<p>For each of the last 109 years, the state of Indiana has crowned a state boys basketball champion.</p><p>If it’s going to happen in 2020, it won’t be happening anytime soon.</p><p>Just 24 hours after announcing that it would go forward with today’s scheduled regional games but limit the number of people who could attend, the IHSAA decided Friday that it could not work around public health concerns any longer, postponing today’s games and the remainder of the state tournament.</p><p>“The association will continue to evaluate the utility of continuing the boys basketball tournament at a later date, “ IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox said in a video statement Friday afternoon, “and will inform our member schools and the public as soon as a decision can be reached.”</p><p>The decision was not altogether unsurprising, given the rapid uptick in efforts to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, or coronavirus, across Indiana and beyond. Declared a global pandemic earlier this week by the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has already caused the suspension or shutdown of nearly every college or pro sporting event in America and around the world.</p><p>With most schools across the state having made the decision to temporarily close their doors, the IHSAA realized that completing the tournament as planned was no longer feasible.</p><p>The announcement was met with a mixture of understanding and disappointment at high schools that celebrated sectional titles last weekend and were looking forward to cheering for their teams today.</p><p>Among those dealing with the fallout are Greenwood, which had earned its first Class 4A regional berth since 2002, and Greenwood Christian, which was heavily favored to claim its first-ever regional crown in Class A.</p><p>“It’s tough,” GCA coach Jonny Marlin said Friday afternoon. “This is something that, I’m not sure that we really understand, and I think that makes it even harder. Most of our guys feel pretty healthy. We are aware that this is a serious thing, but this is tough, especially when you have nine seniors.”</p><p>“They’re kind of bummed,” Greenwood coach Joe Bradburn said of his players. “(But) our guys understand it’s for the greater good; that’s the big issue.”</p><p>Both coaches said that their teams still practiced on Friday; Greenwood Christian was in session for the last time until at least March 30, and Greenwood, which was on its first day of spring break, had worked out in the morning before word of the postponement came. Marlin said he was going to encourage his players to work out and stay in shape on their own during the hiatus, with the hope that they’ll remain motivated by the chance to possibly resume their postseason run in a few weeks.</p><p>The potential for an eventual resumption — a “May Madness” or whatever it might be — is what both the Woodmen and Cougars will be clinging to while schools all over the state try to patiently wait out the storm.</p><p>“We just have to be patient, and hopefully something shakes down where we’ll have a chance to compete,” Bradburn said.</p><p>There was no denying, though, that news of the postponement has taken the wind out of everybody’s sails for now — especially given how quickly it all fell apart over the past couple of days.</p><p>“It’s just been mind-blowing to see how everything’s transpired,” Marlin said.</p>
