Unprecedented Finish to an Uncertain Beginning
As we prepare to start on this coronavirus stricken basketball season, I think back and reflect on all the hard times and preparation that it took for my team and I to get here.
Editor’s Note – This story was written by University of Colorado men’s basketball’s Evan Battey before the beginning of the 2020-2021 season. The Buffaloes have gotten off to a 2-0 start after defeating South Dakota and Kansas St., but the team will face its first test during this unique season as all basketball activities have been paused as of Dec. 1 due to COVID-19 concerns within the Colorado program. – Vinny Lupo
COVID-19 Reaches America
By the time COVID-19 officially hit the United States (I have feelings it came earlier), to say my team was struggling is an understatement. We went from holding the #1 spot in the PAC-12 to sinking to fifth place. Maybe it was a preview of what was to come in the following weeks. We had lost four games in a row leading up to the PAC-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. By that time, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz had already caused an immediate pause of the National Basketball Association after his positive test, and the rest of the world was preparing to shut down. Nonetheless, we played Washington State that night and in orderly fashion we got wiped off the floor. The following days were when all hell broke loose. The morning after we got pounded by the Cougars, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the cancellation of all championship games and tournaments for all divisions. Usually, the weekend following the PAC-12 Tournament is Selection Sunday, when the selection committee decides who gets in the NCAA tournament, also known as “March Madness”. With this tournament being cancelled, our season was over, and this was really the start of my depression.
Untimely Return Home
After we left Las Vegas, we flew back to Boulder, but I had some family business to tend to. I had a funeral to go to for my best friend’s mother. At that moment, colleges across the nation were moving to online classes and sending their students home. This is when the transition to Zoom University happened. It was so weird being home in Los Angeles in the middle of March. Usually when I go home, it’s when the second semester ends, and I am there for almost two months until I return to Boulder for summer school. However, I was home in the middle of the second semester this past year having basketball withdrawals because we should have been playing in the tournament at that time.
Sad, Sadder, and Most Sad
The transition into online school was hard enough for me, but so was the isolation that came along with this pandemic. When I go home for summer break, I usually get to see my friends, family and loved ones, but at this time the whole city of Los Angeles was in complete lockdown and school was not getting any easier. For a while, my mental health was really down. I was gaining weight and had little-to-no motivation to work out, because the pain of the season being taken away from me was too much. Not having friends to hangout with, plus not having any sports to watch on television ultimately put me in a really deep hole that I had trouble getting out of.
Three Heroes
Three things helped me get out of the slump I was in. The first was the NCAA’s decision to allow student-athletes to return to campus over the summer to start preparing for the next season. I had already gained 10 pounds, but when that news came out I immediately got back to work; going on jogs, high intensity workouts, and playing basketball wherever I could to get myself back into shape. I even bought a basketball hoop to put on top of my garage. Seemingly we mounted this basketball hoop at the perfect time, because that is when the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” came out, which focused on Michael Jordan’s career with the Chicago Bulls, specifically the 1997-98 season, his last with the team. This is what I would consider the second hero of this pandemic. This documentary reinstalled my love for basketball and gave me new perspectives into the game. I started watching old games from the 80’s and the 90’s and really appreciated the little things that were a part of the game. My third hero of this pandemic isn’t even basketball-related. Over the summer, I picked up the game of Dominoes as a new hobby. I was taught by my mom’s boyfriend at his house, and have been in love ever since. These three things helped me fight the newfound depression that was settling inside of me.
Goin Goin, Back Back, to Boulder Boulder
Upon arrival back in Boulder, the town didn’t have the same magical feel that I fell in love with. The Hill was vacant, 28th Street Mall was empty and Pearl Street had little-to-no life, nothing like the usual Boulder scene in the summer. The only things to do were practice basketball and hangout with my teammates. As we prepared for Round Two of Zoom University on the education front, we had to prepare for months for the new-look season, which includes daily COVID-19 testing and possible quarantines. We have only had to quarantine once so far, when two members of our walk-ons tested positive. This semester so far has been one hell of a ride. The isolation we have had to go through only highlights the commitment and the dedication to this game and how badly we want to play. As we are hours from tipoff against South Dakota, I ask myself: Was it worth it? All the work my team and I have put in. The time I have spent working on my body. All the friends I have had to put-off and the family time I have missed. I guess we will find out and see. Sko Buffs. – Ev Battey
