Training plans delivered by email, fitness sessions over Skype and food parcels delivered on a daily basis. Welcome to the new normal for professional footballers in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

At some point soon, you may even see a footballer jogging down your street or doing shuttle runs on a field nearby. Due to the wide-scale shutdown of society, it's not just schoolchildren or office workers who are facing the physical and psychological challenge of working from home.

- Coronavirus cancellations and reactions across sport
- Reporters' Notebook: Man United connect with top target Lemar?
- Karlsen: How clubs are staying sharp during shutdown

"Lots of top players have pretty well-stocked gyms at home nowadays," an agent of a Premier League player told ESPN. "But the next few weeks will be tough for them, especially while training grounds are closed, because they are going to have to get used to training alone and motivating themselves to do so.

"I'm just waiting for the first player to post something on social media like the scene from 'Rocky,' with kids joining him on a run through the streets. That probably wouldn't be good for social distancing, but some players will need to break out from behind four walls to keep themselves fit and mentally stimulated."

We have seen elite players such as Sergio Ramos and Paul Pogba posting videos on social media, showing how they are keeping fit during the coronavirus shutdown. But without the daily monitoring that takes places at a club, how will footballers, at any level, maintain their fitness levels throughout an indefinite period without competitive action?

Liverpool are one of many top clubs to give their players detailed, individual training plans, initially covering the next two weeks with work underway on longer-term instruction. West Ham, meanwhile, are preparing to send some of the fitness equipment from the team's training ground to each member of David Moyes' squad, including spin bikes and weights to maintain their fitness.

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An agent of a leading Manchester United player has told ESPN that his client has hired a personal trainer for sessions over Skype. The player has a running machine and weights in his personal gym and also is training on his own with a ball in the yard, but the Skype sessions are crucial because they enable him to train with intensity from a cardiovascular perspective.

Eating well while stuck at home

In addition to the fitness demands, clubs are also checking in daily on players regarding their nutrition. Given that many footballers employ personal chefs, clubs are ensuring their players get regular deliveries of fresh fruit, vegetables and high-protein ingredients like fish and chicken. But it's not quite so simple as giving a player a plan and leaving him to follow it. Some players will do too much, while others will find it tough to do the bare minimum -- after all, working from home requires a certain mindset.

Scott Davis, a personal trainer who has worked with athletes in a variety of sports and focused on the mental toughness of footballers when earning a degree in psychology, has told ESPN that the players will have to overcome many challenges.

"Primarily, running on a treadmill will get you fitter. The same goes for cycling and rowing," Davis said. "But the only way to stay match fit for football is to be playing football.

"The big issue will be motivation, because nobody knows when the start date will be again. Usually, you have the season opener [a fixed start date] or a particular match to be ready for, but it is all very open-ended right now. Lack of motivation is only one of a number of responses: others could be sadness, irritation, frustration at not being able to play. It's all down to the personality of the player. But it is interesting to see players like Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden, even Lionel Messi, doing the toilet roll kick-up challenge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doing the stair-dance challenge. Keeping occupied is a coping strategy.

"A worst-case scenario is depression, and clubs should be helping players who may be falling into a downward spiral with psychological help. Developing coping strategies and routine will help. Now more than ever, the whole team -- not just the players, but the back-room staff and support staff -- become very important."

Premier League clubs employ player liaison officers, who serve as the first point of contact for players when problems arise, regardless of whether they're trivial or significant. One player liaison officer told ESPN that his job ranges from care worker to maintenance man but these days, his focus is on ensuring single and/or foreign players are contacted daily.

"The majority of our foreign lads are married or live with their families," he told ESPN. "But it is still important to make sure they are OK, especially if they are new to the country and everything is unfamiliar."

Making the best of the layoff

Despite the specific difficulties that lie ahead, the prolonged layoff can provide a positive opportunity. For those players whose usual workload is "play-train-play" from game to game, Davis says that the next six to eight weeks could be used to help them overcome long-standing fitness issues.

"With an enforced break, players may be able to work on weaknesses that just cannot [get addressed] during a season," he said. "For example, strengthening hamstrings to be less prone to injury. This kind of strength work could only be done in the offseason, or if the player is injured.

"Another example would be a player trying to improve power and therefore become quicker. This type of training would leave players fatigued for match days, with a minimum of six weeks before you'd start to see an improvement. Which manager would allow a player to be out of the matchday squad for six weeks during the season, just so they can better his or her physical and athletic ability? If a player is smart, this is a time that could be used to work on that kind of thing."

With football locked down until the end of April at the earliest, maintaining high levels of fitness during this period could be one of the toughest challenges of most players' careers.

With soccer's shutdown continuing due to the coronavirus outbreak, attention shifts to figuring out how and when it can return to normality. Gab Marcotti reacts to the main talking points in the latest Monday Musings.

Jump to: Football's financial crisis | Infantino's right to think big | Premier League's unrealistic plan | Go easy on players who went home

How football can tackle this financial crisis

With football shut down virtually everywhere now that the Australian A-League is on hiatus too, clubs and leagues are adding up the economic cost. A number of clubs are already taking action to see if they can legally cut wages and soften the impact as the football economy grinds to a halt.

