Post by dex on Feb 26, 2017 12:02:48 GMT -5
PROVIDENCE — Larry Lepore said he began fearing the basketball floor at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center would have some problems when he got into his car and began driving downtown on Saturday morning.
T h e u n s e a s o n a b l y warm weather, plus heavy humidity, proved to be a near-disaster for the PC-Marquette game. In fact, it was a disaster for the losing Golden Eagles.
As is standard practice, the court sat on the sheet of ice that the Providence Bruins played on Friday night. The warm temperatures created moisture on the court that was first noticed when the teams came in for morning shootarounds. Lepore, the general manager at The Dunk, said the building cranked up its air conditioning to try to alleviate the problem but to no avail.
Head referee Ed Corbett was clearly concerned about the condition of the playing surface from the opening tip. He stopped the game early on and huddled with PC athletic director Bob Driscoll. Lepore had workers mopping the floor during every timeout and while it appeared Corbett was getting close to waving the teams off the floor, he never did. NCAA rules state that the officials have control of the game once it starts.
“We were monitoring the situation and prepared to take appropriate action if the referees determined that play should be halted,” said Big East associate commissioner John Paquette.
The conditions caused basketball’s rules to be altered. At halftime, the officials met with both coaches and agreed that any slips or falls would not be deemed a turnover.
While longtime PC observers couldn’t recall a game being played under similar conditions, Lepore said a change to lighting at the building from warm, quartz lights to energy efficient LED lights didn’t help the issue.
“The older lights are very hot and help dry up any moisture that develops,” Lepore said, “but it’s 70 degrees outside. I knew we were going to get moisture on the floor.”
The Philadelphia 76ers had to postpone game against the Kings on Nov. 30 at Wells Fargo Center for similar reasons.
“It’s not ideal,” said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski. “It’s the Big East Conference, one of the top conferences in the country. We shouldn’t be playing on a slippery floor. You have two teams playing their hearts out, playing for the postseason. It’s the same for both teams. It’s not fair to Ed’s team, it’s not fair for us, it’s not fair for anyone. But that’s the way it goes.”
Elliott pays a visit
Greg Elliott, a 6-foot-5 guard from Detroit, made his official visit to Providence, taking in the game on Saturday. Elliott is also looking at Marquette and Michigan State.
PC’s fall recruits are both into playoff rounds with their high schools. Nate Watson, a 6-foot-8 forward from Bishop O’Connell in Alexandria, Va., saw his team lose to rival DeMatha in the Catholic playoffs. Dajour Dickens, a 6-11 center from Bethel High in Hampton, Va., played in a conference title game on Saturday night.
T h e u n s e a s o n a b l y warm weather, plus heavy humidity, proved to be a near-disaster for the PC-Marquette game. In fact, it was a disaster for the losing Golden Eagles.
As is standard practice, the court sat on the sheet of ice that the Providence Bruins played on Friday night. The warm temperatures created moisture on the court that was first noticed when the teams came in for morning shootarounds. Lepore, the general manager at The Dunk, said the building cranked up its air conditioning to try to alleviate the problem but to no avail.
Head referee Ed Corbett was clearly concerned about the condition of the playing surface from the opening tip. He stopped the game early on and huddled with PC athletic director Bob Driscoll. Lepore had workers mopping the floor during every timeout and while it appeared Corbett was getting close to waving the teams off the floor, he never did. NCAA rules state that the officials have control of the game once it starts.
“We were monitoring the situation and prepared to take appropriate action if the referees determined that play should be halted,” said Big East associate commissioner John Paquette.
The conditions caused basketball’s rules to be altered. At halftime, the officials met with both coaches and agreed that any slips or falls would not be deemed a turnover.
While longtime PC observers couldn’t recall a game being played under similar conditions, Lepore said a change to lighting at the building from warm, quartz lights to energy efficient LED lights didn’t help the issue.
“The older lights are very hot and help dry up any moisture that develops,” Lepore said, “but it’s 70 degrees outside. I knew we were going to get moisture on the floor.”
The Philadelphia 76ers had to postpone game against the Kings on Nov. 30 at Wells Fargo Center for similar reasons.
“It’s not ideal,” said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski. “It’s the Big East Conference, one of the top conferences in the country. We shouldn’t be playing on a slippery floor. You have two teams playing their hearts out, playing for the postseason. It’s the same for both teams. It’s not fair to Ed’s team, it’s not fair for us, it’s not fair for anyone. But that’s the way it goes.”
Elliott pays a visit
Greg Elliott, a 6-foot-5 guard from Detroit, made his official visit to Providence, taking in the game on Saturday. Elliott is also looking at Marquette and Michigan State.
PC’s fall recruits are both into playoff rounds with their high schools. Nate Watson, a 6-foot-8 forward from Bishop O’Connell in Alexandria, Va., saw his team lose to rival DeMatha in the Catholic playoffs. Dajour Dickens, a 6-11 center from Bethel High in Hampton, Va., played in a conference title game on Saturday night.
