Coaches Dealing With Sandy Aftermath

CBSSports

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/20851610/coaches-deal-with-aftermath-from-hurricane-sandy

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard finally got power back on Monday night, after seven days. Hofstra’s Mo Cassara can’t go back to his Point Lookout, N.Y., home for another couple of weeks. Wagner head man Bashir Mason doesn’t even have enough gasoline in his tank to get to the gas station down the street, never mind wait the four hours in line. Fairleigh Dickinson finally had its first post-Sandy practice Monday.

It has been a complete mess for many in the Northeast — including college basketball coaches.

Cassara is still unable to go home. He has been living and sleeping in his office. The same goes for Mason. Cassara had to meet his parents, who live in upstate New York, halfway just to drop off his golden retrievers.

“It’s been crazy, he said.

That sentiment has been echoed by Mason, the first-year, 28-year-old Wagner coach who grew up in New Jersey.

Never in my 28 years living here have I experienced anything like this, Mason said. I’ve been sleeping in the locker room.”

Mason had no power and didn’t fill up his gas tank after returning from New Jersey last week just before Sandy hit the Northeast.

“I didn’t think the storm would be bad, Mason said. Then I woke up to a disaster. I never imagined this.”

The Wagner campus was shut down until a couple of days ago. Mason and the other coaches, with the use of two 15-passenger university vans, picked up the players — who were scattered throughout New Jersey and New York — and took them to Seton Hall for practice a couple of times. Finally, power returned to the gym a couple of days ago.

“The campus is finally back up and running, Mason said. Kids started moving back today [Monday].”

Cassara was able to get key belongings out of his home, but he has been told power likely won’t return for another couple of weeks — which means his de facto home now is his office at Hofstra. People have waited for hours in long lines to get gasoline on Hempstead Turnpike — and Cassara wasn’t able to get gas until he was just south of Albany because of the lengthy lines.

Coaches Dealing With Sandy Aftermath

CBSSports

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/20851610/coaches-deal-with-aftermath-from-hurricane-sandy

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard finally got power back on Monday night, after seven days. Hofstra’s Mo Cassara can’t go back to his Point Lookout, N.Y., home for another couple of weeks. Wagner head man Bashir Mason doesn’t even have enough gasoline in his tank to get to the gas station down the street, never mind wait the four hours in line. Fairleigh Dickinson finally had its first post-Sandy practice Monday.

It has been a complete mess for many in the Northeast — including college basketball coaches.

Cassara is still unable to go home. He has been living and sleeping in his office. The same goes for Mason. Cassara had to meet his parents, who live in upstate New York, halfway just to drop off his golden retrievers.

“It’s been crazy, he said.

That sentiment has been echoed by Mason, the first-year, 28-year-old Wagner coach who grew up in New Jersey.

Never in my 28 years living here have I experienced anything like this, Mason said. I’ve been sleeping in the locker room.”

Mason had no power and didn’t fill up his gas tank after returning from New Jersey last week just before Sandy hit the Northeast.

“I didn’t think the storm would be bad, Mason said. Then I woke up to a disaster. I never imagined this.”

The Wagner campus was shut down until a couple of days ago. Mason and the other coaches, with the use of two 15-passenger university vans, picked up the players — who were scattered throughout New Jersey and New York — and took them to Seton Hall for practice a couple of times. Finally, power returned to the gym a couple of days ago.

“The campus is finally back up and running, Mason said. Kids started moving back today [Monday].”

Cassara was able to get key belongings out of his home, but he has been told power likely won’t return for another couple of weeks — which means his de facto home now is his office at Hofstra. People have waited for hours in long lines to get gasoline on Hempstead Turnpike — and Cassara wasn’t able to get gas until he was just south of Albany because of the lengthy lines.