(Bob Huggins pregame Zoom conference)
Upon arriving Monday in Indianapolis, teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament were more or less confined to their hotel rooms as they awaited Covid-19 testing results.
Earlier Wednesday, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said all 68 teams are good to go for the Big Dance, with this year’s version sure to be like none to come before it.
For No. 3 seed West Virginia, which is preparing for Friday’s 9:50 p.m. first-round matchup with No. 14 Morehead State, the NCAA Tournament itself is an entirely new experience save for the Mountaineers’ coaching staff.
Only reserve forward Gabe Osabuohien has ever played in college basketball’s desired postseason event, and that was for 1 minute in 2018 when the Arkansas transfer lost to Butler while with the Razorbacks.
Although WVU would have qualified for the NCAAs a season ago, the season was shutdown four days before Selection Sunday.
“I’m just happy to be here,” said Mountaineer sophomore guard Miles “Deuce” McBride. “Not being able to play in the tournament last year, that hurt everybody. The people here are doing a really great job. It’s tough to get 68 (teams) times a traveling part of 30 and take care of facilities and things.”
Along with watching film of Morehead State, McBride said he’s passed the time by doing other basketball-related things.
“I got the John Thompson book (I Came As A Shadow) and started reading that,” McBride said. “Other teammates probably play video games.
“There’s not much you can do other than watch games and film. Last night, I watched Damian Lillard put up 50 (points) against the Pelicans in that comeback win.”
This is the 25th NCAA Tournament appearance for WVU coach Bob Huggins, the last 10 of which have come with the Mountaineers.
With all 68 teams in Indianapolis, limited capacity at games and far more down time as players and coaches are restricted in what they can do off the court, this experience is different than any of his previous 24 trips.
“The hardest was (Tuesday) when you have to stay in your own room and can’t fraternize with any of your teammates,” Huggins said. “Going to practice last night really helped. We got guys together and now that they’re allowed to be around each other a little bit more, it’s been fine.”
Huggins said he isn’t sure what other option the NCAA would have besides the current plan it’s utilizing, which is somewhat reminiscent of the NBA’s bubble in 2020. In that case, the bubble allowed the league to finish its regular season and complete the postseason without Covid interruptions or cancellations from July-October at Disney World.
“It is what it is. I don’t know what else they would do,” Huggins said. “There is going to be some (Covid) positives when you put this many people together. They’re trying the best they possibly can. Letting teams get out and practice (Tuesday) was a big step getting those guys back to a little bit of normalcy.”
Having guided the Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament since 2011, Morehead State coach Preston Spradlin is doing his part to ensure his team soaks in the experience, regardless of how unusual it may be.
“We haven’t been outside, but we have not been inconvenienced at any point,” Spradlin said. “It’s been fantastic. The NCAA has done a great job with the planning and protocols and anything we need. We can walk five minutes to a practice gym and we have a weight room and meal room. It’s different, but it’s not inconvenient.”
The Eagles will conduct their first practice at Lucas Oil Stadium later Wednesday — the 70,000 seat home of the Indianapolis Colts and the site of Friday’s first-round matchup. It is by far the largest of any venue hosting tournament games this year.
“I try not to get too caught up in the moment. We’re staying focused on our team and our game plan,” Spradlin said. “But it’ll probably hit me this evening when we get to practice in Lucas Oil. There’s been so many occasions throughout the year when a game is about to start and I look down the bench at my staff and say, ‘We’re coaching in the OVC Championship, how about that?’ I’m pretty sure that moment is going to come Friday night before we play.”
(Deuce McBride pregame Zoom conference)