In France, where local legislation allows it, some clubs like Olympique Lyonnais have put their players on "partial unemployment," with the government contributing up to €6,000 a month in wages. In Germany, Borussia Monchengladbach players and club officials have agreed to forgo all or part of their wages during the crisis, and others are following suit. Over at Barcelona, players have also agreed to make sacrifices, as president Jose Maria Bartomeu announced Sunday. There are also many tales of footballers making significant donations to various charities or directly to health systems fighting the pandemic.

- Coronavirus cancellations and reactions across sport
- Reporters' Notebook: Man United connect with top target Lemar?
- Karlsen: How clubs are staying sharp during shutdown

All of this is great and there are, undoubtedly, tough times ahead for all of us in affected areas, not just footballers. But it's also critical that if sacrifices are made and money is raised, that it gets spent in the most effective and meaningful ways possible. And that while everybody has needs, those needs must be individually assessed.

We've had all sorts of estimates of how much clubs are going to lose in revenue. KPMG, for example, puts the total losses for Europe's Big Five leagues at anywhere from €3.45-4 billion. The Premier League is hardest hit at €1.15-1.25 billion, and then it goes all the way down to Ligue 1 at €300-400 million. That's a whopping amount, yes, but look a little closer.

First of all, when you put it in percentage terms, it's slightly less scary. According to UEFA's benchmarking reports, the Big Five leagues earned €15.7bn in 2018. Presumably they were due to earn more than that in 2019-20, but for argument's sake let's take that figure: it means the losses amount to somewhere between 22-25% of revenue. That's significant, obviously, but it's not as catastrophic as it sounds in a sport where the single biggest cost -- usually amounting for 60-80% of revenue -- is fixed-term player contracts.

Furthermore, this is all predicated upon the worst-case scenario. That means no more games being played and therefore not being broadcast either, with media rights holders and sponsors refusing to pay or demanding their money back. Obviously, it's a possibility: we don't know when the pandemic is going to end or when it will be safe to play again. But if you're assessing risk and probability, the likelihood, however uncertain, is that some football relating to the 2019-20 season will be played. (English football, for one, has defiantly said the season will finish come what may, even if it means playing well into the autumn and winter and maybe even beyond.) And until we hear from media rights holders and sponsors saying they want their money back, you can't simply assume that money won't be coming in.

There's another huge variable here. If we do play again in the 2019-20 season, you would assume that, initially at least, it might be behind closed doors. That, of course, would greatly impact matchday revenue: not just ticket sales, but concessions, parking, hospitality and so on. But again, we simply don't know how and where and to what extent the damage will be done. There's little question that playing behind closed doors, once everybody has been tested and cleared to do so, presents a lower health risk to the population at large, and, crucially, it allows for matches to get back on television. That's why several leagues -- including the Bundesliga, where games in front of no fans are euphemistically called "ghost games" -- seem to accept that this will be a necessary intermediate step on the way back to normality.

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Note, however, that most of the above applies to the top leagues, who receive substantial TV income as a proportion of their revenue. In most countries, the single-biggest revenue drivers for teams outside the top domestic league is matchday income. They're the ones who would be hurt the most from playing behind closed doors, and it simply may not be viable for them. Here, too, we may need a two-step solution: Maybe lower leagues play on into the summer while top flights fulfill what fixtures they can, whether behind closed doors or, if safe to do so, under normal conditions.

We have a recognition that this is a major public health crisis and we have a willingness from stakeholders to work together to resolve it and from players and club officials to take pay cuts. That's key. What we need now is accountants -- smart, impartial ones. We need to establish exactly who is getting hit, how they're getting hit and the best way to help them. For some, like many lower-tier clubs, it's evidently going to be an issue of cash flow. In some cases, where there is a strong social safety net, government legislation to protect workers might pick up the slack. In others -- Britain comes to mind -- it's going to take something else.

The irony is that in many cases, the ones who need it most require the least help. Last week, the 47 clubs that make up League 1 and League 2 in England said they estimate they will lose a combined £50m if the campaign cannot start before the summer. The Premier League's cumulative wage bill is around £3bn. A 1% levy on Premier League wages would raise £30m; you could do it in the form of an interest-free loan to be repaid over time, or players could make a voluntary donation of 1%: given that many of them at one point played for League 1- or League 2-sized clubs, whether in England or elsewhere, it's hard to imagine folks wouldn't chip in. You'd imagine there would be relief from governments and the league as well.

Remember though: this £50m shortfall is the clubs' estimate, and it only applies if they can't restart before the summer. We don't know if their estimate is accurate, and we don't know when they'll restart. That's why the single best investment authorities can make right now is accountants, modellers and other financial nerds.

Football being football, there will be some who will try to benefit from this. Like owners who'll plead poverty from their offshore hideaways, or clubs that will apply for help when, in fact, they could sign one fewer reserve left-back and be just fine, or agents who'll use a club's struggles to strip them of talent.

There are measures that can be taken against all these ills, but first we need to establish the facts as accurately as possible. If we do that, we can then make the decisions that need to be made.

