Next up for 4-0 Gophers? Boston College in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Marcus Carr matched a career-high with 35 points as the Gophers men's basketball team opened the 2020-21 season with a 99-69 win over UW-Green Bay Wednesday night at Williams Arena. ((credit: University of Minnesota))
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team is off to a 4-0 start, and coach Richard Pitino has made a point to go to social media after all four games with one thought: Every game is a blessing.
That’s the new normal of trying to play sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic. No fans at Williams Arena, one of the best venues in college sports when the Gophers are competitive. Daily rapid testing for players and coaches.
If a player tests positive, they’re out 21 days. The Gophers’ program had to shut down before the season for two weeks after multiple positive cases. Pitino painted a picture Monday of daily life for his staff and players. Every day at 8 a.m., they head to the Gibson-Nagurski complex for their daily test.
Then, they wait anxiously for 15 minutes, for either a thumbs up or thumbs down.
“To play a game in a pandemic, that’s a blessing. That’s a gift,” Pitino said Monday. “Every day when I get tested I’m like ‘Is this the day?’ So we’re just trying to them through that as best we can. A lot of guys who are getting it, they’re not doing anything wrong and they can’t pinpoint what they’re doing. It’s how you deal with that adversity that’s the key to everything.”
The Gophers are under strict daily protocols, and face daily uncertainty if they can practice or play. If they clear, they head to the facility, work out and go home.
Last week, Eric Curry called it “pretty scary.” Liam Robbins said Monday the uncertainty can be stressful.
“It’s weird waking up every morning knowing you have to go get tested in order to be able to participate in daily activities,” Robbins said. It’s pretty stressful. You’re doing everything right but you just don’t know. Not everyone else is getting tested, so there’s definitely a lot of uncertainty and pressure that comes with it. You’re just worried about trying to get to practice that day and test negative. I’m lucky I get to practice today, I’m lucky we have a game today. Just have to be grateful for the little things.”
The Gophers have gotten through three games, and they’re off to a 4-0 start after sweeping Loyola-Marymount in a two-game series. In the final game, Minnesota needed a step back 3-pointer from Marcus Carr to get a 67-64 victory.
The next test is Tuesday night, as the Gophers host Boston College in the ACC/Big Ten challenge. Assuming both teams clear their testing, it’s Minnesota’s first game against a Power 5 opponent. They got tested against a physical Loyola-Marymount squad in two straight games.
Last year, the Gophers had a three-game non-conference stretch that included Oklahoma on a neutral floor, at Butler and at Utah, all losses. They’ll take a 4-0 mark into Tuesday night after beating North Dakota 76-67 last Friday.
“We found a way to get the wins when we needed to. We’re not where we need to be, but when you can learn from winning that’s the most important thing,” Pitino said.
After Boston College, the Gophers host UM-Kansas City before the onslaught of the Big Ten schedule. That’s assuming everyone stays healthy, and we can’t assume anything this season.
“We don’t even know if we’re playing the game tomorrow. We hope we are. There are so many elements that are going into this that are nothing close to normal,” Pitino said.