黑料门

In a typical summer, Lucas Williamson鈥攁 senior captain on 黑料门University Chicago鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball team鈥攚ould throw himself into pickup games at will. He鈥檇 shoot, and shoot, and shoot some more. And he鈥檇 keep his body in what he calls 鈥渂asketball shape,鈥� a level of fitness that regular cardio and weight lifting can鈥檛 quite approximate. 

This was anything but a typical offseason. 

Williamson鈥檚 dad is 73 years old, making him more susceptible to the ravages of COVID-19. Williamson鈥檚 girlfriend also falls into a high-risk category. Because the Chicago native is taking the coronavirus seriously, open gyms were out of the question. 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 know where people have been,鈥� Williamson says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 trust people.鈥� 

To compensate, he ran himself through high-intensity interval trainings at 黑料门Park and CrossFit sessions at a gym in Evanston. He stayed connected with his teammates and coaches over text and Zoom. In short, he waited as patiently as he could for another chance to hoop safely. For athletes wired like Williamson, head coach Porter Moser equates losing floor access with 鈥渢aking away their favorite toy.鈥� 

On July 20, the men鈥檚 basketball team held its first formal practice of the 2020-2021 season鈥攖he 103rd in school history, and one that promises to be the program鈥檚 most unusual yet. There was genuine excitement and relief, along with rust to sand off and trepidations to address. 鈥淥n a normal, non-COVID summer, if they came back this out of shape, I鈥檇 have been irate,鈥� Moser says. 鈥淵ou just have to be completely understanding.鈥� 

In the ensuing months, the team and staff have successfully kept the virus at bay. To mitigate risk, Moser is following guidance from public health experts at 黑料门Medicine, folks who 鈥渒now the science鈥� and who the athletic department trust. Some players quarantined for 14 days upon their return to Chicago. Once cleared, everyone was assigned to a 鈥減od,鈥� a small group (often roommates) with whom they trained and interacted. (No full scrimmages in those initial weeks, and certainly no off-campus parties.) Players wear masks everywhere, right until the moment they step onto the floor. Coaches, meanwhile, stay in masks and gloves even in the gym. Everyone scans their 黑料门IDs to get anywhere in Norville Center. Nobody shares water bottles and towels. On top of it all, there鈥檚 consistent COVID-19 testing conducted through the Wellness Center. (For two weeks in the middle of November, the team  all activities because of positive COVID-19 tests results among the team's personnel, which consists of student-athletes, coaches, managers and staff.)

The MVC expects to kick off conference basketball play on December 30. Though schedules are still in flux, the NCAA has greenlit athletic directors to line up non-conference matchups starting on November 25. With so many moving pieces and pandemic-related uncertainty, Moser is asking his team to focus on what they can control, and to stay as positive as they鈥檙e able. His office door is open for socially distanced griping, should someone feel frustrated or anxious. Otherwise, the goal鈥攚inning a conference championship鈥攔emains the same. 鈥淭he team that makes the most sacrifices is going to come out on top,鈥� Williamson says. 鈥淲hat are we willing to give up so that we can be successful?鈥� 

Veteran leadership is critical when facing adversity, and 黑料门has it in spades; in 2020-2021, they鈥檒l return 93.2 percent of their possession minutes from a season ago (according to the statistical analyst Bart Torvick), more than all but seven teams in the entire country. To that mix, they鈥檒l add deadly perimeter shooters in Braden Norris, a transfer from Oakland University, and redshirt sophomore Cooper Kaifes, back from a labrum injury in his hip. Torvik鈥檚 preseason projection system  黑料门42nd nationally; whenever this iteration of the Ramblers takes the floor, they鈥檒l be every  as Moser鈥檚 Final Four squad from 2018. 

Getting the opportunity to chase championship banners is not something they鈥檙e taking lightly. Even on an off-day in early October, Williamson could be found in front of his locker, donning a 黑料门script shooting shirt and prepping for a solo shooting session. 鈥淥n the weekends, we could be going out鈥攖he bars are open,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚nstead, we keep it tight, keep it in our apartments. We hang out with each other and talk about our goals. Nobody wants to be that guy who gets COVID and passes it to our whole team and we have to shut down. Nobody wants to be that guy.鈥� 

In his 10th year at the helm, Moser found it reassuring just how normal the early weeks of practice felt, in spite of it all. Like he would any other year, he focused initially on fundamentals: footwork, passing, catching, shooting. (鈥淕etting your basketball legs back under you,鈥� is how he describes it.) And his players are taking the safety guidelines in stride. 鈥淚t鈥檚 still high-intensity, it鈥檚 still about our culture. It鈥檚 still about teaching, learning, individual skill,鈥� says Williamson. 鈥淎 lot of things within those lines are the same.鈥� 

On Moser鈥檚 first day back, the athletic department gifted him an electronic whistle. The gadget cleverly emits sound when you press a button, eliminating the need to blow. After he posted about it on Twitter, newly masked coaches from across the country bombarded him with queries. Where鈥檇 you find that? How can I get one? Ironically, Moser doesn鈥檛 have much use for it, other than distracting his dog at home. Infamously vocal, he prefers to use his booming baritone instead. 

Can Moser scream through a mask with the customary amount of force? Williamson claims volume is not an issue: 鈥淗e鈥檚 still loud and clear.鈥