MBB Final: Louisiana 65, Coastal 64

[cajuns80]

Happy New Year everyone.

There is always a question as to when to use that final time out. CCU up two, 12 seconds left. Dibba has one more free throw coming. Brock chose to use the final time out then as opposed to waiting to see if he made the free throw. Kid misses, we dont have a time out but the offense had been addressed in the TO which means CCU can't set their defense. Julien hits a big one.

Concerning Joe Charles. He complained of a headache at halftime and tested positive. He was double masked on the bench in the second half.

In addition to playing shorthanded, on this trip you also had the question of what to do when four players (five counting Charles) test positive when you are on a road trip. There's a lot behind the scenes as to how to isolate them, how to get them from one city to another and how to get them home.

I can say the four players who popped positive were done with symptoms by the time we boarded the plane yesterday.

Coach Marlin got his booster a week before testing positive. It's his second bout with COVID. But he was symptomatic only about 36 hours.

I am not sure about player availability vs. Arkansas State Thursday. Even though players are no longer symptomatic there's still a protocol to be followed.

Coach's show tonight at Pete's. We should know more by then.

We flew the COVID positive players back on the same plane as the rest of the team...? Also why was Charles not in the locker room quarantined from the rest of the team during the game? I think those are both bad mistakes as if we can't play games, we forfeit them. We need to do everything in our power to make sure we can play all league games.

[JayWalker]

Charles was double masked and away from the team. There wasn't a problem with that. Our staff (and trainer) have done an excellent job taking all possible precautions. I don't think there is a worry there at all.

[Million$Mullet]

Charles was double masked and away from the team. There wasn't a problem with that. Our staff (and trainer) have done an excellent job taking all possible precautions. I don't think there is a worry there at all.

Maybe I am missing something here, but how are infected players allowed to travel back on the same plane with non infected players? Or how are infected players allowed to air travel period? Because they double masked??

[Cajunsmike]

Mike, any idea why Joe Charles didn't play much of the second half and his bizarre nature of sitting at end of bench not involved in team at all in second half?

No idea on why Charles was at end of bench. Perhaps he was disappointed some type of injury was preventing him from going back into game. There is a Louisiana Athletics live radio show at Pete’s tonight. Coach Marlin supposedly will be there. Guess he has cleared protocol. Health of he and others is likely something Jay will ask about. I did find out team did not get back until after 6 last night. That trip to the Carolina’s is rough when you travel commercially. They will have time to get ready for Arkansas State in Thursday however. Hopefully Covid stays away from the program this week.

[Cajunsmike]

We flew the COVID positive players back on the same plane as the rest of the team...? Also why was Charles not in the locker room quarantined from the rest of the team during the game? I think those are both bad mistakes as if we can't play games, we forfeit them. We need to do everything in our power to make sure we can play all league games.

SBC recently changed the rules to eliminate forfeits. If a game cannot be played it is simply canceled with no impact on standings. If you have 7 available players and one coach you are required to play. If we are following 5 day isolation required by CDC, we should have some guys back by Thursday. I say that because of Jay’s earlier post indicating most no longer exhibit symptoms.

[cajuns80]

SBC recently changed the rules to eliminate forfeits. If a game cannot be played it is simply canceled with no impact on standings. If you have 7 available players and one coach you are required to play. If we are following 5 day isolation required by CDC, we should have some guys back by Thursday. I say that because of Jay’s earlier post indicating most no longer exhibit symptoms.

3 cancelations and you can't win the championship.

[CajunEXPRESS]

3 cancelations and you can't win the championship.

In theory maybe nobody qualifies.

[CajunVic]

In theory maybe nobody qualifies.

Rules are made to be fixed in these times . . . They will be tweaked before the end of the season, mark my words . . .

[Cajunsmike]

3 cancelations and you can't win the championship.

I am not sure what the minimum number of games played is to qualify for league title. Maybe it is only 15 as that would be three canceled games.

[Hudsheen#Fired]

I am not sure what the minimum number of games played is to qualify for league title. Maybe it is only 15 as that would be three canceled games.

He was referencing the 3 games in march

[Hatch]

I am not sure what the minimum number of games played is to qualify for league title. Maybe it is only 15 as that would be three canceled games.

The threshold is 80% of scheduled games so at 18 conference games you would have to play at least 15, so technically the 4th cancelation would take you below the threshold. Per the press release from the Sunbelt if a team falls below the threshold they can still play in the conference tournament but will be seeded below any team that met the threshold regardless of winning percentage.

[cajuns80]

He was referencing the 3 games in march

I'm referencing the regular season. We have no chance of winning conference tournament if we are unseeded. We need a top 4 seed to get that bye to have a chance to win it.

[JayWalker]

No idea on why Charles was at end of bench. Perhaps he was disappointed some type of injury was preventing him from going back into game. There is a Louisiana Athletics live radio show at Pete’s tonight. Coach Marlin supposedly will be there. Guess he has cleared protocol. Health of he and others is likely something Jay will ask about. I did find out team did not get back until after 6 last night. That trip to the Carolina’s is rough when you travel commercially. They will have time to get ready for Arkansas State in Thursday however. Hopefully Covid stays away from the program this week.

Plane landed at 3 yesterday afternoon, Mike.

[Cajunsmike]

Plane landed at 3 yesterday afternoon, Mike.

Thanks for correction. Talked to someone in party that said they were just getting home. That was around 6 but I am on East Coast now so I probably forgot about hour difference. Still, they got home 24 hours after a great victory. More time to enjoy it I guess.

[JayWalker]

Thanks for correction. Talked to someone in party that said they were just getting home. That was around 6 but I am on East Coast now so I probably forgot about hour difference. Still, they got home 24 hours after a great victory. More time to enjoy it I guess.

Well after the game they bused to Charlotte and got in about 9:30pm. Their flight back to Lafayette wasn't until 1pm, which gave everyone a chance to get some well deserved rest.