The night basketball got sick

While Trayce Jackson-Davis played in the Big Ten Tournament, COVID 19 was starting to cancel games all over the country.

It was the night where the sports world fell to its knees.

March 11, 2020, was a Wednesday night I will remember forever. I had finally gained access to the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament as a credentialed photographer. I thought I would have multiple nights covering the Big Ten for the Southsider Voice. Instead, I ended up with just one.

Minnesota beat Northwestern in the first game (the same result occurred this year). Indiana played Nebraska in game two that night of the Big Ten Tournament.

During the game, it was announced that fans would not be allowed to attend the rest of the tournament resulting in a cascade of boos at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. The threat of coronavirus had finally begun to impact sporting events.

It got even worse.

As I was taking photos of Trayce-Jackson Davis dunking on Nebraska, trouble was brewing 740 miles away in Oklahoma City. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz had tested positive for COVID-19 as he got sick before his team was about to play. The National Basketball Association moved quickly and cancelled its regular season by 10 p.m.

The dominoes were falling and nothing could stop the chain reaction.

Back in Indianapolis, Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg began feeling ill on the Cornhusker bench. People watching on television took to social media asking if Hoiberg had coronavirus. Hoiberg went into the locker room where he was later taken to an Indianapolis hospital to be tested.

Rumors began to swirl. Did Nebraska just play a game where its coach was infected? Does that mean Indiana’s team is now infected?

I was at the press conference where it was announced that Nebraska will not be sending anyone to meet the press. Indiana only sent head coach Archie Miller. Miller did not want any of his players talking to the press as he sent them all to the showers and the team hotel.

Not many people knew but the Nebraska players were in quarantine in their own locker room as their coach was being evaluated. The Nebraska players became the first victims of the dreaded quarantine.

Later that night, reporters tweeted that Hoiberg had the flu, not COVID. The Nebraska players were allowed to go home.

The rest of the Big Ten Tournament was cancelled the next day as was the NCAA Tournament.

What I did not know at the time was 90 miles away in Linton and 80 miles away in Bloomfield were two high school varsity basketball teams wanting to see if they could get their regional tournament in that weekend. The IHSAA took its time but eventually, it became obvious that the tournament had to be cancelled. Linton and Bloomfield had their tournament runs cut short.

Today, Linton is back in the regional and this time, Shakamak is there as well. Basketball teams have adapted to the pandemic as has sports across the county.

You can tell talking to Linton coach Joey Hart that having the regional cancelled was tough on his team. It is what makes Saturday’s regional more important

One year ago, we learned not to take sports for granted and Linton and Shakamak will make the most of their opportunity Saturday.