Infantino's right: Now is the time for bold ideas

Gianni Infantino turned 50 on Monday and weighed in on the COVID-19 crisis and football's reaction in an interview with the Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

He hit all the right notes, talking about how health comes first and foremost, how stakeholders need to work together and how FIFA had donated funds to the World Health Organisation and would continue to help. But maybe the most relevant part was when he talked about the crisis being an opportunity to make lasting, foundational change to the sport and the way it is run.

Infantino talked from his perspective, wishing to see the growth of the game around the world so that maybe 50 different nations (rather than "eight European and two South American") had a shot at winning the World Cup, or the day when 20 different clubs (rather than the current six European ones) had a chance to win the Club World Cup. It's a theme he has hit before: the idea that FIFA's goal ought to be creating an environment where investors from all over the globe put money into the game around the world, not just in Europe, as they have been doing.

You can be skeptical about him or cynical about his motives, but there's a fundamental seed there that should not be ignored. Times of crisis are when you can effect the biggest change. It's when stakeholders -- whether fans, clubs, associations or investors -- are most receptive to new ideas.

Infantino also talked about having fewer competitions, but making them more meaningful. Playing fewer games, but making them more compelling. Possibly having fewer professional clubs overall, but with a more level playing field. And he talked about how a big part of the game (transfers, agents, ownership) was still a largely unregulated, lawless place.

You may not agree with all of the above, but it's critical that when this is over, football has this conversation with itself. It's too big an opportunity to waste.

Premier League plan is unrealistic

The Telegraph, citing various Premier League sources, reported on a plan this past weekend that would see English football return in June and be fully wrapped up by July 12 in order for next season to begin without a hitch on August 8, as originally planned.

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I'm all in favour of the 2020-21 season being disrupted as little as possible. If we need to resolve 2019-20 in a truncated fashion, let's do it: let's come up with a system that's as fair as possible and give ourselves the best possible shot of life returning to normal next season. Screwing up two seasons is worse than screwing up one season and hopefully, we all get that.

But the plan above, which would leave just 27 days into which to cram holidays and preseason training, is absurd. In fact, it sounds like it was drawn up by an accountant at a Premier League club. If you're going to cram in the entirety of the unplayed 2019-20 season into less than six weeks -- as they seem intent on doing -- you have to give the players time off afterwards.

Go easy on stars who went home

A number of South American stars -- including Thiago Silva, Gonzalo Higuain and Neymar -- have returned home during the coronavirus crisis and received plenty of criticism for doing so. Some fans seems to think that if they're stuck at home gutting this out, everybody else needs to do so as well.

I disagree. First of all, it's not as if they escaped under cover of night through the sewers or using an alias. Their clubs gave them permission, they tested negative for COVID-19 and they paid their own way home (usually by private jet). Leaving aside the fact that some had personal reasons to do so (Higuain's mother is unwell), it's not as if having multimillionaire footballers locked down in luxury cribs in Paris or Turin rather than Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires is going to resolve this crisis any quicker.

In normal circumstances, Harry Gurney would have spent Monday morning finishing his packing and saying goodbyes to his family ahead of his flight to the IPL, but normal left the building some time ago.

Instead, he found himself re-opening one of his pubs - co-owned with Stuart Broad since 2016 - under its new guise as a takeaway and a village shop in an attempt to keep some kind of revenue stream allowing him to pay his 20 full-time staff.

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"We started this back on Monday, when the prime minister said to avoid pubs," Gurney explained, "and then when he updated that advice to pubs having to close on Friday, we were three or four days ahead of the curve.

"The idea - the reason we started doing it - was job preservation, because we knew that the trade of the pubs was going to pretty much vanish overnight, and we've got people who rely on us to pay their mortgages. We wanted to find a way to generate income in order that we were able to continue paying people throughout the crisis.

"I tried to nip it in the bud. I called a meeting last Monday morning of all the key management and just said to them: listen, I'm expecting that we're going to get closed down in the next week or two, so let's be prepared for it. We'll do everything we can not to make any redundancies."

Uncertainty remains as to whether it will be possible to run the service throughout - Gurney is yet to ascertain exactly what governmental assistance the company will qualify for following the chancellor's announcement of support for businesses on Friday. But he remains hopeful that one way or another, the business will survive the storm.

"It's just a chapter in the life of the business" Harry Gurney

"The banks have been really understanding, one of the pubs that we own, we've got a mortgage on it and that's just gone to interest-only for six months. Then the other one is a tenancy, and the landlord emailed to say we won't charge rent for the foreseeable future.

"Business rates have disappeared again. We'll be able to ride it out, but it's frustrating and difficult. It's just a chapter in the life of the business, but hopefully we can reap the rewards afterwards if we get through it."

For Gurney, the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic has prompted one of the busiest periods in the business' history from a management perspective, with opening nights the only contenders. Along with Broad and the third partner in their business, Dan Cramp, he runs two pubs in the Midlands, and as things stands intends to keep both open throughout the crisis.

Pizzas, fish and chips and curries are among the options on the new takeaway menu, with drinks also available for delivery, and Broad has been enlisted to help on the delivery run.

