Links: Vanderbilt cancels classes, but SEC Tournament still a go
The SEC says it plans on proceeding with its men’s basketball tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville this week as scheduled, with certain precautions, despite the coronavirus threat.
Just down the street, however, Vanderbilt University has canceled classes for the rest of the week after students tested positive for COVID-19. Starting next week, the school is suspending all in-person classes, opting instead to hold those classes online.
The tournament is to begin Wednesday night. As the No. 1 seed, Kentucky won’t play its first game until Friday at 1 p.m. ET. If the Cats win they would play Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, UK Coach John Calipari admitted on his radio show Monday night that he has been feeling under the weather. UK basketball has a media opportunity, players only, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. UK football has a media opportunity scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Two new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Kentucky.
SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule
To the links:
Uncertainty at point guard for Kentucky — Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes in a subscriber-exclusive column, “In Kentucky’s ideal scenario, the lesson Ashton Hagans gleaned from watching on TV in Lexington on Saturday as his UK teammates rallied from 18 down in the second half to win at Florida is basic: For the Kentucky point guard, less can be more. Hagans, of course, missed the Wildcats’ remarkable 71-70 comeback win at Florida due to what Kentucky described as ‘personal reasons.’”
Calipari optimistic Hagans will be back — Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports, “Kentucky won at Florida on Saturday despite the absence of lead guard Ashton Hagans. Whether UK will have to do the same at the Southeastern Conference Tournament remained unclear Monday. Speaking on a SEC teleconference, Kentucky Coach John Calipari said he had not yet spoken to Hagans. UK said “personal reasons” led Hagans to stay home from Florida.”
Kentucky softball takes series from Texas A&M -- From UK Athletics, “In one of the most dramatic games of the young season, the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats got two grand slams on Monday night from Autumn Humes and Mallory Peyton to race out to a 9-1 lead and fought off a furious Texas A&M comeback in the final two innings to win the game 9-8 and the series, two games to one.”
Prominent horse trainer charged in doping scheme — My report, “Jason Servis, trainer of top race horse Maximum Security, is one of 27 people charged in an alleged doping scheme, both NBC News and the New York Times reported Monday. Federal prosecutors in New York allege the defendants ran horses in Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio and the United Arab Emirates.”
When will horse racing scandals reach the tipping point? — Rick Bozich of WDRB in Louisville writes, “Will you keep going to the race track if you know the results are as bogus as a $6 bottle of water — with the added downer that the animals running their hearts out have been doped to the point of catastrophic injury?”
Florida’s Kerry Blackshear could miss SEC Tournament - Mark Long of the AP reports, “Blackshear injured his wrist during the season finale against Kentucky on Saturday. X-rays were negative, and an MRI showed a sprained ligament.”
Will Bam Adebayo lobby help for the Heat? — Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports, “They share the same agent, have worked out together in the offseason and feel great respect for one another. But the Heat’s Bam Adebayo made clear late Sunday night that he does not intend to lobby Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo to join the Heat as a free agent in the summer of 2021.”
Florida baseball is off to a 16-0 start — Graham Hall of the Gainesville Sun reports, “With the score tied at a run apiece Sunday, Nathan Hickey’s eighth-inning blast ricocheted off the McKethan Stadium’s scoreboard, thus eliminating any notion the No. 1 Gators wouldn’t remain the nation’s lone unbeaten program.”
Tennessee football player suffered a gunshot wound — Blake Toppmeyer of the Knoxville News Sentinel reports, “Tennessee football player Brandon Davis suffered a gunshot wound in his leg in a weekend incident under investigation by Knoxville police. He was transported to UT Medical Center and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 9:05 AM.
