the rest of the nation's tourney-bound teams. Beaten by a pandemic. We can only now speculate about what could've been in this edition of March Madness. I was looking really looking forward to it because this Tony Bennett team was different than any we had witnessed. It was not the juggernaut of last season or 2017-18 or even 2015-16. But it was playing better than the 2016-17 team that got a No. 5 seed, escaped UNC Wilmington in the first round, and was crushed by Florida, and was healthier than the 2011-12 team that limped to the finish line, got a No. 10 seed, and was blasted by ... Florida in the first round. I was more excited for this team's prospects than either of those squads.
The Cavaliers end their season 23-7. In a few days, they went from the high of defeating No. 10 Louisville on senior day on March 7 to the low of not getting a chance to defend their national championship. So many jokes were made about the 'Hoos still being the defending champions, but they got old really fast for me. I would've rather seen Virginia go down swinging in this year's tourney and be proud in a losing effort than have no dance at all.
Obviously, this doesn't compare to people who actually are suffering from the virus, but in the basketball realm, I feel bad for Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key, Virginia's seniors. They thought they still had several games left in their college careers, and it was taken away too quickly. They didn't get a chance to defend their title. But, they did win a championship and have their own iconic moments in last year's run. So while I do feel bad for them, who I feel even worse for are players and fans of teams such as Dayton and San Diego State, programs that had maybe their best seasons in history end with no NCAA tournament success. For sure, the Flyers, who went 29-2, and the Aztecs, who went 30-2, have a lot to be proud of, but the season will always feel a bit ... empty.
The coronavirus has had an impact on sportswriters, me included. Previews and recaps that would've happened are no longer happening. I had another idea, too, that sparked in my brain in January when it was looking like Virginia might not make the NCAA tournament. I was going to make a UVa fan guide for who to root for in the event. I still wanted to publish such a feature even after it became apparent the Wahoos were going dancing. For instance, former UVa assistant Ritchie McKay, now the head coach at Liberty, had an incredible season as the Flames went 30-4 and won the Atlantic Sun tournament. They were going to be on that list.
But there still are some posts I will write. Every season for the past few years, I've put together a post on season-ending awards for Virginia, such as MVP, most improved, and best game. I will do that for this campaign in the near future. And after that, I have been doing a lookahead to the next season. (Click here for last season's. Looks like I was pretty accurate in what I was feeling.) The past two years, I've dropped that in June. There's no telling when I will write that this year. I have been publishing it in June because I do follow and write about UVa spring sports on a somewhat regular basis until those seasons are over, and to give time for the dust to settle on the college basketball offseason, when players transfer to and from programs and when some high school recruits make their commitments. But that entire schedule will be thrown off this year by the coronavirus, both because the NCAA decided to cancel the spring sports season, and because no one knows when the basketball offseason will "begin," so it'll take some time before I know when to write that. (And even if the college football season isn't affected in the fall, the spring football season has been affected, with UVa canceling its spring game.)
But first up will be my season-ending awards, so look for that soon. Until then, stay safe and just watch reruns of the Wahoos' magical run to the 2019 national championship.
As of Wednesday night, I had not written a preview for the game. My plan was to rush home after work, hammer something out, and get it up before the 7 p.m. tip. (Spoiler: I was going to predict a one- to five-point win for UVa, as became the norm.)
But it didn't end up mattering.
By about noon, the ACC decided to completely cancel the remainder of the conference tournament. Every other conference did the same thing. The last tournament to hold out was the Big East, but it
 |
| Well, they did go out winners at least. |
In the ACC, regular-season champion Florida State was declared the tournament champion in an awkward and somber ceremony.
Around this same time, the NCAA was figuring out what to do with the Big Dance. For a period of time Thursday afternoon, it seemed as if it was still going to go off when scheduled, albeit without fans in the stands. My thoughts turned to Selection Sunday and which team Virginia would draw in the first round. I knew it would be weird, but I was heartened by the fact that March Madness would carry on. This is maybe my favorite time on the sports calendar, along with the first couple of weeks of September when college and pro football begin.
Happy Selection Sunday pic.twitter.com/xdjK3seFA4— Gabe Hauari (@GabeHauari) March 15, 2020
But then, everything changed in the American sports world when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus. All of a sudden, players, coaches, and others felt vulnerable. Not long after that, the NBA and NHL suspended their seasons and MLB pushed back opening day.
