STARKVILLE — There’s COVID-19 safety protocols, a gargantuan roster turnover and schedule uncertainty all popping up rapidly on Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Ben Howland’s plate, but he doesn’t mind.
As long as his team remains on track for its season opener against Nov. 25, he’ll gladly take any challenge thrown his way.
“I’m excited about our team,” Howland said. “We have a good group. Team bonding, I think the team has never been closer. You have no one else you can be with, but your own team and your teammates. Basically, if you’re following protocol, you’re not out there socializing and hanging out and seeing a lot of people if you’re smart.”
After a period of time working out eight hours a week on the court, MSU has ramped up its workload after officially starting practice late last week. Each member of the team is being tested for COVID-19 once a week, and that number will increase to three when games start.
COVID-19 outbreaks have made life difficult for several college football teams this fall, and with contract tracing protocols in place, the testing requirements could be a logistical nightmare for basketball rosters that carry 13 scholarship players.
“It’s going to be really tough,” Howland said of maneuvering contact tracing protocols. “That’s why we started the season earlier and gave ourselves a little leeway to make up a game or two at the end of the season if we have to. I hope that doesn’t happen. I think the way our school year has been planned where we’re done with school prior to our first game, that helps kind of create a bubble because there’s no one else going to be around here.”
While the optimism surrounds the start of the season considering the lack of students on campus, coaches around the Southeastern Conference are sweating letting players go home for a few days for Christmas. So much so, that some have opted to keep their athletes on campus through the holidays, according to Howland.
Safety protocols state that if players leave campus for the holidays, upon return to school, they must be tested before being cleared to practice. SEC teams are scheduled to start an 18-game conference schedule in late December. The sixth-year Mississippi State coach is trying to find a window for his players to get a break, though.
“(The protocols) makes sense, but it makes Christmas break much more difficult,” Howland said. “I’ve talked to colleagues in the league that say they’re not going to have their guys go home because of that. I’d really like to have our players get a few days away from basketball and spend time with their families during Christmas. I think it’s an important time. Hopefully it works out and we can bring them back in time. But right after Christmas, boom, we’re in conference.”
Abdul, Johnson will be eligible to return next season
Earlier this month, the NCAA granted a blanket waiver of eligibility to all winter athletes, meaning seniors could come back for the 2021-2022 season should they choose. MSU currently has two seniors on the team: Abdul Ado, who has been with the team for three years, and Louisiana graduate transfer Jalen Johnson.
“I’m not sure if our seniors will elect to come back or move on, but if they elected to come back, that won’t count against our 13 scholarships,” Howland said. “So, it’s great. We’ll come to that bridge at the end of the year.”
Scheduling updates
Wednesday morning, MSU announced it will host Iowa State on Jan. 30 as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. However, the release of the full schedule is still “a couple weeks away,” according to Howland. The NCAA declared colleges are allowed to play up to 27 regular season games this year.
“I think you’re a couple of weeks away from seeing that from the conference office,” he said. “At that time, we will have a couple of other tweaks to our non-conference schedule to announce, so it will all come out at one time.”
The Bulldogs are scheduled to open the season against Clemson on Nov. 25.
“Our first game against live competition, of seeing anybody else, is Clemson,” Howland said. “That’s tough, especially for a team as young as ours. But it is what it is. It’s the same for everybody (without exhibitions).
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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