By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
You could say it's been a little while.
No. 23 Missouri Western (8-2) had won four straight games entering a Thursday game at Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 14, in which the Lopers beat the then 16th-ranked Griffons, 75-67.
The plan was to go to Fort Hays State that Saturday. Instead, positive COVID-19 tests within the Missouri Western men's and women's programs put team activities on pause.
For Griffon men's head coach Will Martin, he found an advantage within the disadvantage of having to sit out.
"The advantage we found is we were able to dive deeper into film than we have all year," Martin told the Post. "We had some great Zoom sessions and great individual meetings with guys over Zoom and FaceTime. Even meetings that had nothing to with basketball. Just daily check-ins, like 'How're you doing, man? How's your family?'"
A few players experienced mild symptoms, though everyone is feeling better now, according to Martin.
The Griffons returned to practice Monday, though not everyone has been able to return yet, and practices have been segmented thus far.
"Health and peace of mind is priority number one for me and my staff when it comes to our players," Martin said. "So, it's going to be a slow drip. But, I think we'll come back better than ever. That's not necessarily not going to be defined by wins and losses. It'll be defined by the connectivity of our team."
Missouri Western is ready to hit the ground running, as they get set for two games to round out January, and then look ahead to a busy February.
The Griffons head to Warrensburg to face Central Missouri (5-8) Thursday and then Jefferson City for a meeting with Lincoln (7-3) on Saturday.
UCM has won three straight and are 4-2 at home. Lincoln, meanwhile, is 5-1 in their last six outings and 6-1 this season at Jason Gym.
Martin knows as well as anyone that winning on the road in the MIAA is a constant challenge.
"Every single year, (Central Missouri) is really tough to beat at home," Martin said. "It's a real thing in the MIAA - it's hard to win on the road."
The Griffons will get a week-long breather after Saturday's game, but then face quite the gauntlet in the final three weeks of February.
Missouri Western will host No. 3 Northwest Missouri State on Feb. 6, which starts a stretch of six games in 10 days.
In all, Missouri Western will play 10 games in the final 21 days of February. Intimidating? Perhaps, but for Martin's team, a good learning experience, particularly for those who have professional aspirations.
"We've got guys on our team who want to be pros, and they're going to see what it really feels like to play six games in 10 days and so on," Martin said. "That's what it's like when you're a pro, whether that's overseas or here in the States."
Within Western's busy February is a home-and-away series with Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats and Griffons were supposed to play for the first time this season on Dec. 12, and then on Jan. 19.
That game was rescheduled a second time, and will now be in Maryville on Feb. 6. The two teams then face off again on Feb. 9 at the MWSU Fieldhouse - a game that was on the original schedule.
Two-time defending national champion Northwest has had Western's number, winning 17 straight meetings in the series since 2013, though two meetings in four days is exceedingly rare.
Martin recognizes both the challenge, and excitement, that those games bring for the team and the local area.
"It's a great opponent to see where we truly stand," Martin said. "To see where our ability and our character and our grit stands. I believe we're rounding the corner in becoming a top team in this league. I know they'll be ready, and I can promise you we'll be ready.
"I think it'll be fun for the community, too. I know it's a big game here in this area, and it should be. It should create some buzz around town for sure."
You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.