By about 4 p.m. or so, the NCAA tournament was kaput, too, and within just a matter of 48ish hours, the college basketball season went from strange but still progressing toward its climax, to over.
— Aaron Perryman (@hooamp) March 12, 2020
Virginia, riding an eight-game winning streak, saw its season end prematurely -- along with the rest of the nation's tourney-bound teams. Beaten by a pandemic. We can only now speculate about what could've been in this edition of March Madness. I was looking really looking forward to it because this Tony Bennett team was different than any we had witnessed. It was not the juggernaut of last season or 2017-18 or even 2015-16. But it was playing better than the 2016-17 team that got a No. 5 seed, escaped UNC Wilmington in the first round, and was crushed by Florida, and was healthier than the 2011-12 team that limped to the finish line, got a No. 10 seed, and was blasted by ... Florida in the first round. I was more excited for this team's prospects than either of those squads.
Statement from #UVA basketball coach Tony Bennett on cancellation of ACC and NCAA tournaments... pic.twitter.com/UsQGKMvmRd— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) March 13, 2020
The Cavaliers end their season 23-7. In a few days, they went from the high of defeating No. 10 Louisville on senior day on March 7 to the low of not getting a chance to defend their national championship. So many jokes were made about the 'Hoos still being the defending champions, but they got old really fast for me. I would've rather seen Virginia go down swinging in this year's tourney and be proud in a losing effort than have no dance at all.
Obviously, this doesn't compare to people who actually are suffering from the virus, but in the basketball realm, I feel bad for Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key, Virginia's seniors. They thought they still had several games left in their college careers, and it was taken away too quickly. They didn't get a chance to defend their title. But, they did win a championship and have their own iconic moments in last year's run. So while I do feel bad for them, who I feel even worse for are players and fans of teams such as Dayton and San Diego State, programs that had maybe their best seasons in history end with no NCAA tournament success. For sure, the Flyers, who went 29-2, and the Aztecs, who went 30-2, have a lot to be proud of, but the season will always feel a bit ... empty.
Nostalgic. It’s over. So proud of all of the things I have accomplished coming from where I’m from. Leaving Charlottesville as a college grad and reigning champ. Thank you UVA for the athletic and academic success. Wahoowa🧡💙— Mamadi Diakite (@_mdiakite) March 14, 2020
.@_mdiakite’s shot vs Purdue, @btwice_11’s block vs Texas Tech. So glad we already have some iconic championship moments from them. Sad they don’t get legit chance to defend title. But do feel worse for seniors and fans that had their best shot for glory this year. #GoHoos— Aaron Perryman (@hooamp) March 13, 2020
The coronavirus has had an impact on sportswriters, me included. Previews and recaps that would've happened are no longer happening. I had another idea, too, that sparked in my brain in January when it was looking like Virginia might not make the NCAA tournament. I was going to make a UVa fan guide for who to root for in the event. I still wanted to publish such a feature even after it became apparent the Wahoos were going dancing. For instance, former UVa assistant Ritchie McKay, now the head coach at Liberty, had an incredible season as the Flames went 30-4 and won the Atlantic Sun tournament. They were going to be on that list.
It’s ironic that in times of sadness and tragedy, #sports is such a great escape for many, and can bind us together and heal, and now, when we really need it, we can’t even do that, and it could in fact make the situation worse. #coronavirus— Aaron Perryman (@hooamp) March 12, 2020
But there still are some posts I will write. Every season for the past few years, I've put together a post on season-ending awards for Virginia, such as MVP, most improved, and best game. I will do that for this campaign in the near future. And after that, I have been doing a lookahead to the next season. (Click here for last season's. Looks like I was pretty accurate in what I was feeling.) The past two years, I've dropped that in June. There's no telling when I will write that this year. I have been publishing it in June because I do follow and write about UVa spring sports on a somewhat regular basis until those seasons are over, and to give time for the dust to settle on the college basketball offseason, when players transfer to and from programs and when some high school recruits make their commitments. But that entire schedule will be thrown off this year by the coronavirus, both because the NCAA decided to cancel the spring sports season, and because no one knows when the basketball offseason will "begin," so it'll take some time before I know when to write that. (And even if the college football season isn't affected in the fall, the spring football season has been affected, with UVa canceling its spring game.)
But first up will be my season-ending awards, so look for that soon. Until then, stay safe and just watch reruns of the Wahoos' magical run to the 2019 national championship.
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