MBB: University Athletic Association

[deiscanton]

Brandeis just announced their new spectator policy for 2022, and while in theory, people outside of the immediate Brandeis community can still attend Brandeis home games-- in practice, the requirement is so onerous that it is an effective ban on people outside of the immediate Brandeis community from attending Brandeis home events.

New requirement:  People outside of the immediate Brandeis community must have a negative PCR test result from a test administered no more than 48 72 hours prior to the home athletic event for each indoor home event the person or persons are planning to attend.  A vaccination card, even one indicating a booster shot is not an adequate replacement for the negative PCR test result.

Note:  A PCR test is not the same as a quick 15 minute lateral-flow over the counter home test that a local city or town board of health may administer in Massachusetts.  These PCR tests need to be processed by a lab and prescribed by a health care provider-- either the primary care physician, or an urgent care center provider in Massachusetts.

I had a rapid lateral flow test administered to me by the Canton, MA head nurse the Tuesday before the holiday, and I am planning to get another one next Tuesday assuming the town got some more rapid test kits.  A negative result on those would not be adequate to attend Brandeis home events.  (The result was negative.)

Getting a PCR test while asymptomatic solely for the purpose of attending a home Brandeis contest will not be covered by health insurance in Massachusetts. 

Source:  brandeisjudges.com/general/2021-22/releases/SpectatorPolicyJan2022

To quote WUPHF:  "Well, you guys know how I feel about that decision."  However, I was planning not to come to the Brandeis campus anyway in January due to my underlying health conditions.

The Brandeis Alumni Club of Greater Boston made a major mistake this season in scheduling in-person alumni events around Sunday home basketball games.  As a result of this new policy, they will have to be virtual or be cancelled.

[AllStar]

Brandeis just announced their new spectator policy for 2022, and while in theory, people outside of the immediate Brandeis community can still attend Brandeis home games-- in practice, the requirement is so onerous that it is an effective ban on people outside of the immediate Brandeis community from attending Brandeis home events.

New requirement:  People outside of the immediate Brandeis community must have a negative PCR test result from a test administered 48 hours prior to the home athletic event for each indoor home event the person or persons are planning to attend.  A vaccination card, even one indicating a booster shot is not an adequate replacement for the negative PCR test result.

Note:  A PCR test is not the same as a quick 15 minute lateral-flow over the counter home test that a local city or town board of health may administer in Massachusetts.  These PCR tests need to be processed by a lab and prescribed by a health care provider-- either the primary care physician, or an urgent care center provider in Massachusetts.

I had a rapid lateral flow test administered to me by the Canton, MA head nurse the Tuesday before the holiday, and I am planning to get another one next Tuesday assuming the town got some more rapid test kits.  A negative result on those would not be adequate to attend Brandeis home events.  (The result was negative.)

Getting a PCR test while asymptomatic solely for the purpose of attending a home Brandeis contest will not be covered by health insurance in Massachusetts. 

Source:  brandeisjudges.com/general/2021-22/releases/SpectatorPolicyJan2022

To quote WUPHF:  "Well, you guys know how I feel about that decision."  However, I was planning not to come to the Brandeis campus anyway in January due to my underlying health conditions.

The Brandeis Alumni Club of Greater Boston made a major mistake this season in scheduling in-person alumni events around Sunday home basketball games.  As a result of this new policy, they will have to be virtual or be cancelled.

Utterly comical.

[WUPHF]

6,000 mostly maskless fans watched the Missouri women knock off No. 1 South Carolina in the lower bowl of the Mizzou Arena and the 200 or so fans who would have turned out for the Washington University games tomorrow have to watch online instead.

I guess I'll have to go get a round trip ticket to Boston and a PCR test before I go.

[deiscanton]

6,000 mostly maskless fans watched the Missouri women knock off No. 1 South Carolina in the lower bowl of the Mizzou Arena and the 200 or so fans who would have turned out for the Washington University games tomorrow have to watch online instead.

I guess I'll have to go get a round trip ticket to Boston and a PCR test before I go.

