From the sidelines
By Marty Gordon
The transfer portal has given the Radford University men’s basketball program two new names this week. Jamal Burke from Georgia Highlands Community College and Shaquan Jules from the University of South Carolina-Aiken will be in Radford this fall.
Jules, who has requested a waiver to play immediately, might have to sit out a year to be eligible. At 6-7, he could provide some firepower in the paint.
The 6-8 Burke could step into a role quickly. He averaged 8.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and blocked 44 shots as a sophomore last season.
Radford will see its share of big–name opponents this coming season with the likes of N.C. State, Vanderbilt, East Carolina, South Carolina and Texas Christian on the schedule.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech will host both VMI and Central Connecticut in a pay-forward situation. VMI will get $95,000 to come to Blacksburg while Central will receive $90,000.
VT workouts
Virginia Tech‘s football players are back in town after the school announced voluntary workouts.
“Our foremost priority continues to be the health and welfare of our student-athletes and staff, as well as the Virginia Tech and surrounding communities,” said Dr. Mark Rogers, Chief Medical Officer for Virginia Tech Athletics. “We will continue to evaluate our protocols to ensure these workouts are conducted in strict adherence with current health and safety guidelines.”
Rogers said student-athletes wishing to participate will undergo screening protocols prior to being cleared to participate and will be monitored on a daily basis.
Small-group workouts supervised by Coach Ben Hilgart and his staff will be limited to the Beamer-Lawson Practice Facility and the Steve Johnson practice fields. The locker room and other common football areas will remain closed at this time.
In conjunction with Mike Goforth and Tech’s Sports Medicine team, all participating athletes and staff will wear recommended personal protective equipment upon entering team facilities.
“An abundance of caution will be utilized to ensure all equipment is sanitized appropriately between workout groups,” Rogers said.
Workouts will be limited to 10 players at a time, and each player will undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19.
New ACC advisory group
Rogers will serve on a new Atlantic Coast Conference Advisory group announced earlier this week that includes one representative from each of the league’s 15 institutions. The medical advisory group’s charge is to provide timely updates on the status of and forecast for COVID-19 impacts on the higher education community. Its advice will assist with the league’s discussions surrounding return-to-play options.
“The institutions of the ACC have long been leaders in the medical field and include many of the leading medical experts in the country, which is a tremendous asset for the conference and all its members,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “One of the great things you gain from being in a conference with a culture like ours is the opportunity to share best practices, and the medical advisory group is a great example of that. This group meets weekly and will assist our presidents and athletic directors on the best protocols and procedures for returning to athletics as part of our institutions’ plans.”
The ACC’s Medical Advisory Group is chaired by Dr. Cameron Wolfe, who is a member of the infectious disease division at Duke University Medical Center and is an associate professor of medicine. The full medical advisory group will meet on a regular basis, and Dr. Wolfe will also participate in regular calls with other autonomy five conference medical chairs.
“The ACC has assembled a group of top medical experts, and it’s an honor to serve as its chair,” said Dr. Wolfe. “We look forward to working together to advise our conference and campus leadership on medical issues and guidelines for a safe return to athletic competition.”
Statement about football season
Also, a joint statement has been issued on behalf of the Football Bowl Subdivision Conferences, along with CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and Their Affiliated Networks:
“Collectively, the conferences and television networks have agreed to an extension for determining college football’s early season game times beyond the standard June 1 deadline. These kickoff times and network designations will be announced at a later date as we all continue to prepare for the college football season.“
ACC Commissioner’s statement on violence
The conference’s commissioner, John Swofford, issued this statement about the recent events that have taken place across the country:
“The events that have recently taken place across our country are tragic and devastating. The hurt and pain felt by so many, including the league’s African-American student-athletes, coaches and administrators, cannot be quantified. What is clear is the need to come together to create meaningful and impactful change.
“The Atlantic Coast Conference remains strongly committed to upholding the values of equality, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Racism and injustice have no place in society. Although we do not have all the answers, we are dedicated to being part of the solution with compassion and accountability. Together, we will continue to progress toward unity in college athletics and within society. There is no room to tolerate anything less than equality for all. We stand with our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and colleagues to further unite during this already challenging time to make our world a better place for all.”
Big South statement on recent events
The Big South Conference, of which Radford is a member, issued a broad statement in response to the recent unrest across the country.
“The strength of the Big South Conference is the positive impact the diversity of our membership has on our ability to work with, respect and love each other. The recent events reflecting the racism that continues to exist is heartbreaking and contrary to all that we stand for. There is no place for it at our institutions, in our communities, or in this country. The Big South will continue to work with our institutional leadership, including our student-athletes, to foster understanding and support for all individuals. We will lead by example.”
VHSL statement on recent events
The Virginia High School League‘s Executive Director, Billy Haun, issued the following statement:
“The VHSL has the privilege of serving and being part of a diverse community of student-athletes, coaches, school administrators, and officials. We have the unique privilege of offering opportunities for young people of color who contribute much to their school communities and who will one day make even greater contributions to this country and the world. We hope recent tragedies will inspire all students and our membership to seek and create change with empathy and honesty about the social and racial injustices faced by people of color every day in our country. The VHSL does not have all the answers but we embrace our obligation to empathize, sympathize, listen to, encourage dialogue with, and support our African American student-athletes and activity participants as we stand with them to end racial injustice in our country.”
Big South mourns DiGiogrio
The Big South Conference also mourned the passing of former conference president Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio, who served 24 years as Winthrop’s President, as well as nine years as Big South President. He was inducted into the Big South Hall of Fame in 2013.
Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander issued the following statement:
“The Big South community is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Tony DiGiorgio, Winthrop University’s President Emeritus. Tony was truly a man of vision who, as a two-time conference president and as chair of our membership committee, had a huge impact on the development of the Big South Conference. He wasn’t a founding father of the Conference, but he might as well have been. That was the magnitude of his influence on the Big South. A true friend and mentor to many, he will be missed.”
