CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- The Missouri Valley conference is getting ready for football season this spring. It had to be moved from the fall due to COVID-19. Basketball is in season, but it hasn't been easy.
Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on college basketball. SIU women's hoops won't play again until a week from tonight. When tip off comes on February 27 in Springfield, Missouri against Missouri State, 18 days will have passed.
And it hasn't been extra time to get ready for Missouri State. The Salukis are not at full strength. A good chunk of the roster is in quarantine. With the layoff, how will that affect the Salukis conditioning?
"Wish we had extended practice time heading into Mo State but being restricted with our numbers," SIU Women's Head Basketball Coach Cindy Stein said. "We will continue to go in there, we know it will be a fast paced game, will have to work on our endurance any way we can in any situation but it is definitely going to be a challenge for us but we will look forward to it. We will have to play five games in eleven days starting on January 27th and our kids are aware of that and our mentality going in is going to be just as much a focus as our physical."
"I think our conditioning is always going to be evolving, especially in COVID times. We've got five active players right now and practicing with just five. Their conditioning is probably pretty good but we've got to continue to do full court stuff. A lot of defensive endurance type drills to keep those five in shape and obviously any of those other kids coming out of quarantine or isolation, you can't do a whole lot with them so it's always going to be something that is evolving and we are going to have to get tough and tough out some things and grind it out."
SIU will face Missouri State Wednesday, January 27th. A 3 o'clock tip off from Springfield, Missouri