("Is this trip necessary?"-- Bugs Bunny, Baseball Bugs. (LOL)).   What's wrong with Brandeis undergrad Jonah White on PxP?  He did a great job of being neutral when doing commentary on the NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Tournament this year from MIT, as well as the MIT women's soccer conference playoff run. (MIT got him to do commentary on a few weeks loan from Brandeis for the duration.  Jesse Lieberman is also supposed to be back to do commentary when Wash U is scheduled to do the Boston/New York trip this season (assuming that both games can be played that week.))

Cost of PCR tests--

Ordering from Amazon-- $40 out of pocket per test kit-- must be shipped back to the lab for processing and registered on your Amazon account.  Not covered by insurance.

Going to PhysicianOne Urgent Care in Waltham or Westwood, Massachusetts for an Express PCR test-- $100 out of pocket.  Not available for Medicare and MassHealth (Medicaid) patients.

Sorry, Brandeis, you just said that I cannot attend games in person this year.  Be more direct on that, please. (Bummer....)

Of course, I do feel more sorry about the families of the UAA athletes than I do about myself.  The families really make a big investment to attend all of these UAA games home and away in person.

[WUPHF]

I talk a good game. And even though I have access to free PCR tests and friends in Boston that I need to visit, I am sure I'll be watch the live stream along with you, deiscanton...

[deiscanton]

6,000 mostly maskless fans watched the Missouri women knock off No. 1 South Carolina in the lower bowl of the Mizzou Arena and the 200 or so fans who would have turned out for the Washington University games tomorrow have to watch online instead.

Former Emory women's basketball coach Christy Thomaskutty did color on the SEC Network for the broadcast with Eric Frede at PxP for the Mizzou/S. Carolina game yesterday.  I'll have to watch the archived version of the game this morning.  It will be great to hear her voice once again.

(Updated note-- at least ESPN/SEC Network did the smart thing last night and had Eric Frede and Christy Thomaskutty do the PxP and commentary remotely from 2 separate off-site locations well away from the Mizzou Arena.)

[deiscanton]

Watching the first game of the Wash U doubleheader right now, with the Wash U men hosting Westminster of the SLIAC.  The Wash U women's team will also play Westminister today in the second game.

(I'll take whatever is available right now...)

On Sunday, Rochester is scheduled to play at DePauw, Carnegie Mellon is scheduled to play at Penn State-Behrend, and Emory is scheduled to play at Oglethorpe.  Let's see how many of these games get played.

[deiscanton]

Halftime:  Wash U 45, Westminster 32

Jack Nolan now has 250 career 3's.-- He came in at 245, and made 5 of 9 from 3 pt range in the first half.  (#3 all time on the Wash U list-- his uncle, Gene Nolan, is #1 all time on career 3's made by a Wash U Bear.)

Leading scorers for Wash U--

Jack Nolan, 17 points

Justin Hardy-- 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists.

No Westminister player in double figures.

Wash U made 9 of 18 as a team from 3 pt range in the first half.

Wash U outrebounded Westminster, 22-8, 10-0 on the offensive glass.

Westminster's leading scorer, Landon Harrison, not playing today for undisclosed reasons.

[deiscanton]

Final:  Wash U 86, Westminster 57-- Wash U finishes their non-conference slate at 10-1.  Chicago finished their non-conference slate this week as well at 5-6 in UAA play

(Note to Jaybird44-- According to the NCAA stats, Wash U's scoring defense is actually ranked at #2 in DIII through games of last night.  Wash U entered today's contest vs Westminster only giving up 55.1 ppg.  Only Amherst had a stronger scoring defense, entering the game against Babson today only giving up 51.5 ppg.  However, Babson scored 70 points on Amherst and knocked Amherst out from the ranks of the undefeated teams today.)

The next game is scheduled to be Wash U at Chicago to open UAA play on January 8, 2022.

(Note:  Next Top 25 poll is scheduled to be released on Monday).

No men's UAA non-conference games tomorrow.  On Sunday, Rochester, Carnegie Mellon, and Emory are scheduled to be in action.

