MARCH MADNESS: Ivy Decision Is Start Of Real March Madness
You knew it was coming and you could say the Ivy League was ahead of the curve in the way the athletic world is going to react to the coronavirus epidemic.
But as is usually the case, the decision which was made on Tuesday morning, brought unintended consequences and was another body blow to Harvard and coach Tommy Amaker.
Here's why.
The Ivy League holds a mini-tournament--the top four teams, playing on a campus site. Two years ago, it was held at The Palestra in Philadelphia, which is Penn's home court.
Guess who won?
Last year it was held in New Haven at Yale's home court.
Guess who won?
The irony--if you want to call it that--was that Harvard, coached by Amaker for the past 13 season was the regular season co-champion the last two years.
Before the Ivy League broke down and held its first mini-tournament four years ago, a regular season tie meant a playoff game for the NCAA automatic bid on a NEUTRAL court.
Harvard came up 0-2 the last two seasons, but it was going to be different this season.
Although the Crimson finished second behind Yale, the tournament was scheduled to be played at Harvard.
The Crimson swept the season series between the two teams, which led to some degree of optimism.
Now that is gone and you can pencil in Yale for the automatic NCAA spot awarded to the Ivy league champion and give Harvard another NIT consolation bid.
It's hard to second guess the Ivy League decision because they are being prudent and it might just be the first move made in the next few weeks, with the NCAA tournament projected to being in Dayton next week.
Keep an eye out for Spokane, which is in western Washington and the center of the greatest concern yet for coronavirus expansion.
The NCAA has first and second round games scheduled to be played in Spokane next week.
There is a compromise which is being discussed, of course: play the games in gyms with only a limited audience and basically no fans.
The Ivy League chose to avoid that option.
Which does little to soothe the irritation felt by Harvard and Amaker.
And that brings up another potentially developing story.
Amaker has done all he can at Harvard.
In 13 seasons he has established himself as the greatest basketball coach in Crimson history, with four (it can be argued it should have been seven) NCAA appearances.
He could finish his coaching career at Harvard and be happy. But he has hit a ceiling of accomplishment.
Where does he go?
Well, without disrupting his family life, he could take a second look across the Charles River if Boston College does the expected and makes a decision to fire Jim Christian after this week's ACC tournament (presuming the Eagles don't win it, of course).
Back in the ACC, at three times his salary, with goals that could motivate him for the next 10 years?
The key question will be if BC athletic director Martin Jarmond recognizes that opportunity and conducts a stealth mission--it has to be done quietly and efficiently with any BC process other than "You're our guy, do you want to talk to see if we can work this out?''