Keith Dambrot: Duquesne Dukes entering 'the den' of coronavirus

Before the Atlantic 10 decided Wednesday night to play the rest of its tournament without fans in attendance, Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot said he understood why such a drastic measure might be necessary.

Especially in the New York City area where 212 cases of the COVID-19 virus have been reported, according to the New York Times.

“We’re kind of going into the den of it,” he said of playing games in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. “All I do is get ready. I’m more susceptible than (players) are. I’m a 61-year-old old man with a high stress level.

“You can’t pooh-pooh it, though. It’s obviously serious stuff.”

Nonetheless, he also believes playing in a mostly empty arena “cheats the experience.”

“Would I like it? No. But if it’s in the best interest of everybody involved, we have to do what we have to do for health concerns.”

Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.