[deiscanton]

Brandeis just announced their new spectator policy for 2022, and while in theory, people outside of the immediate Brandeis community can still attend Brandeis home games-- in practice, the requirement is so onerous that it is an effective ban on people outside of the immediate Brandeis community from attending Brandeis home events.

New requirement:  People outside of the immediate Brandeis community must have a negative PCR test result from a test administered no more than 48 72 hours prior to the home athletic event for each indoor home event the person or persons are planning to attend.  A vaccination card, even one indicating a booster shot is not an adequate replacement for the negative PCR test result.

Note:  A PCR test is not the same as a quick 15 minute lateral-flow over the counter home test that a local city or town board of health may administer in Massachusetts.  These PCR tests need to be processed by a lab and prescribed by a health care provider-- either the primary care physician, or an urgent care center provider in Massachusetts.

I had a rapid lateral flow test administered to me by the Canton, MA head nurse the Tuesday before the holiday, and I am planning to get another one next Tuesday assuming the town got some more rapid test kits.  A negative result on those would not be adequate to attend Brandeis home events.  (The result was negative.)

Getting a PCR test while asymptomatic solely for the purpose of attending a home Brandeis contest will not be covered by health insurance in Massachusetts. 

Source:  brandeisjudges.com/general/2021-22/releases/SpectatorPolicyJan2022

To quote WUPHF:  "Well, you guys know how I feel about that decision."  However, I was planning not to come to the Brandeis campus anyway in January due to my underlying health conditions.

The Brandeis Alumni Club of Greater Boston made a major mistake this season in scheduling in-person alumni events around Sunday home basketball games.  As a result of this new policy, they will have to be virtual or be cancelled.

Just before 4 PM Eastern on Friday, Brandeis updated the new policy by changing the time period to get a PCR test to at most 72 hours before the event.

Brandeis also stated that if someone has recently tested positive for COVID-19, completed their isolation period, and recovered-- thereby getting a 90 day test exemption period as a result, that person, as a condifiton of in-person admittance to the Gosman Center, would have to show the date of the positive result and the fact that they have in a 90 day text exemption period due to completion of isolation and recovery

[deiscanton]

Reminiscing about the experience that I had watching Yeshiva vs Illinois Wesleyan Thursday night, and I have to wonder about this question:

When NYU reopens 181 Mercer Street in New York City in September 2022 for basketball and other sporting events (the new complex is not too long to be finished, and it will be an attraction to visit once the pandemic is over...), can the atmosphere there ever get back to the heydays of big games at the Coles Sports Center with the NYU pep band playing at full blast?  In those days, I felt like the Coles Center defined DIII basketball in New York City and was the landmark to see for DIII sports fans travelling to New York.

Washington Heights, for now, has taken that spot as the top landmark on the New York DIII basketball scene, no matter if Illinois Wesleyan controlled the game a few days ago.

[deiscanton]

DePauw Athletics sent out a tweet on Sunday, January 2, 2022, at 10:33 AM Eastern--

Today's Rochester vs DePauw game scheduled for noon Eastern has been cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.  Rochester will not play DePauw this season.

Rochester's next scheduled game is at Buffalo State Wednesday, January 5.

[deiscanton]

Watching live stream of warmups from the Junker Center in Erie, PA for Carnegie Mellon at Penn State-Behrend, and I really hate it when something is partially blocking the scoreboard clock on the video, so I cannot exactly see how many minutes and seconds there are left until tip or a half is over.

At least we will have PxP commentary for this one.

[WUPHF]

It is hard to watch a MacsLive production and then turn on the Penn State Behrend broadcast, but I am thankful for the opportunity to watch nonetheless.

This Carnegie Mellon team has a serious shot at a UAA championship, as do others, though I still think it comes down to Washington University and Emory.

[deiscanton]

Halftime-- Carnegie Mellon 31, Penn State Behrend 29.  Not the best non-conference first half for the Tartans, but RJ Holmes already has 10 points.

Live stream of warmups from the Oglethorpe blacktop court in Atlanta underway for Emory at Oglethorpe tipping off at 3 PM Eastern.