This is a complicated subject because a lot can be said for either argument. As the coronvairus continues to surge in this country, college basketball games continue every single night and are expected to throughout the winter.
Is that right? Should the games continue to be played, or put on hold for a month and then start back up?
There is one end game this season in college basketball, and it’s this: There MUST be an NCAA Tournament. It has to happen, regardless, because there’s so much money involved.
But what about all the games that are to be played between now and March? Do they really even matter all that much?
Players and coaches are having to make a lot of sacrifices in order to keep the games going. Those sacrifices include the student-athletes being pretty much alone on college campuses during the winter break so that they can keep playing basketball.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski brought all of this to light earlier this week with some heartfelt comments. But many people questioned Coach K’s sincerity because the comments came after Duke had just lost two games in a row, and Krzyzewski is known for doing a good bit of whining after losses.
Coach K said he is going to send his players home for a few days during the Christmas break so that they can be with their families, and Duke is not going to try and reschedule any non-conference games.
Alabama coach Nate Oats, meanwhile, called out Coach K on this issue, something you rarely see another coach do in college basketball because of Krzyyzewski’s stature. Oats said he believes it’s best for the college basketball players to remain with their teams and keep playing because that’s the best thing for their mental health.
I asked Penn State interim head coach Jim Ferry about this issue Friday, and he agreeed with Oats about continuing to play being best for the players.
The issue also came up with Saint Francis coach Rob Krimmel earlier this week, who said, “There’s so much pressure on college basketball players … because of the money.”
Here is your chance to see what the coaches — Ferry, Coach K, Oats and Krimmel — had to say on this very important matter.
some pretty pointed comments from Coach K last night about playing college basketball amid the pandemic: "We're just plowing through this … I know the NCAA is worried about the endgame. They're not as worried about the game we're playing right now." pic.twitter.com/qlmcsyEA7z
— Marc Whiteman (@MarcWYFFNews4) December 9, 2020
Here are Nate Oats' full quotes on Duke/Coach K. Here is the best part:
"Humans, they're not made to sit alone in isolation for weeks on end. We have to be careful on how we do life, but we still have to do life."
THANK YOU
Oats/Torres, 2024 🇺🇸🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/EoBIs3BVrW
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 10, 2020
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