March Madness tournament withdrawals?
The college and high school tournaments’ men and boys basketball games are missed by many, to be sure, however, there are many other aspects of life to gain our focus. Spring training baseball is on hold and may not resume this year and golf and tennis are on hold. They may be missed, especially by those who have quarantined themselves because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus), or, who find their work situations slow and could be spectators at an increased pace.
Life is not fair. We learn to take it one day at a time and enjoy the best of each day. Nonetheless:
• Nine or 10 Big Ten Conference men’s basketball teams missed the 68-team NCAA tournament they were in line to enter Sunday because of stellar seasons. What could have been is their mantra, perhaps, with the cancellation of the tournament which would have started this week, and is a lack of fairness. But then, it is lesson learned of enjoy each victory, enjoy each day because there are no guarantees in life. It is just that there has been a Division I men’s college basketball tournament every year since 1939.
• The University of Illinois would have qualified for its first NCAA tournament game since 2011. The once proud basketball school made a comeback this season. Will sophomore guard Ayo Donsunmu and seven-foot freshman Kofi Cockburn return to the Illini next season, or, will the National Basketball Association beckon?
• North Central College and Elmhurst College men’s basketball teams were set to play last week in the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen following two earlier round victories.
Questions of the professional games banned:
• Will Major League Baseball start by May 1? How much Spring training will they play?
• What will the NBA and NHL do to finish the season? Start playoffs upon return and include fewer teams?
• The Masters golf in Augusta, Ga. has been pushed back from early April to an unknown date. Would the prestigious tournament supersede or overlap another or lesser tournament.
The high school girls basketball teams finished their State tournaments, however, the two smaller boys tournaments of four could not complete the course. Four teams in the smallest Class 1A and the four teams in the Class 2A did not play in Peoria in the State tournaments. They ended their seasons with super-sectional victories Tuesday of last week.
Among the teams poised to play in Peoria at the Carver Arena, site of Bradley University home games, were Aurora Christian in Class 1A and Timothy Christian in Class 2A. The two teams were guaranteed two games each, semifinals Friday and either championship or third place Saturday (March 14-15).
Disappointment was evidently familiar, to say the least for all eight teams.
• “As you can imagine, it was incredibly difficult not to play the games,” Aurora Christian head coach Dan Beebe said.
“Our kids are really resilient, but, it hit them hard. We had about a 45-minute meeting where I told them of the IHSA’s plan.
“The biggest satisfaction that I had this year (with the team’s 25-6 record, co-champion of the Metro Suburban Blue Conference, regional and sectional champions, and super-sectional survivor) was the players did things the right way. The played incredibly hard and played really well together. Many didn’t believe that they would get this far, but they were able by doing those things.
“Next year still looks bright with a great group of underclassmen coming back. However, our seniors will be missed.”
• Timothy Christian’s boys team finished with a 28-5 record, which included a Metro Suburban Red Conference championship with an undefeated conference record.
• In addition to the Class 1A and Class 2A boys State basketball tournaments, dismissed were: One Class 3A sectional semifinal between Benet Academy and Hinsdale South; eight Class 3A and eight Class 4A sectional tournament championship games Friday, March 13; four super-sectional games in each of Class 3A and Class 4A Tuesday, March 17 this week; and the two State tournaments for four teams in each class.
Among the teams from The Voice circulation area still alive in sectional championship games, just for the record, in games which never will be played: In Class 4A, Naperville Central vs. Lake Park at Addison Trail; Joliet West vs. East Aurora at Lockport; and St. Charles North vs. Cary-Grove at McHenry; and in 3A, Hampshire vs. Wauconda at Rockford Boylan and either Benet or Hinsdale South vs. Chicago Bogan at Hinsdale South.
Noteworthy is that Hampshire defeated host and tradition-rich Boylan in a semifinal game last week, 62-59.
Not playing the important tournament games is a travesty. It is disappointing. It is life.
In addition to the boys basketball tournaments, the IHSA was forced to cancel the State final Debate; the drama/group interpretation sectionals,; the drama/group interpretation State finals; three-point basketball finals; the March Madness Experience; and the Wheelchair Basketball State Tournament, all this month;
The IHSA shut down everything, games, practices, and meetings until Monday, March 30, at which time evaluation will be made if Spring sports will be planned and started. Spring sports is the shortest of the three high school seasons with boys baseball and girls softball State tournaments due to conclude the school year Saturday, June 13.
In the meantime, it is everyone’s job to take seriously the complexity of diminishing fear, keeping clean hands and the rest of the body, keep a six-foot distance if possible, removing ourselves from those who are sick, and looking after the elderly whose immune systems are less strong than the young.