The NCAA announced on Thursday that March Madness and all winter and spring sport championships were being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. That has left countless athletes no doubt disappointed, and multiple coaches upset.
College basketball reporter Jeff Goodman said on Thursday that many of the top college basketball coaches wanted the March Madness Selection Show to proceed as planned and have the tournament postponed.
Nearly 10 of the top coaches in college basketball have spoken and are on board with the following idea, source told me.
– Selection Sunday on as planned.
– Postpone the NCAA Tournament and continue to monitor the situation.
“We all talked, and agree on this,” once told me.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 12, 2020
One of those coaches is Brian Dutcher’s whose San Diego State Aztecs might have been a No. 1 seed. He told Goodman he wanted the event to be postponed but he understands the NCAA cancelling it.
San Diego State’s Brian Dutcher, whose Aztecs were in the mix for a No. 1 seed:
“Who knows where we’d be a month from now. Look at what happened over the last 48 hours. I think it should have been postponed and see where we are at in a month, but I understand them canceling it.”— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 12, 2020
Gonzaga coach Mark Few said in an interview that he is “extremely disappointed. I think all of us felt we could postpone it even until May and if we needed to cancel, we could then.”
"Extremely disappointed. … All of us felt that we could postpone."
Gonzaga Men's Basketball coach Mark Few gives his thoughts after hearing that the NCAA tournament has been canceled. pic.twitter.com/rlhG9ABylz
— ESPN (@espn) March 12, 2020
The NCAA may look like the bad guy to some by taking away the fun, but they’re doing the prudent, safe thing. In fact, there are many who were critical of the organization for waiting so long to announce the cancellation of the big event.
Some other sports/championships that were affected include the College World Series, Women’s College World Series, golf, lacrosse, rowing, volleyball and water polo.
