Frozen in time: A look at where UK’s programs stood when sports shut down.
After news broke Thursday that the Southeastern Conference men’s basketball tournament had been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, the ripple effect throughout the sports world was swift and broad. Not to mention surreal.
Within hours the sports landscape around the country was thrown into a historic state of upheaval. High school basketball tournaments were suspended along with the NBA and NHL seasons. Major League Baseball canceled spring training games and postponed opening day. Keeneland announced the general public would be barred from attending its Spring Meet from at least April 2-14.
Among the most crushing blows to University of Kentucky fans was the cancellation of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. Not long after that news broke came the announcement from the NCAA that all remaining winter and spring championships, including the men’s and women’s College World Series, were also canceled.
The University of Kentucky joined colleges around the country in restricting on-campus student instruction. Following the school’s spring break from March 16-22, classes will be held online or through “other alternatives” from March 23 through April 3.
UK’s spring sports teams were left in a strange state of limbo after Thursday’s developments. Though the NCAA canceled its championships, the SEC to this point has only suspended play and practice for its programs through at least April 15.
The Herald-Leader asked UK spokesman Guy Ramsey about the possibility of spring athletes returning to competition at some point this season, despite the fact the NCAA will not hold championship events.
“Our directive is to cease all activities. We will proceed as such until further notice,” Ramsey replied in an email.
Several spring programs (baseball, softball, golf, track and field,) have regular-season competitions scheduled after April 15.
On Friday, the NCAA indicated it was pursuing a framework to grant an extra year of eligibility to spring sports athletes. The Division I Council Coordination Committee released a Tweet saying “Council leadership agreed that eligibility relief is appropriate for all Division I student-athletes who participated in spring sports. Details of eligibility relief will be finalized at a later time.”
Thursday night, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart released a joint statement directed at UK athletes, coaches and staff.
“Late this afternoon, the NCAA announced the cancellation of all winter and spring championships. This difficult decision was made in response to an unprecedented health crisis of the accelerating spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In such a moment, all of us are called to do what we can to help slow the spread of this virus. Our country is marshalling its forces in a comprehensive, coordinated, and collective approach to overcome this public health challenge.
“We are asked to do our part. But such a call, as important as it is, does not come without pain. And it certainly does not come without a sense of deep sacrifice. You understand those feelings better than most. We know all of you have tirelessly worked for moments like these — to be recognized as champions in the sports you have passionately pursued for as long as you can remember.
“It is almost unfathomable to think about these lost opportunities for you and for your fellow student-athletes at UK and across the country. Student-athletes, coaches, and the staffs who support you, work so hard for that one shot — that one moment in time to stand out as a champion. But there are more important things. And, certainly, there are other ways we lead and other ways we express a champion’s spirit. This is such a moment.”
With the vast majority of the sports world on indefinite hiatus, here’s a look at where several University of Kentucky programs stood when time stood still on Thursday:
Men’s basketball
Fresh off the momentum of a thrilling comeback victory at Florida last weekend, the SEC regular-season champion Wildcats were poised to pursue the conference tournament title in Nashville. Now, we’ll never know if the Cats would have raised the league trophy or how deep a run they might have made at the program’s ninth national championship.
UK released a statement from Coach John Calipari Thursday night:
“Today’s news has stunned all of us. It’s just now sinking in for me. As disappointed as we all are, this was the right decision for the health of our nation. I’m saddened for everyone. My heart is broken for our guys, but I’m equally as disappointed for the thousands of student-athletes across the country in all sports and at all levels who won’t have a chance to experience that shining moment that they’ve worked so hard for.
“It’s a tough situation. It was hard to tell my guys they won’t have a shot at what they’ve been working for all year – as I’m sure it was for so many other coaches across the country. But there are bigger things at stake here and I understand the decision. It’s no one’s fault.”
The Wildcats finished the season with an overall record of 25-6, going 15-3 in SEC play and earning the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Kentucky was ranked No. 8 in the most recent Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who runs the network’s “Bracketology” feature, had the Cats listed as a No. 2 seed in his final NCAA Tournament projections on Thursday.
Women’s basketball
The UK women’s hoops team ended its season last Saturday with a 77-59 loss to defending conference champion Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The Cats built a strong NCAA Tournament resume with an overall record of 22-8 and an SEC record of 10-6, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
In his final “Bracketology” projections updated on Thursday, ESPN’s Charlie Creme predicted the Cats would earn a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. UK was ranked No. 16 by the AP, No. 18 in the coaches poll and No. 24 in the RPI.
Baseball and softball
The softball Wildcats were off to a scorching start when play was suspended. They built an overall record of 20-4 and won their first SEC series of the season last weekend, taking two of three games against Texas A&M. On Wednesday, in what could turn out to have been their season finale, the Cats overcame an 11-run deficit to knock off Marshall, 16-15.
After a rough start to the season, UK baseball appeared to be putting things together in March. The Wildcats averaged more than 10 runs per game during a six-game winning streak which they capped with a 10-4 victory over Western Kentucky on Tuesday to improve to 11-6. UK was set to play its first SEC series of the season this weekend at Vanderbilt.
Rifle robbed?
The No. 1-ranked UK rifle team was favored to win its third overall national championship and second in three years this weekend. Kentucky, which won the Great American Rifle Conference Championship two weeks ago, was scheduled to host the NCAA Rifle Championship for the first time in Memorial Coliseum on Friday and Saturday.
Two of the five Wildcats who were set to compete qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Sophomore Will Shaner and freshman Mary Tucker earned spots on Team USA during the Air Rifle Olympics Trials in Colorado last month. As of now, no plans have been announced to postpone or cancel the Summer Olympics.
Other sports
Kentucky’s track and field team was set to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., beginning Friday. The UK women were coming off a fifth-place finish at the SEC Indoor Championships, while the men finished sixth. Senior Ellen Ekholm (high jump), sophomores Alexis Holmes (400 meters) and Abby Stenier (200 meters) and junior Matthew Peare (pole vault) all won individual championships at the SEC meet.
The UK men’s tennis team built a 12-5 record, going 3-1 in the SEC, before competition was suspended. UK women’s tennis was 9-6 (2-2 SEC). The SEC tennis championships for both are currently scheduled for April 15-19. According to the current conference guidelines, the SEC championships are the only competition in which UK’s tennis teams could potentially participate the rest of the season.