"I'm a lot more hands on than Broady, but he's great when he's around - it's not common that we're around at the same time" Gurney said. "He visits the pub, he does stuff on social media, and he's talking about helping us do some takeaway and grocery deliveries next week."

As for life stuck at home? Things could be worse. Aside from finding a way to keep his two-year-old son entertained, Gurney intends to "play a bit of piano, drink red wine, do some reading" as well as running to keep fit.

The working assumption remains that the IPL season will take place, though exactly when remains unclear, and the English season remains scheduled to start at the end of May with the T20 Blast. Gurney typically gives himself a four-week period to get up to speed ahead of a franchise tournament, so the lack of clarity is something of a frustration.

So on Monday afternoon, rather than boarding his flight to Kolkata as initially planned, he allowed himself a snap purchase with weeks sat at home in mind.

"I've just bought a PlayStation. I bought it about an hour ago. It's the first time I've had one since I was, I reckon, 21 or 22." At a time like this, who can blame him?

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams on Monday revealed new team colors and logos that will debut this season.

The new look is part of a rebranding effort that has been in progress since the Rams returned to Los Angeles in 2016 after 21 seasons in St. Louis.

"The most exciting part of this for me, and I hope for Rams fans, is it blends the best of our pasts with what we believe is the best of our future," said Kevin Demoff, the Rams' chief operating officer. "I'm sure it will be a surprise, it will be change, but lots of things are and I think it's a change that our fans will come to know and love over time."

Gone is navy blue, light gold and white, a scheme the Rams adopted in 2000 in St. Louis.

Their new colors are a spinoff of their throwback royal blue and gold. The Rams have dubbed their hues "Rams Royal" and "Sol." White also is featured in the new look.

"We always looked at blue and yellow and white, we looked at a wide range of things around that as accent colors," Demoff said. "But at the end of the day, that was one place we knew our fans weren't going to compromise."

The reveal comes two weeks after a specialty hat, made by New Era specifically for the NFL draft in Las Vegas, was leaked on social media. Fans expressed disdain for the design, which was navy blue with neon yellow accents.

The Rams were caught off guard by the leak, said they turned down the design of the cap multiple times, and ultimately were disappointed the specialty hat was the first piece of rebranded merchandise seen by fans.

"It's not a hat I would buy or we would ever want in the marketplace, but we didn't get much of a say in that," Demoff said. "[That hat] was a terrible first introduction to where we are headed, but there's nothing we can do about how that came to be."

The Rams will unveil new uniforms later this spring.

Their rebranding effort coincides with the completion of SoFi Stadium, Rams owner Stan Kroenke's $5 billion project, which is scheduled to open for the 2020 season and will be home to the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

The Rams are coming off a 9-7 season only a year after playing in Super Bowl LIII.

As they prepare to complete their transition to L.A., rebranded and in a new stadium, they will do so without several familiar players.

Last week, the Rams released running back Todd Gurley, who was named the 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and they did not re-sign veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers, outside linebacker Dante Fowler and linebacker Cory Littleton, each of whom departed in free agency. Gurley agreed to a contract with the Falcons the day after he was cut.

"Like all Rams fans, I'm appreciative of Todd and what he's meant to this team," Demoff said about Gurley, who signed a four-year extension worth $45 million guaranteed in 2018. "Each year, your players change, your team changes and we knew walking into this season there would be tough choices ...

"It's going to be a different looking team than the one that left the field in 2019, but I think everybody knew that was going to be the case."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots released Stephen Gostkowski on Monday, ending the kicker's tenure with the team after 14 seasons.

It is a move that helps the salary-cap-strapped team create more space, but leaves a notable void at the position.

Gostkowski, who is coming off left hip surgery that shortened his 2019 season to four games, has been the team's full-time kicker since 2006, when he replaced Adam Vinatieri. He is the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 1,775 points.

Gostkowski, 36, was the Patriots' longest-tenured player once quarterback Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. Gostkowski was scheduled to count $4.8 million against the salary cap in 2020.

The Patriots, who have nearly $23 million in cap charges for players not on their roster (which includes $13.5 million for Brady), don't have another kicker on their roster. Veteran Nick Folk finished last season in that role and remains an unrestricted free agent.

Gostkowski was 374-for-428 on field goals (87.4%) with the Patriots, and 653-for-664 on point-after attempts (98%). That didn't include the playoffs, where he was 31-for-36 on field goals and 79-for-83 on PATs. His strong right leg was also valuable to the team on kickoffs.

Only Tom Brady (41), Adam Vinatieri (32) and Jerry Rice (29) have played in more career playoff games than the 28 of Gostkowski, whose 205 postseason points are second all-time to the 238 by Vinatieri.

With his departure, the longest-tenured Patriots player is special-teamer Matthew Slater, who has been with New England for 12 seasons.

FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick announced his retirement via Twitter on Monday.

The move came as something of a surprise to the Cowboys, but sources said there had been rumblings that Frederick, who just turned 29, had been contemplating walking away.

In his announcement, Frederick made reference to his battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an auto-immune disease that affects the nervous system, which knocked him off the field in 2018. Frederick lost strength and some motor skills but was cleared to return last year and started 16 games.

