Michigan had the option of not playing Friday’s game at Purdue, and the Wolverines considered it.
Some players from Michigan even leaned that way in light of the positive COVID-19 test within the Purdue program.
Purdue’s flexibility and transparency led to the game going according to schedule. Michigan won 70-53.
At 17:13 Purdue announces that starting guard Sasha Stefanovic will not play due to a positive COVID test. In the run-up to the 7:00 hint, many on social media questioned whether the game should take place. The teams initially wondered the same thing.
Per Purdue coach Matt Painter said Stefanovic felt good before, during and immediately after Purdue’s victory Tuesday night in Ohio State. Stefanovic started showing COVID symptoms on Wednesday morning. However, his two Tests that day came in negative. Yet the team placed him in quarantine.
On Thursday, he tested positive, both with the initial antigen test and the follow-up PCR test.
According to Painter, his team followed protocols all season. Players wore masks and did not eat or drink, in the bus and plane to and from the state of Ohio. Stefanovic had no contact with anyone after experiencing symptoms.
Purdue, director of sports information, Chris Forman, tweeted before the tip: “We feel VERY confident in our protocols.”
Nevertheless, Painter contacted Ohio State and Michigan on Thursday. He told Michigan coach Juwan Howard about the positive test and answering questions.
Michigan decided as a program that the entire Purdue team should take a PCR test, although no other boiler makers tested positive via the antigen test.
“We honored it, and I think it was a good step,” Painter said. These tests came back negative.
Painter said the Big Ten coaches agreed that if one team decided not to play, the opponent would have to respect it. “We do have the gentlemen’s agreement in our league,” he said.
Howard confirmed his talks with Painter.
“My heart went out to the Purdue program and that player,” Howard said. “When I found out something like that, I was devastated for that particular student-athlete.”
Related: How Michigan’s Basketball COVID Countermeasures and Hopes for the Best
The Wolverines are cutting back this season due to the pandemic and so took a bus to West Lafayette after Thursday’s practice.
“We felt comfortable coming here and playing a game,” Howard said. “I talked to every player as well as staff members and made sure everyone felt comfortable, not just me. They all have a voice when it comes to a serious situation like this. ”
The players decided the risk was minimal.
“They were transparent,” said senior guard Eli Brooks, a co-captain, referring to Purdue. “Everything we needed to know, we knew.”
Isaiah Livers, another senior co-captain, confirmed his teammate. “Initially, many of us were – I was opposed to (playing).” After learning the protocols and timeline, he felt comfortable undertaking the journey. Livers scored a game-high 22 points as Michigan improved to 13-1.
“We would not drive down here if they were not completely honest and straight with us,” Livers said.
Howard only knew 45 minutes before the tip which player from Purdue tested positive.
“COVID is real,” Howard said. ‘I lost a family member to COVID. Such a child, (Stefanovic), a student-athlete, loves playing basketball and has to deal with it now. I just hope he gets well again. ‘