Basketball is back. Today marks the official start of the 2020-2021 college basketball season. We still don't know what exactly that season looks like but pieces are starting to fall into place. As with everything in these uncertain times, it is hard to go all in without the fear of everything changing. However any sign of a return is something to be excited about. I have a few things rattling around in my brain that I thought I would post about as we move closer to the season. First off, another big piece of news today is that every winter sport athlete is going to receive an extra year of eligibility, similar to what has been done for spring and fall sport athletes. So this years team for Vermont could also be next years team. This is really going to throw a wrench into recruiting as the 2021-2022 recruiting class could potentially be zero if everyone decides to stay. It is an option that not all players across college basketball will take. It will certainly create a whole different vibe in recruiting as offers and commitments will all be conditional on who stays and who goes. This is also going to coincide with the new one time transfer rule that will potentially also go into effect for the 2021-2022 season. That will allow players to transfer one time during their careers without having to sit out for a year. As you might imagine this is all shaping up to be one of the most interesting off-seasons to follow one of the most interesting seasons in the history of college basketball. All of these rulings by the NCAA make sense and are the right decision but to have them happening in the same season is going to create quite a whirlwind. The next thing I have been thinking about is the schedule. After Vermont pulled out of the Gulf Coast Showcase I thought it was only a matter of time before it was announced that they would have a conference only schedule. Today I read that they have joined a Mohegan Sun pod that will include Iona and Buffalo (according to Jeff Goodman) from Nov. 30- Dec. 2. So it looks like they will have at least a few non-conference games. As we have seen with other sports the tricky part is creating a schedule with enough room to shift games around should there be any positive tests causing postponements. The good thing for the AE is with the addition of NJIT they will be able to go with an 18 game conference schedule. The other thing that has been on my mind is the handling of the sexual assault case involving a Vermont men's basketball player. One of the themes in my blog is and has always been how much I believe in the integrity of the program and the values within which they operate. The athletic department is doing the program a disservice if they do not also operate within these values. The athletic department needs to provide transparency about the handling of this case. I hope they do so as we inch closer to the start of the season. That is all I have for now. I cant wait until I have actual basketball to write about!