Numerous times throughout his recovery, Frederick said his goal was to not just return to the game but continue to play at the highest of levels. Frederick said in his statement he considered retirement as he battled GBS, but could not walk away without getting back to football.

"I made my return to the field, played well overall, and was selected to the Pro Bowl, but it was a difficult year for me," Frederick said in his announcement. "Each day I faced a struggle: I could no longer perform at my highest level. Playing 'well' is not what I expect of myself and is not what my teammates deserve. Because of this, I know my days as a football player are done. I am proud of what I have accomplished in my career, and I walk away with my head held high."

pic.twitter.com/oGeKaS5byA

— Travis Frederick (@tfrederick72) March 23, 2020

The Cowboys selected Frederick in the first round of the 2013 draft, No. 31 overall, and he started every regular-season game (96) he played, as well as three playoff games. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2014-17 as well as 2019 and was a first-team All-Pro pick in 2016.

"Travis Frederick, by the nature of his center position, was the core piece of what I believe to be one of the most talented and skilled NFL offensive lines that has been assembled," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. "His leadership ability, production and intelligence put him at the top level of interior offensive linemen in our league for many years. At the pinnacle of his success, his career on the field was only exceeded by a rare display of courage and determination in overcoming a life-threatening illness and returning to the game -- a challenge that could only be completed by a person with rare levels of perseverance and strength."

The Cowboys signed Frederick to a six-year, $56.4 million extension prior to the 2016 season that included $28 million in guaranteed money. In theory, the Cowboys could look to recoup signing bonus money because of his retirement announcement.

Last week, the Cowboys signed Frederick's backup, Joe Looney, to a one-year deal worth $2.4 million. Looney started every game in Frederick's absence in 2018 and performed well. The Cowboys also have Adam Redmond under contract as a potential backup, and it is possible Connor Williams, who has started most of the past two seasons at left guard, could get some work at center after he returns from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered late last season.

"Travis is an incredible player, teammate and leader, who inspired us with his work ethic and perseverance, especially after knowing what he went through in 2018," Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee told ESPN. "To go from having trouble walking to the Pro Bowler he is, was just incredible to watch. His play on the field and his dedication to helping the community was second to none and he'll be dearly missed. I'll miss him in the locker room and competing against him in practice, but I know he's excited for what's next in his life and I'm happy for him."

Through his Blocking Out Hunger Foundation, Frederick has in recent days been focused on aiding children's access to food during the COVID-19 crisis that has closed schools for an extended amount of time. Along with some teammates and coaches, Frederick pledged to match up to $40,000 in donations, noting that $2 feeds a child for a day and $25 feeds a child for two full weeks.

In 2017, Frederick was the Cowboys' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

"As a contributor to our community, a family man and a professional person, he has distinguished himself as an exemplary representative of this organization," Jones' statement continued. "And for the rest of his life, when his name is mentioned in the same sentence with the Dallas Cowboys, he will be lifting the standards of excellence and esteem that has characterized the history of our proud franchise."

We're entering an offseason of uncertainty in college basketball. Not only is there trepidation on the part of potential NBA draft early-entrants and athletic directors looking into making coaching changes, but it's also impossible for coaches to go out and recruit the final players in the 2020 class. Moreover, we could see transfer eligibility rules changing in the near future.

In other words, rosters could look dramatically different a few months from now -- or there could be much less turnover than we're used to.

Either way, here's our first guess at the landscape of the 2020-21 season. We're going to constantly update this throughout the offseason as players declare for the draft and transfers and recruits make decisions. The most likely outcome in terms of early-entry players is factored into the rankings.

It's only 232 days until the 2020 Champions Classic ...

1. Villanova Wildcats

If things fall right for Jay Wright's program, a third national championship in six years isn't out of the question. The Wildcats could bring back everyone from this season, although breakout sophomore Saddiq Bey could enter the NBA draft after playing his way into the first round of mock drafts. Villanova seemed to figure things out late in the season, winning seven of its last eight games and getting a flash of what could be a breakout campaign from freshman Justin Moore. Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl should all return. The key could be Bryan Antoine, a former five-star recruit who barely played this season due to a shoulder injury, while Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels (16.9 PPG) adds even more perimeter pop. Wright will have no shortage of weapons even if Bey goes to the NBA, but Bey does bring an inside-outside skill set that could be tough to replace.

2. Creighton Bluejays

Creighton was playing as well as any team in the country over the last two months of the season, winning 11 of its last 13 games and earning the 1-seed in the Big East tournament. Could that momentum carry over to next season? Coach Greg McDermott should bring back all five starters, including the elite backcourt tandem of Marcus Zegarowski and Ty-Shon Alexander. Sixth man Denzel Mahoney (12.0 PPG) also is back. More good news comes in the form of Davion Mintz (9.7 PPG), who started all but one game of his sophomore and junior campaigns but redshirted this season due to an ankle injury. Creighton should once again have one of the best offenses in America, but the Bluejays will have to shore up defensively and on the glass -- the return of 6-foot-11 Jacob Epperson and the addition of four-star 6-11 freshman Ryan Kalkbrenner should help.

