Coaches & Analysts Pushing To Not Play Big Ten Tournament Games

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas and TNT analyst Charles Barkley have already called for NCAA games to be cancelled.

Despite concerns by coaches and calls from national analysts to halt play due to concerns over the COVID-19 novel coronavirus epidemic, the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament appears set to resume.

The Big Ten Conference initially announced Wednesday night the men’s basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis would “continue to be held as scheduled” with fans allowed to attend but with media restricted from locker room access. However, just a few hours after the announcement of the NCAA tournament proceeding without fans, the Big Ten released a second statement saying the conference tournament would be “limited to student-athletes, coaches, event staff, essential team and conference staff, TV network partners, credentialed media, and immediate family members of the participating teams" starting with Thursday.

Eight-seed Michigan is scheduled to play No. 9 seed Rutgers at 11 a.m. CST and is slated to be followed by three second-round games. Illinois is slated to open its conference tournament play Friday against the winner of the Minnesota vs. Iowa game scheduled to tip at approximately 1:25 p.m. CST Thursday.

The NBA announced Wednesday evening it is suspending play of its current season after Utah Jazz All-Star forward Rudy Gobert reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 novel coronavirus. ESPN analyst Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday morning that, according to league sources, Utah Jazz star player Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive for the coronavirus.

Tom Izzo on how'd he respond if the BIG 10 asked his opinion: "Might be best if things are postponed or cancelled" @MSU_Basketballhttps://t.co/gJhqKJMhpE pic.twitter.com/9UCby97jHo

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 12, 2020

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo expressed his concerns Thursday morning over the COVID-19 epidemic on The Dan Patrick Show saying he would be in favor or postponing or canceling games.

“If it would have been a couple days ago, I would’ve said let’s play the games and now I’m looking at it and saying it sure is starting to lean toward it may be best if things were postponed or canceled,” Izzo said on the syndicated sports radio show.

TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley stated Thursday morning “I think the NCAA tournament should be shut down”.

Jay Bilas on @GetUpESPN calls for the NCAA Tournament to be postponed/suspended "When the pros say they're not playing because of a public health issue it strikes me as a bad look to trot out amateurs to play for money" pic.twitter.com/SyacAPqKOv

— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) March 12, 2020

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said on the network’s morning show Get Up that he has serious concerns about college basketball games being held even without fans in attendance.

“As much as I dislike having to say this, I can’t see putting players out on the floor in the current climate,” Bilas said. “Given the NBA’s decision and FIBA, the international governing body of basketball, their decision to suspend play, I think it is very difficult. When the pros say they’re not playing because of a public health issue, a pandemic, it strikes me as a very bad look and hard to justify that we’re going to trot out amateurs to play for money. Look, I don’t think that’s the reasoning behind this but ultimately I think it is in the best interest of the players, the enterprise and of public health to suspend play right now. Reasonable minds can differ but I haven’t heard an appropriate justification for playing with seemingly everyone is saying they’re not playing.”

The University of Illinois athletics department released a statement saying no decision has been reached on the attendance policy for spring on-campus sporting events due to concerns of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus epidemic.

The statement was released by Illinois associate athletics director for media relations Kent Brown on behalf of the athletics department. With Michigan and Ohio State already announcing the postponement/cancelation of its spring practices and spring football game while also restricting the incoming and outgoing recruiting efforts by its football staff, Illini Now/Sports Illustrated asked Brown if Illinois would follow suit.

"We have put together a few committees to help guide us in those decisions," Brown's response statement to Illini Now/SI reads. "Things are changing extremely fast. No final decisions have been made at this point. All that could change, quickly, however."