PITTSBURGH — I saw a note last week that shocked me when the Associated Press top 25 basketball poll was released. There was no Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky or Kansas for the first time since December 1961. Jeez, I was a much younger man back then. There was no UCLA, Florida or Connecticut, for that matter. I knew this was a crazy season but, really, I had no idea.
Damn you, COVID-19.
I know the deadly virus has disrupted far more important things than college basketball. If I had a dime for every "you're talking about sports, for goodness sake, not life," I would be a rich man. I get that. So please hold your emails. But that doesn't mean I have to like what is happening with college hoops.
I can't even follow what is happening.
If you offered me a million dollars to tell you when and which team Pitt is playing next, I couldn't give you an answer. The same thing is true about Duquesne. It's awfully hard to get into a sport when you can't count on a schedule. It's impossible, actually.
I sent a note out last week to Pitt public-relations guru Matt Plizga and Duquesne counterpart Dave Saba asking for scheduling clarification. Each took the time to respond thoughtfully. Unfortunately, I am more confused than ever. I felt so stupid until Plizga and Saba pointed out they are having a tough time keeping track of their schedules, as well. I felt a little better. Not much, but a little.
Pitt has had to postpone six ACC games. It is scheduled to play North Carolina State at home Wednesday night — keep your fingers crossed — and is supposed to play Clemson at home Sunday night. A potential problem for that game against Clemson: The Clemson-Notre Dame game Wednesday night has been postponed because of COVID-19 issues in the Clemson program. Will Clemson be cleared to play by Sunday? The way this season is going, I'm guessing no.
Duquesne had to cancel three non-conference games in December and didn't play from Dec. 2 until Jan. 2. Imagine being a college player and not playing a game for a month. Imagine going to practice day after day and not knowing which team or when you will play again. Duquesne's scheduling was so chaotic that it had to play George Washington in a weekend doubleheader in Washington D.C. Jan. 2-3. It has had five Atlantic-10 games postponed, including one at George Mason, which has been rescheduled for Wednesday night. It will be the Dukes' first game since they beat Dayton Feb. 2 on the night they opened their beautiful new UPCM Chuck Cooper Fieldhouse.
Got all of that?
I don't.
I'm not sure Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot and Pitt coach Jeff Capel have it, either.
"When you coach for a long time or do a job for a long time, you become creatures of habit," Dambrot was saying last week. "You have certain ways you like to do things. Right now, there are no certain ways how to do things. You have to adapt. You have to be flexible. You have to be smart. You have to trust your instincts. There is no book for this."
At least Dambrot and Capel are well-compensated to try to figure out the craziness. If you want to feel badly for anyone, feel badly for the players. Like the football players at their school before them, they are giving up so much to play their sport.
"Can you imagine going to college and not having any kind of social life whatsoever?" Dambrot asked. "You don't get to talk to people in your classes. You don't get to go to parties. You don't get to socialize with any members of the school.
"As a basketball player, you go to a game and there are no fans at the game. It's just been a tough year for those guys. I feel for everybody at the school and, really, at colleges all over the country because they're not having a normal college experience."
Dambrot is right about that.
There is chaos everywhere in college basketball.
— No. 1 Gonzaga didn't play from Dec. 2 until Dec. 19. Their path to a potential national championship won't be routine, that's for sure.
— No. 2 Baylor has had to postpone a game against No. 13 West Virginia three times, including one Monday night and another this Thursday night.
— No. 3 Michigan beat Wisconsin on Sunday, its first game in three weeks.
— North Carolina has played only six home games. It had to postpone a home game against Miami on Feb. 8 just a few hours before tip off after its players were caught partying without masks after a win against Duke the previous Saturday. Its home game against Virginia Tech on Tuesday night also has been postponed because of COVID-19 complications in the Virginia Tech program.
I could go on and on.
The bottom line:
There is no way the conferences are going to be able to reschedule all of the games before Selection Sunday on March 14. If some teams play more home games or fewer games than others, so be it. If some teams miss out on the NCAA Tournament because of the scheduling, tough. The tournament will go on, no matter what. Not being able to play it last spring because of COVID-19 cost schools $375 million. They are not going to lose that money again.
Even I can figure that out, obtuse as I am.
