Given basketball roster sizes and the nature of a game played where guys are going up and down the court constantly breathing on each other, positive tests and subsequent contact tracing will decimate teams to the point of postponement/cancellation. At least with football there is a week between each game. I'm looking forward to the season but expect each team will play significantly fewer games than are currently scheduled.
Especially at a large state school like Kentucky. States can set priorities for who gets vaccines first. I can imagine the 20 or so folks associated with a basketball program moving to the front of the line.
Barnes initiated the ND game in a call to Brey because he wanted a 2 game trip. If the 12/2 Gonzaga game in Indy is cancelled I can't see UT coming here even if the team is cleared of COVID.
If both UT games are cancelled I'd love for Brey and Few to see if an ND/Gonzaga game is possible. Brey's already playing a murderer's row schedule. Might as well add a game with the team many experts are picking to win it all.
The Zags/TN game is part of the Jimmy V Classic, so I'm not sure if there are complications related to that.
IF not, Gonzaga is already playing Baylor on the 5th in Indy, so if ND/Zags were to happen, it probably would have to be on the 2nd to replace their game against TN.
We're already playing Western Michigan on the 2nd. They play at Michigan State on the 6th, so theoretically they could swap slots with TN on our schedule which would open up the 2nd.
I agree, that would be a fun game to watch.