3. Gonzaga Bulldogs

There are going to be NBA draft decisions to wait for with the Bulldogs. Killian Tillie and Ryan Woolridge are graduating, but Corey Kispert and Filip Petrusev are also ranked in the top 60 of ESPN's NBA draft rankings and therefore could at least go through the draft process. If both return, Mark Few's team could rise all the way up to No. 1 in the rankings. Drew Timme should step right in for Tillie, and elite five-star guard Jalen Suggs should slot into the starting lineup for Woolridge. Joel Ayayi is back and Anton Watson will be healthy as a piece off the bench. Gonzaga brings in three ESPN 100 freshmen, led by Suggs, so the Bulldogs' depth should be much improved after they played mostly a seven-man rotation for the latter half of the season. Another 30-win season seems like a lock for Gonzaga, and a potential Final Four run isn't far-fetched at all.

4. Baylor Bears

After sitting atop the rankings for several weeks this season, Baylor lost three of its final five games to finish two games behind Kansas in the Big 12 standings. Coach Scott Drew and the Bears will have another go-round at the conference title next season, and they should enter 2020-21 as the favorite. Their strength will once again come on the perimeter, with Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague all likely to be back and four-star freshman L.J. Cryer and Presbyterian transfer Adam Flagler (15.9 PPG) providing insurance if one of them heads to the NBA. Baylor didn't get enough consistent offense from its frontcourt this season, and that could potentially be an issue again -- especially with Freddie Gillespie gone. However, Mark Vital returns as a glue guy and Drew is bringing in reinforcements in the form of freshmen Dain Dainja and Zach Loveday and transfer Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. Hopefully Tristan Clark has a return to form, too.

5. Kentucky Wildcats

This might be the team with the most up in the air in terms of the NBA draft. As a projected lottery pick, Tyrese Maxey is likely to go pro. But Ashton Hagans, Nick Richards and Immanuel Quickley are all ranked in the Nos. 45-60 range in ESPN's NBA draft rankings -- so all three could go either way. Richards and Quickley were two of the best players in the SEC this season, with both enjoying breakout campaigns. Hagans is an elite defensive point guard who had some offensive inconsistencies late in the season. And here's a surprise: John Calipari is bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. Five-star wings B.J. Boston and Terrence Clarke could start immediately, and five-star point guard Devin Askew will step in if Hagans leaves. Four-star Isaiah Jackson will provide some rim protection. Kentucky could theoretically be the preseason No. 1 if everyone returns, but there's a lot left to play out in Lexington.

6. Duke Blue Devils

Like Kentucky, Duke has to see what happens with its stay-or-go decisions. Tre Jones already has declared for the NBA draft and Vernon Carey Jr. is very likely to do the same. Cassius Stanley improved his stock as a freshman, but he could come back for his sophomore season as the team's go-to guy offensively. Mike Krzyzewski brings in the No. 2-ranked recruiting class, led by five-star perimeter players Jeremy Roach, D.J. Steward and Jalen Johnson. The Blue Devils used a number of different lineups this season, struggling to find the right combination. The incoming class should provide versatility. As far as the returnees, Wendell Moore and Matthew Hurt are the most likely to take steps forward after showing flashes during their first seasons in Durham. Perhaps the biggest question will be who gets the rock late in games. Jones had the utmost confidence and Carey was dominant once he got the ball.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes

Luka Garza was my pick to win the Wooden Award, and I think he'll head back to Iowa City for his senior season. If that happens, the Hawkeyes are undoubtedly a preseason top-10 team. Fran McCaffery will bring back all five starters from a 20-win team, one that would've likely ended up with a 6-seed in the NCAA tournament. Garza should be his dominant self once again, while double-figure scorers Joe Wieskamp and CJ Fredrick also are back. McCaffery should also get a boost from the expected return of Jordan Bohannon, who redshirted this season after playing just 10 games. A healthy Bohannon is a difference-maker at the point of attack. The Hawkeyes had some issues defensively, especially in Big Ten play, but they were able to outscore most opponents. And most of those weapons should be back again.

8. Virginia Cavaliers

Tony Bennett did a magnificent job this season, taking the Cavaliers from a team that looked unlikely to even make the NCAA tournament to a group that won eight straight to end the season and could have won games in the dance. They will lose veterans Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key but should have far more offensive firepower next season. ESPN 100 wing Jabri Abdur-Rahim was one of the best pure scorers in the 2020 class, while Marquette transfer Sam Hauser (14.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG) is an immediate-impact newcomer. Kihei Clark, Tomas Woldetensae and Jay Huff are all back as starters, and guards Reece Beekman and Casey Morsell give Bennett even more options on the perimeter. It should be a deeper, more prolific group -- although the defensive side of the ball might see some growing pains.

9. Michigan State Spartans

Cassius Winston and the Spartans seemed poised for a March run, but that was cut short and now Winston is gone after four tremendous seasons in East Lansing. Finding a new point guard is going to be issue No. 1 for Tom Izzo. Rocket Watts made plays late in the season as a scorer and defender and ESPN 100 guard A.J. Hoggard enters the fold, but both are better as scorers. That's only one of the questions facing Michigan State. Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry could both choose to go through the NBA draft process, with Tillman the more likely of the two to leave. And what about Josh Langford? Will he return? There are a lot of pieces on the roster if everyone returns, as Izzo adds Marquette transfer Joey Hauser (9.7 PPG) and ESPN 100 big Mady Sissoko to a group that includes Watts, Malik Hall and Gabe Brown.

