Auriemma: UConn Players Taking Coronavirus Quarantine In Stride

STORRS, CT — The season is on hold until Dec. 8 for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team after a program-related positive coronavirus test and the expressions on Coach Geno Auriemma's face Tuesday perhaps showed the ambiguity that has been plaguing college sports since the summer.

"I don't know ... I'm not I'm a great place ... I'm not in a bad place. I'm in a neutral place," Auriemma said in a Tuesday virtual media conference.

Here what Auriemma said he could say while still following strict privacy protocol in terms of "patient" anonymity and the rules laid out by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont:

• Neither a player or member of the coaching staff was the one testing positive. Auriemma said it was someone related to the program.
• The quarantine began Tuesday.
• The coaches are not quarantined.
• The players are and must stay within their "pods:" for two weeks.
• The players can work out in pods with negative tests, but team practices and games are on hold.
• Players are still being tested three times per week, according to NCAA Tier 1 guidelines and the state Department of Public Health.
• This week's event at Mohegan Sun is out, as is the Dec. 4 game with Louisville. The Dec. 6 Big East game with Seton Hall will likely be rescheduled. That leaves the season opener at Dec. 15 against Butler at Gampel Pavilion.

Auriemma did say the positive test was not the result of any "reckless" behavior.

"We're not playing this weekend we won's have these four games and we won't be able be with the team as an entire group until December 8th. Yeah, that changes everything," Auriemma said. "But, like everything else this year, you have to rill with it, make adjustments and move on.

"The games could be made up if a team is looking for a game later on, but I'm not sure would have enough time because we're swamped through Christmas."

Fellow Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, now the men's coach at Iona, has been openly promoting a "May Madness" as of late, meaning the season could be delayed and extended three months. Auriemma seemed on the fence with the concept.

"UConn Athletic Director) Davis Benedict and I have had multiple conversations about this and we talked about a February start," Auriemma said. "I do not study this every day. I'm not in Indianapolis and the NCAA. (NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball) Dan Gavitt is one of the most respected people in the business and a dear friend of mine and I know a lot of planning went into this. It looks had right now and there are no guarantees it will get any better.

"I know there are efforts to keep the NCAA Tournament in its spot. Does later give us a better chance? Right now, we're hoping things change. Everyone will be in the position we are in the way it is now. Every player at every school — if any player feels as though they cannot be present and perform and feel safe about it — has the option to opt out."

Connecticut also has a strict policy that essentially forces a quarantine by order of the governor.

"The differences seem widespread and the disparity on how each conference, each part of the country each state handles these things is also widespread," Auriemma said. "This is UConn, not a football team at a school in another part of the country. Given the nature of what I can see, this happening every week at some program. This is what we have in front of us right now. Some behaviors have inexcusable, then there are places where everyone take every precaution and it still happens.

"There are a lot of layers. I understand what everyone is trying to do don't get me wrong. The schools are trying to figure out how to do this. The players want to play, the coaches want to coach. The fans want to watch. Everyone has a stake in this. "I don't know what the right decisions are to make. I just know that, since March, I'm in different state of mind."

Auriemma said his players have been role models through it all.

"I have to tell you, being in it, I have tremendous empathy for my players," Auriemma said. "When we talked yesterday, we talked about our pause on this and I felt really guilty — like I had hand in this. They came back at me and said, 'Coach, these things are out of our control and we'll come back better.

"They want this so bad but they also understand nothing we can do to prevent this and avoid the consequences when it strikes. How resilient can you be? They much more than I am. It's been a real struggle for me. I'm supposed to giving them all the good stuff they need and I'm getting it from them."

So what's next?

"We'll put ourselves in a position to work hard as a team and staff and keep an eye on this," Auriemma said. "Keep calm and carry on, as the saying goes. It what we have to do."