Play starts up Thursday and already we have our first postponements with the MTSU men unable to play against UTSA and UTEP. MTSU's first game after that is at Rice on Jan. 6, but one would think with the new CDC guidelines, they'll be okay to play by then?

BTW, the conference web site still says a game canceled due to Covid is considered a forfeit (https://conferenceusa.com/news/2021/9/8/...-22.aspx), but the MTSU press release states they are going to try to reschedule the two games they're not playing this weekend. And one would think the conference will eventually get around to changing its Covid policy, like most other conferences are doing.

And we haven't heard any updates from Rice on our Covid issues, but I'm hoping we're playing our New Years games against UNT as scheduled.

Per this tweet-sounds like Pera has/had COVID.

https://twitter.com/ricecoachpera/status...91523?s=21

(12-28-2021 05:37 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Per this tweet-sounds like Pera has/had COVID.

https://twitter.com/ricecoachpera/status...91523?s=21

No, only that he's quarantining. If someone on the team tested positive for COVID (e.g., Mullins), it's likely that the entire squad has been in quarantine, which is why they had to cancel the UT game.

(12-28-2021 06:12 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(12-28-2021 05:37 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Per this tweet-sounds like Pera has/had COVID.

https://twitter.com/ricecoachpera/status...91523?s=21

No, only that he's quarantining. If someone on the team tested positive for COVID (e.g., Mullins), it's likely that the entire squad has been in quarantine, which is why they had to cancel the UT game.

That’s not what any other team has been doing on campus FWIW (quarantining the whole squad after contact with a positive). Also isn’t what university guidelines have required.

If he’s just being extra cautious-fair enough.

WBB still having issues with COVID.

Their first conference game was just cxed.

(12-29-2021 11:03 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  WBB still having issues with COVID.

Their first conference game was just cxed.

Technically postponed.

So the fact that the women's game has been postponed, but not the men's game, could mean two things. One (more likely scenario), the women's numbers are really thin to begin with, so even 1 or 2 players still out in the protocol could be a significant issue. We could easily re-schedule the UNT game the Thursday before our 2nd UNT game (so Thursday here in Houston and then Saturday up in Denton).

Secondly (and I really hope this isn't the situation), Rice University is telling athletic teams that they don't want any athletic events happening right now on campus (or at least indoor events) with the Omicron variant spreading so rapidly these days. Again, it appears our men are playing their UNT contest (up in Denton on New Years). Now they have more bodies to work with, so even if they are still missing 1 or 2 players, they can more easily handle a smaller roster. But somehow, there is doubt in my mind whether the men could host UNT this weekend. Again, this seems to be a very remote possibility as Jose Cruz Jr. did tweet out an image yesterday of a Christmas baseball camp taking place at Reckling.

Let's just hope the men play their New Years Day game as scheduled, and both teams can play both the Jan. 6th and 8th games.

BTW, Charlotte and USM also are postponing games (on the men's side) due to Covid. It sure would be nice to see the conference change its policy on cancellations as the only policy on their web site currently says if you can't play a game now, it's considered a forfeit.

(12-29-2021 05:10 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  ... We could easily re-schedule the UNT game the Thursday before our 2nd UNT game (so Thursday here in Houston and then Saturday up in Denton). ...

FTR, that would be Feb. 10 & 12, 2022.

How many players are in the hospital?
How sick are the player's having the Chinese virus? Are the players having cold or flu like symptoms?

(12-29-2021 11:28 AM)dragon2owl Wrote:  

(12-29-2021 11:03 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  WBB still having issues with COVID.

Their first conference game was just cxed.

Technically postponed.

(12-29-2021 06:24 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  How many players are in the hospital?
How sick are the player's having the Chinese virus? Are the players having cold or flu like symptoms?

(12-29-2021 11:28 AM)dragon2owl Wrote:  

(12-29-2021 11:03 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  WBB still having issues with COVID.

Their first conference game was just cxed.

Technically postponed.

Good job, bud. Really shows off the quality of our fans when they just can't help themselves but to insert their politics into sports talk when absolutely no one asked for it.

At the Providence-Seton Hall game right now.

Seton Hall only dressed 8, but is hanging in there so far.

Also amazing that Providence (a smaller school than Rice) has 11,000+ fans here and we can’t draw 1100.

(12-29-2021 07:41 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  At the Providence-Seton Hall game right now.

Seton Hall only dressed 8, but is hanging in there so far.

Also amazing that Providence (a smaller school than Rice) has 11,000+ fans here and we can’t draw 1100.

But that’s because Providence basketball has been worth watching for most of the past 60-70 years.

(12-29-2021 08:50 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(12-29-2021 07:41 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  At the Providence-Seton Hall game right now.

Seton Hall only dressed 8, but is hanging in there so far.

Also amazing that Providence (a smaller school than Rice) has 11,000+ fans here and we can’t draw 1100.

But that’s because Providence basketball has been worth watching for most of the past 60-70 years.

Difference shouldn’t be 10x is my point.

(12-29-2021 07:02 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  

(12-29-2021 06:24 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  How many players are in the hospital?
How sick are the player's having the Chinese virus? Are the players having cold or flu like symptoms?

(12-29-2021 11:28 AM)dragon2owl Wrote:  

(12-29-2021 11:03 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  WBB still having issues with COVID.

Their first conference game was just cxed.

Technically postponed.

Good job, bud. Really shows off the quality of our fans when they just can't help themselves but to insert their politics into sports talk when absolutely no one asked for it.

+1

Three men's games were played as scheduled last night (UAB and Louisiana Tech with impressive wins, and ODU beat FIU on the road). Three men's games were postponed. The conference still has no updated policy online.

It's pretty clear UAB and Louisiana Tech are among the elite teams in the conference. UNT and WKU probably will join them to make up the top four. We'll begin to see tomorrow whether we deserve to be in that conversation. I'm pretty sure that once you get past those four, there is no one in the conference that should scare us.

Will be a very interesting but difficult first test. McCasland is easily one of the best defensive coaches in the conference (UNT is ranked 43rd in defensive efficiency despite their losses in the offseason) and is historically very good at both gameplanning and making adjustments. When you add together our struggles under Pera against good defensive teams and not having played for two weeks, could be a long Saturday afternoon/night.

Looks like we are practicing this morning per photo on Twitter. Good sign.