This is going to be a Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball season like we've never seen before — and, hopefully, never see again.
The COVID-19 global pandemic, and the recent second wave of the coronavirus, has already affected several Valley teams before the first jump ball. Currently, Loyola and Southern Illinois aren't practicing and canceled their games in multi-team events this week.
Illinois State had to quarantine half its team for two weeks in mid-October after a couple positive tests. Indiana State just resumed practice last week after pausing (the new buzzword in college athletics) for six days before announcing more multiple positive tests Saturday and pulling out of this week's Gulf Coast Showcase.