Rick Pitino is calling on the NCAA to move the start of college basketball back to save the upcoming season.
Pitino suggests cutting out non-conference games and focusing on an NCAA Tournament in May.
Save the Season. Move the start back. Play league schedule and have May Madness. Spiking and protocols make it impossible to play right now.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) November 14, 2020
Pitino’s Iona team is one of the 20 plus Division I teams that are currently shut down due to COVID’-19. The Ivy League has already cancelled all winter sports, including basketball.
College Basketball programs on pause due to COVID-19:
Bethune Cookman (OUT)
Ivy League (8)
UConn
Iona
Canisius
Seton Hall
NM
Winthrop
Indiana St
Sacred Heart
Niagara
Belmont
SE LA
Marist
Rider
Marshall
Albany
Stetson
Siena
Umass Lowell
SIU
Oakland
USC Upstate
The Citadel— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 15, 2020
Here’s a statement from Iona, which likely has to cancel 4 games due to the virus:
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Iona College men’s basketball has halted team activities due to a positive COVID-19 result following a regularly scheduled PCR test. The positive case is among the program’s NCAA-designated, Tier I personnel consisting of student-athletes, coaches, staff and managers.
“As with all positive cases since the beginning of the semester, our priority is the health and safety of the Iona community and surrounding area,” said director of Athletics, Matthew Glovaski. “Isolation, quarantine and contact tracing protocols are underway as we follow all local and state guidelines in response to a positive result.”
It is the first positive test within the men’s basketball program since classes began at Iona on August 10.
“Since coming together in August, we’ve carefully followed protocols and have been part of a strong testing program. With this being our first positive case, this serves as an important reminder for everyone to exercise the necessary precautions to help stop the spread of this virus,” said head coach Rick Pitino. “The health and safety of our student-athletes, staff and community are our utmost priority. We will continue to make decisions out of an abundance of caution, as we look forward to resuming activities as soon as return to play guidelines deem it safe.”
