There's a simple way to measure a person's love for something – take it away.
Over the last five months, Xavier University's men's basketball team learned that lesson well.
The Musketeers were unable to assemble because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They traded team huddles and pickup games for FaceTime and group texts.
The great divide ended last week, though, with Xavier's first week of summer practice.
"I don't think you can accurately measure my level of joy," Xavier assistant coach Jonas Hayes said of the return of basketball in Cintas Center.
The Musketeers went through small-group skill workouts with no contact and one large-group training session.