New York Post - USA (2020-11-15)

New York Post, Sunday, November 15, 2020

nypost.com

By ZAcH BRAZilleR

The NCAA has to be pro-

active instead of reactive,

and that means making an

unpopular decision about

the upcoming college bas-

ketball season, Rick Pitino

believes.

With winter coming and

COVID-19 numbers rising

at an alarming rate, the

Iona College coach thinks

there are two directions

college sports’ governing

body should go in — invite

every Division I program

into the NCAA Tourna-

ment, as the ACC previ-

ously suggested and was

resoundingly turned down,

since the regular season is

going to be a minefield of

cancellations and post-

ponements, or push the

season back into late

March, eliminate non-con-

ference play and hold the

tournament in May.

“In my estimation, that’s

the only two options you

have,” Pitino told The Post

in a phone interview. “The

option [of starting the sea-

son on Nov. 25] right now

is destined for failure.”

“If you’re not proactive

right now, you’re going to

have another dead season.”

By moving the season

back, the virus’ numbers

may have a chance to dis-

sipate in warmer weather

and the vaccine created by

Pfizer that is more than 90

percent effective could be

administered and distrib-

uted.

On Thursday, the Ivy

League canceled the win-

ter sports season, which in-

cludes men’s and women’s

college basketball. Pitino’s

program is one of many —

along with UConn, Seton

Hall, Minnesota, Siena and

Bradley — that is currently

in a pause after a positive

COVID-19 test. NCAA

guidelines, created

through the Sport Science

Institute and its COVID-19

Medical Advisory Group,

suggest a 14-day quarantine

for any program with a

positive test of a player,

coach or staff member. But

it is really 21 days, since

practice is not allowed dur-

ing the 14 days and teams

will need time to get back

into shape.

“It makes it almost im-

possible. You’re going to

come back, you’re going to

have a bad product,” the

68-year-old Pitino said.

“Teams [will be] out of

shape, more injuries are

going to come into play.

“Right now I think [the

NCAA] just wants to get

started, see what happens,

but you can see what’s hap-

pening right now with all

the lockdowns. If you have

to lock down for almost 21

days, how can you have a

season?”

Despite the virus’ out-

break, NCAA vice presi-

dent of basketball Dan Ga-

vitt told The Sporting

News on Friday that the

plan remained to start the

season on Nov. 25 as

scheduled. Pitino thinks

that will be a mistake. Just

look at college football,

which doesn’t have the 14-

day pause for a positive

test like college basketball,

and still had to cancel or

postpone 15 games this

weekend.

“The NCAA has always

been an organization that

tries to do the best for the

student-athlete, but they

are very reactive, they’re

not proactive, and this calls

for measures right now

that are very proactive,”

Pitino said. “The writing is

on the wall that this virus is

spiking and out of control,

and with the protocol and

the rules set forth, it’s im-

possible to have a season.”

[email protected]

Pitino: NCAA

should push

back season

‘destined’ to fail:

Rick Pitino told The Post

he believes starting the

season on Nov. 25 will not

go well. Robert Sabo

By JOHN RABY

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. —

Redshirt freshman Grant Wells

threw a season-high five touch-

down passes, and No. 16 Mar-

shall commemorated the 50th

anniversary of the worst disas-

ter in U.S. sports history during

a 42-14 victory over Middle

Tennessee on Saturday.

Marshall (7-0, 4-0 C-USA) got

another standout performance

from its defense and turned

three turnovers into scores on a

day when the university and

surrounding community re-

membered 75 people killed in

a Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash.

“Just a great day,” Marshall

coach Doc Holliday said. “A

special day.”

Marshall wore special

black uniforms and the No.

75 on its helmets to honor

those who were lost, which

included most of the Thun-

dering Herd football team.

The crash occurred as the

team’s plane was returning

from a game at East Carolina.

There were no survivors.

Wells grew up 50 miles

away in Charleston and

learned about the Marshall

tragedy as a young child. He

said this week that playing in

the crash’s silver anniversary

game was going to be surreal.

After several early over-

throws, Wells found his

groove and Marshall kept

the momentum for good.

Wells finished 25-of-37 for

336 yards, all season highs.

Two of his TD passes each

went to Corey Gammage

and Willie Johnson.

“I see it every week now,”

Holliday said. “I see a young

kid that’s growing up. His

teammates have so much re-

spect for him. Just proud of

the way he’s maturing and

growing up. He’s getting bet-

ter each week.”

By MATT SUGAM

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — James

McCourt overcame two long misses

in the fourth quarter to hit a 47-yard

field goal with three seconds left to

lift Illinois past Rutgers 23-20 for the

Illini’s first win of the season.

Rutgers’ offense came out quick,

with quarterback Noah Vedral finding

Bo Melton on a 29-yard pitch and

catch to cap off a six-play, 75-yard drive

to make it 7-0 just 1:57 into the game.

While starting quarterback Bran-

don Peters was missing his third

straight game following a COVID-19

test, backup Isiah Williams got the

start after his quarantine ended.

Rutgers defensive lineman Mike

Teverdov stripped Williams, corner-

back Max Melton recovered and the

Scarlet Knights took it over on Illi-

nois’ 29-yard line with 7:52 left in the

first quarter. That set up former Rut-

gers soccer player Ambrosio Valen-

tino for his first career field goal at-

tempt, a 29-yarder, for a 10-0 lead.

Illinois (1-3, 1-3 Big Ten) answered

courtesy of Williams, who had five-

straight carries, and finished it off

with a 3-yard touchdown run. The

redshirt freshman finished with a

game-high 192 yards on 31 carries to

overcome just 7-for-19 passing.

Rutgers (1-3, 1-3) closed the first-

half scoring with a 26-yard field by

Valentino to make it 13-7.

Illinois made it 13-10 with 8:59 left

in the third quarter after James

McCourt hit his first FG attempt of

the season from 29 yards.

Rutgers countered with Melton

having a career-long 66-yard

touchdown reception on

third and 10 for a 20-10

lead with 7:43 left in

the third. It was

Melton’s sec-

ond two-

score

game of

his career. He did it for the first

time two weeks ago against Indiana.

Illinois responded with a six-play, 60-

yard touchdown drive. Running back

Mike Epstein scored on a direct snap

from a yard out to make it 20-17 with

4:54 left in the third quarter, before

McCourt tied it up at 20 early in the

fourth quarter on a 23-yard field goal.

McCourt missed a 54-yard field with

7:20 left, setting up Rutgers with good

field position. But Vedral threw his

second interception of the game on

third-and-three, and gave Illinois the

ball back on its own 26-yard line. The

Illini drove to Rutgers’ 28-yard line to

before McCourt missed wide right

from 45 yards with 3:07 remaining.

But Vedral threw his third inter-

ception with Rutgers having first-

and-10 on Illinois’ 37-yard line.

McCourt finally made good with the

game winner and gave Illinois its

first lead of the game at 23-20.

— AP

IllInoIS 23

RUTGERS 20

MaRShall 42

MIddlE TEnnESSEE 14

Marshall rolls on 50th anniversary of