Travis Steele had a feeling the world was about to change. And he was right.
Xavier University's men's basketball team had just returned to Cincinnati last March, following an unexpected and bitter end to its season – a first-round loss to DePaul in the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Less than 24 hours after that loss, the coronavirus pandemic would cancel the rest of the Big East Tournament, as well as the NCAA Tournament.
The season was over, and the inevitable, annual question remained: now what?
Steele wanted to meet with his players, to thank the seniors before they went on their way, and talk about the future with his underclassmen.