Scots still waiting on all-clear to return to court
College of Wooster first-year head basketball coach Doug Cline has given his players workout programs to follow, but some have had trouble finding a gym to work out in. When the calendar flipped to 2021 earlier this month, the Fighting Scots’ drawn-out fight to start their season has become more urgent each day.
Doug Cline gained immeasurable experience helping to lead The College of Wooster men’s basketball team during 24 years as an assistant coach.
Following the retirement of coaching legend Steve Moore after the 2019-20 academic year, Cline was promoted to lead the program but hasn’t been able to coach a single game.
Instead, Cline’s lone opponent has been the COVID-19 pandemic, which sidelined the start of his tenure before it even got going in the fall.
When the calendar flipped to 2021 earlier this month, the Fighting Scots’ drawn-out fight against the clock has become more urgent each day.
Will the Scots be cleared to play in time to save this season?
That’s the million-dollar question surrounding many Div. III athletic programs like Wooster.
“Right now, it’s still up in the air, but we’re hoping that we’re gonna be able to practice sometime soon and still be able to play a limited number of games,” the first-year head coach said during an interview on Jan. 12.
The Scots are members of the North Coast Athletic Conference, which has left it up to member schools to determine if they will have a season. Fellow NCAC rivals Hiram, Oberlin and Kenyon have canceled their seasons.
The Ohio Athletic Conference, with Div. III schools like John Carroll, Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union, has its teams practicing already. A 12-game schedule has been put in place slated to start Jan. 22, followed by a league tournament.
The College of Wooster suspended all in-person classes for the final six weeks of the fall semester after seeing a spike of positive coronavirus cases.
Students will return for classes for the start of the spring semester on Jan. 19 with the first two weeks consisting of remote instruction with in-person and hybrid learning starting Feb. 1. Cline is optimistic the Wooster administration will soon allow winter sports teams to start practicing and scheduling games.
Cline has worked his entire career for this shot to lead the Scots, but his thoughts are all focused on helping his student-athletes to remain positive during this unprecedented time.
“It’s been like nothing we’ve ever faced before,” said Cline, who starred as a high school player at Northwestern and then at The COW. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life, but much more important to me is just giving the guys the opportunity to get back out there to do the things they love to do.”
Whether it’s seniors like Keonn Scott, Peyton Benington (Wooster H.S.) or Joey Passodelis getting the chance to play in their final season or incoming freshman suiting up after several had their last high school seasons ended early, Cline feels for all his players.
“Several members of the incoming freshman class had a terrible end to their senior year,” said Cline, whose son, J.J., is part of that freshman class. “Several of them were on teams that reached the regionals, in Ohio or other states, and didn’t get to compete. College life really isn’t college life right now on any campus. And sports have been a big part of these kids’ lives forever. They’ve been doing it since they were grade-schoolers, and now it’s pretty much all come to a standstill. They don’t really know what to do, and it’s a big adjustment taking remote classes.”
Cline calls the chances of a Div. III NCAA Tournament taking place “shaky.”
Sixty percent of the teams would have to play a specified minimum number of games (nine) against other Div. III schools. Selection Monday is slated for March 7 for a tournament that will be downsized from 64 to 48 teams if it even takes place.
Cline has given his players workout programs to follow, but some have had trouble finding a gym to work out in. If a schedule is quickly put together, Cline worries about a greater risk of injury because it’s been so long since most of the team has played at a highly competitive level.
“We weren’t able to have any fall workouts,” said Cline, who hired former Scots standout Rodney Mitchell, as well as former assistant coaches Patrick Rufener and Randy “Ranger” Worrell to his coaching staff, with the full-time assistant position still open. “No one even played one on one.”
Most Div. I college basketball programs and many Div. II teams are playing games, but they have bigger budgets and more resources to provide regular COVID-19 tests and other safety measures.
Cline would obviously love to see his team play again if it’s deemed safe.
“I don’t even know if they’ll be an NCAA tournament to be honest,” Cline said. “I just feel so bad for these guys. I’m hoping they get the opportunity to just practice and play some games. I think it’d be a big relief for them, just to be able to get back out on that court with their friends and have the opportunity to compete and play the game that they love.”
Aaron Dorksen can be emailed at aarondorksen24@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronDorksen.