WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — You just never know when you're next game might be your last. As William and Mary basketball discovered, that is especially true during the pandemic. The Tribe returned to the practice floor on Tuesday after being on a Covid-19 hiatus.
William and Mary got in their season opener with ODU, but just two days later on November 29 they reported a positive Covid result in the program and so basketball activities were shut down.
Head coach Dane Fischer says there was plenty of excitement to get back to practice, "It had a little bit of the same feeling you get when you step on the practice floor for the first time in the fall, just that renewed energy."
After their layoff, Fischer thinks the players came back with a slightly different mind set, "I do think there is a little bit more appreciation for what a unique opportunity it is to be part of a Division I basketball program."
And what did the coach learn about his players through all of this? Fischer says it wasn't something new that he learned but instead, "It reaffirmed the kind of kids we have in the program, the kind of character they have. Their ability to really care about being good at basketball and being dedicated to that and at the same time being able to step back and have a dose of reality and perspective."
William and Mary's game with UVA this weekend has been postponed as UVA had to pause their basketball activities. Right now, the next game on the schedule for the Tribe is Wednesday, December 16 at Hampton University.