10. Kansas Jayhawks

The overwhelming favorites to win the national championship before the NCAA tournament was canceled, the Jayhawks are unlikely to pick up exactly where they left off next season. Udoka Azubuike has seen his dominant days in Lawrence come to an end, while Devon Dotson could enter the NBA draft. Isaiah Moss also is gone. Bill Self will need to find a point guard to replace Dotson if he leaves, with redshirt freshman Dajuan Harris and three-star freshman Latrell Jossell the only true point guards on the roster. Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji are back as starters, while Christian Braun and David McCormack should be ready for bigger roles. The two newcomers to watch are five-star guard Bryce Thompson and highly touted junior college transfer Tyon Grant-Foster. Both will be counted on to score right away.

11. North Carolina Tar Heels

I know, I know. The Tar Heels were a preseason top-10 team heading into the season and ended up as the most disappointing group in the country, finishing with the last seed in the ACC tournament. But next season's North Carolina team is going to be significantly deeper and more talented, even with the expected departure of Cole Anthony. Roy Williams brings in one of the nation's best recruiting classes, led by five-star guard Caleb Love and five-star bigs Day'Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler. The Tar Heels will have a dominant interior, as Sharpe and Kessler join returning starters Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks. Love might be the best freshman point guard in the country. Wing scoring could be a question mark, but there are enough options on the roster -- if everyone stays healthy, something that didn't happen this season.

12. Texas Tech Red Raiders

We'll never know if the Red Raiders' struggles to end the season would have kept them out of the NCAA tournament, but it's unlikely to come down to the final week next season. Even if Jahmi'us Ramsey heads to the NBA, which is likely, Chris Beard will still bring back three starters and has the program's best-ever recruiting class bound for Lubbock. Kyler Edwards and Davide Moretti are back as double-figure scorers, and five-star guard Nimari Burnett should slot into the starting lineup. UNLV transfer Joel Ntambwe (11.8 PPG) sat out this season and has pro potential, while ESPN 100 wing Micah Peavy is another newcomer being counted on to make an immediate impact. Beard will need more from the interior next season, and he could hit the grad transfer market to address that issue.

13. Ohio State Buckeyes

Which Ohio State will show up next season? The one that started 11-1 and sat near the top of the rankings? Or the one that lost six of seven to drop to 2-6 in the Big Ten -- or the one that won nine of its last 12? I think it's something more like the third option, even though there are some personnel issues entering the offseason. One of those was addressed over the weekend, when Harvard graduate transfer Seth Towns -- our No. 1 transfer -- picked the hometown Buckeyes over Duke. Towns will add perimeter shooting, while California transfer Justice Sueing brings scoring punch after sitting out last season. C.J. Walker, Duane Washington and Luther Muhammad are all back in the backcourt. What happens up front? If Kaleb Wesson turns pro, coach Chris Holtmann could be short on interior options. If Wesson returns, Ohio State will rise several spots in the rankings.

14. Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols took an expected step back this season after the departure of three starters and season-ending injury to Lamonte Turner. But the 2020-21 campaign looks bright. Veteran stalwart Jordan Bowden is gone, but that's it. Four starters return, including three double-figure scorers: point guard Santiago Vescovi and forwards Yves Pons and John Fulkerson. Versatile wing Josiah-Jordan James is also back. Rick Barnes also has a loaded group of newcomers entering the program, led by five-star guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson, as well as ESPN 100 forward Corey Walker and Oregon transfer Victor Bailey Jr. Tennessee is going to be deep, experienced and versatile -- and could move up the rankings as teams ahead of the Volunteers lose guys to the NBA draft.

15. Wisconsin Badgers

Greg Gard led one of the bigger second-half turnarounds in the country this season, with the Badgers winning eight straight games to end the season to earn a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship. All five players who started the season finale against Indiana will be back, and all five will be seniors next season. Gard will have one of the most experienced teams in the country, one that has plenty of offensive balance: D'Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison on the perimeter, Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter down low, and Aleem Ford as a do-it-all glue guy. The Badgers also bring in a five-man recruiting class, led by ESPN 100 forward Ben Carlson. Potter could be the key. He was dominant at times late in the season, and he and Reuvers are brutal matchup problems for most opponents.

16. Houston Cougars

Houston never quite looked as good as the metrics pegged the Cougars, but Kelvin Sampson's team should be more consistent next season. There's a chance all but one starter return, although DeJon Jarreau and Quentin Grimes could have NBA draft decisions to make. If both return -- along with starter Nate Hinton and sixth man extraordinaire Caleb Mills (13.2 PPG) -- Sampson will have the most talented quartet in the AAC by some distance. The Cougars also bring in ESPN 100 prospect Tramon Mark and Idaho transfer Cameron Tyson (13.5 PPG, 42.9% 3PT) to help on the perimeter. They will have to figure out the frontcourt, as there isn't much proven behind Fabian White. It's hard to doubt Sampson at this point, though, as the Cougars have won 83 games the past three seasons and had a top-21 defense all three campaigns.

