2020-21 College Basketball thread

Pull the plug on your team if you’re so concerned. Set an example. It’s the lives of ‘your kids’.
Fucking Fraud

 

It's gonna be interesting to see what happens when the Blue Devils get back from holiday break. If they have an outbreak, that's an ominous sign for the rest of the college hoops universe.

 

Duke hoops cancels rest of nonconference slate

Duke did. Gardner-Webb, Elon and Charleston Southern are not exactly Michigan State and Illinois. Would have been three wins, and few would have blamed them.

Blast Mike Krzyzewski for dumping Pete Gaudet after the latter took over after the former's back pain became too much 25 years ago. The reason was legit - contrary to what K's detractors might think - but cutting Gaudet loose under the circumstances was not his best moment.

Was thinking that Roy Williams might have reiterated that he's more than a little concerned about playing during the pandemic. I know he's already on the record in those regards and I'm certain that Williams and Krzyzewski are not alone. And to complete the rounds in the Triangle - at least in the ACC - N.C. State has halted everything until further notice as two members of its traveling party have tested positive.

I understand the Alabama coach's point in the aftermath of Duke getting dropped twice in Cameron ... lots of college basketball fans (hello, yab) and other observers are dying for the Blue Devils to get knocked around. But, IMO, Krzyzewski is correct. Look at the case numbers and deaths spiking for more proof.

 

Then drop the season, not the exhibition games.

 

Perhaps that's not in his control? I think it's easy for a coach to say no to non-conference. Conference gets more complicated. Then not just the school is involved, but the conference. I watched the first half of the Illinois game. This is a very bad Duke team. But what struck me was how big the bubble was around K. He's old. Roy Williams is old. That puts them in a risky demographic.

 

No team is affected more by the lack of fans at home than Duke. The Crazies are the advantage, not the court.

 

If you want to broach this with John Swofford, be my guest. Good luck with that.

Correct. No fans turns Cameron into just another gym. Obliterates a massive home-court advantage.

 

Duke is bigger than Swofford. If the head men’s basketball coach deems continued play detrimental to the health of the teenagers he’s entrusted with the he has an obligation to refuse to play. Failure to do so demonstrates a lack of institutional control. He can call over to his great friend and conference member, Syracuse University to discuss lack of institutional control.

It’s not as if Duke doesn’t get the calls on the road as well as at home.

 

The college basketball season is barreling toward disaster

It's not just Duke. But sure ... blame Krzyzewski. Again, he's on an island about this one, right?

 

He opened his mouth first. He’s treated as a living god when it concerns basketball and young men. He’s the only HBC with the power to say, enough is enough, if he truly feels the health and lives of his players are at stake. Or he’s a pouser using the pandemic for a competitive advantage

 

Yeah I don't...I don't really agree with that column.

This graf is risible:

Another consideration is the possibility teams might conceal a positive test result that could kill their championship hopes. Many college football teams have refused to report how many of their players test positive. That’s a slippery slope and a short slide to a coach staring at his trainer and telling him, “That was a false positive, right?” If you think no basketball coach would play an asymptomatic star to reach the Final Four, you haven’t been paying attention.

Such an event would involve collusion not only with the medical staff, but the university, the conference, local health departments and the third-party medical officers contracted by the conferences to do the testing.

 

And? Frankly, I think we all know that universities, and particular athletic programs, are entirely capable and willing to hide information like this.