Tyler German, senior exercise science major and shooting guard for the men’s basketball team, still hopes for a new, if different, season.

He said basketball has been an important part of his life since he was a child.

“It’s something I’ve been doing since I’ve been five years old or younger and for it to be taken away a year earlier than expected is an upsetting feeling,” said German.

While the future for the university’s men’s basketball season is up in the air, German said much can be done to have a safe senior season during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the team does play, he said he has a hopeful idea of what it will look like.

“If we do play, I feel that there will be a lot of testing done for the athletes, maybe two times a week, and we might only play conference games,” he said.

Athletes are open to new protocols involving social distancing and practice, which he said takes away the fun team activities that players use to get to know one another.

“Social distancing and COVID-19 definitely changed the experience of our season,” German said. “We miss out on our team activities and playing pickup in the offseason, which everyone loves to do.”

He said if practices start again players will have to adjust to new guidelines.

“We haven’t heard much yet about changes being made to practices in terms of social distancing, but for it to happen, as a senior, there is so much we are used to, and it is something we will have to adjust to,” he said.

German said he plans to make the best of participating on the team one last time before he graduates.