Iona men's basketball's first four games in jeopardy due to COVID

Legendary and controversial college basketball coach Rick Pitino may have to wait until December to make his official debut guiding the Iona Gaels. 

According to Josh Thomson of the Rockland/Westchester Journal News and an NJ Advance Media piece, the Iona men's basketball team is pausing activities for two weeks after a Tier 1 individual tested positive for COVID-19. 

NCAA basketball protocols request for 14-day quarantines of Tier 1 people if anybody within Tier 1 associated with that same team tests positive for the virus. 

Iona's season-opener against the Fordham Rams on Nov. 25, along with three other games, are likely to be postponed or canceled since the Gaels won't be cleared to return to basketball activities until Nov. 27 at the earliest. 

"Obviously, we're really disappointed," Pitino said, per Thomson. "We worked extremely hard to get to this point. It's not a player, It's not a coach. It's even more frustrating that way. All players and all of the coaching staff have come out negative. I know the players are disappointed, and that's the hardest thing." 

Pitino wouldn't confirm who tested positive, but added that "he has roommates that he lives with and that's probably how he caught it." The coach also said Iona could attempt to schedule a new opponent or play against Fordham before November ends. 

The Seton Hall Pirates and UConn Huskies are two other men's programs facing scheduling uncertainties due to coronavirus-related issues in the middle of November. A Nov. 25 game involving the Stetson Hatters and Miami Hurricanes became the first of the upcoming campaign postponed because of COVID-19 on Wednesday.