Fall coronavirus cancellations affecting small college basketball too

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference earlier this week decided to shift most of its fall sports to the spring, a move not altogether shocking considering the volume of local college conferences doing the same thing.

But when the AMCC listed the affected sports, alarm bells went off for some coaches. Men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, and — huh? — men’s and women’s basketball must postpone conference competition until the spring.

The basketball mention caught some people’s attention.

“My biggest issue right now is not feeling like I have any answers for my guys,” La Roche men’s basketball coach Hermie Carmichael said. “I’m worried about how recruiting will go at our level.”

Technically a winter sport, many believed basketball could go unscathed as more hammers fell amid the covid-19 pandemic. Perhaps winter sports could start on time, coaches pondered.

Not so fast.

The AMCC initially planned to move forward with fall sports but eventually felt pressure to walk that decision back as the ripples from other conferences — and divisions — moved in.

Pitt-Greenburg, another AMCC member, opted to postpone fall sports before the conference ruled.

“I’m not surprised by the decision at all,” UPG men’s basketball coach Brody Jackson said. “Obviously when the PSAC came out before everyone, I knew it was a matter of time before other conferences followed suit.”

The Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference voted to suspend all conference athletic events and championships through the fall semester, so all fall and winter sports scheduled to start before Jan. 1 were impacted.

“I know everyone has an opinion on the virus and playing sports,” Jackson said. “I’m just a D-3 basketball coach and not a doctor. The people calling the shots are looking out for the health and safety of the athletes and coaches.”

Division II and III fall championships were canceled.

The winter season has not encountered any further changes up to this point.

Oddly, Jackson said his team will be able to practice on Oct. 1, two weeks earlier than normal.

“I told our team I was excited to get an opportunity to get more practice in with a team that is going to have a lot of new faces this year,” he said. “This isn’t just a Pitt-Greensburg thing. Everyone is in the same boat and trying to adjust on the fly.”

Breaking the news to his players went more smoothly than Jackson had envisioned. The coach said it may take some adjusting and creativity to get through what looks to be a unique season ahead.

“When I told the team the news about not being able to play games until January, there wasn’t one negative comment,” he said. “Our coaching staff has been telling these guys for three years now about worrying about things that you can control. This group is really mentally tough, and they are up for this challenge. October 1 is going to be a very fun day inside our gym.”

Carmichael is only speculating when he says the AMCC will play only conference games in basketball.

“Supposedly by mid-September we may have a schedule,” he said. “As of now, I’ve heard we aren’t going to be able to start until Oct. 26 instead of Oct. 15 and we will practice until Thanksgiving break but then after that, no idea.”

He added that the tenuous nature of the pandemic and its effects on college sports has been frustrating.

“There is just so much unknown,” Carmichael said. “And I’m so tired of this nonsense and how much kids lives are being destroyed by our fear.”