17. San Diego State Aztecs

This ranking will come down to whether Malachi Flynn decides to return to the Aztecs for his senior season. The former Washington State transfer was the catalyst behind San Diego State's 30-win season and likely 2-seed in the NCAA tournament, and the Aztecs would tumble outside the top 25 if he decided to go pro. If Flynn is back, coach Brian Dutcher should have the pieces to once again win the Mountain West and be nationally relevant. Double-figure scorers Jordan Schakel and Matt Mitchell will be back, and hopefully Nathan Mensah is healthy enough to play a consistent role at center. Freshmen Keith Dinwiddie and Che Evans had some notoriety at the high school level and should find spots in the rotation. But there's nobody to replace Flynn; he might have one of the most important NBA draft decisions in the country.

18. LSU Tigers

Will Wade's team could be absolutely loaded with talent if things fall right. Of course, the people of Baton Rouge will have to wait and see what happens with the potential draft decisions of Javonte Smart, Trendon Watford and Emmitt Williams. All three could at least explore their options, and Skylar Mays is already out of eligibility. But if a couple of the draft hopefuls return to school, the Tigers will have the pieces to push toward the top of the SEC standings again. Wade has a talented incoming recruiting class, led by five-star guard Cam Thomas -- arguably the best pure bucket-getter in the 2020 class. Georgetown transfer Josh LeBlanc and ESPN 100 prospect Mwani Wilkinson also should make an impact. This ranking could drop significantly if a couple of the aforementioned players keep their names in the draft, though.

19. Michigan Wolverines

Juwan Howard did a very good job in his first season coaching in college, leading the Wolverines to wins over Gonzaga, Creighton, Michigan State and a host of other Big Ten teams. They do lose senior starters Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske, but Howard is replacing them with a stellar first full recruiting class. Five-star Isaiah Todd is the headliner, although there are still questions on whether he chooses to head overseas before playing in the NBA. ESPN 100 big man Hunter Dickinson, small forward Terrance Williams and Zeb Jackson all should see extended roles immediately. Michigan also brings back three starters, with Eli Brooks, Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner averaging double figures. Livers is the key: When he was healthy, the Wolverines were a different team, going 13-6 with him and 6-6 when he didn't play a full game.

20. Arkansas Razorbacks

It was a transition season in Fayetteville, with Eric Musselman taking over and hitting the transfer market hard in his first season at the helm. But 2019-20 also saw a huge breakout campaign from Mason Jones, who established himself as one of the best players in the SEC. Jones and Isaiah Joe were one of the highest-scoring duos in the country and both are expected back for another season. Musselman also landed four ESPN 100 prospects from inside the state and has three transfers eligible after sitting out. The ones expected to make the biggest impact are Jacksonville transfer J.D. Notae (15.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.4 APG), California transfer Connor Vanover (7.5 PPG) and top-40 recruit Moses Moody. All three could start right off the bat. Musselman has done the rapid-rebuild thing before at Nevada and he's on his way at Arkansas.

21. Colorado Buffaloes

The continuity of Tad Boyle's starting lineup has been remarkably consistent the past two seasons, with McKinley Wright, Tyler Bey, D'Shawn Schwartz and Evan Battey all starting at least 40 games in 2018-19 and 2019-20 combined. Wright and Bey have been starters since their freshman seasons. Next season should be the year it culminates with an NCAA tournament appearance -- and even a couple of wins in the dance. The Buffs lost five in a row to end this season, and there were issues at both ends of the floor. On paper, though, Colorado has all the pieces, assuming Wright and Bey return to Boulder. There is one spot open in the starting lineup, and I'd keep an eye on incoming freshman Dominique Clifford to play an extended role quickly.

22. Florida State Seminoles

It's probably time to stop underestimating Leonard Hamilton, given what he has done with the Seminoles the past few seasons. They won the ACC regular-season title in 2020 after going to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight the two seasons prior. And maybe No. 22 is too low for Florida State -- but it's with the idea that both Devin Vassell and Patrick Williams turn pro. Vassell played himself into a first-round pick and Williams is also in that range. On top of that, Trent Forrest is out of eligibility, leaving Florida State without a bona fide point guard on the roster. If either Vassell or Williams returns, this ranking will change. Five-star Scottie Barnes is an impact newcomer and Sardaar Calhoun is a touted junior college transfer. Seven rotation pieces from this season are also back.

23. Oregon Ducks

Oregon has been relatively inactive recruiting the 2020 class, but we said something similar entering last spring and Dana Altman went out and reeled in several players to bolster the roster. He shouldn't have to do the same this time around. The Ducks already have ESPN 100 point guard Jalen Terry wrapped up to replace Payton Pritchard, and transfers Eric Williams (14.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG) and Eugene Omoruyi (13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG) are eligible after sitting out last season. Plus, Altman brings back starting guards Will Richardson and Chris Duarte and has a quartet of rising sophomores ready to take on bigger roles. As mentioned earlier, the Ducks also always have something up their sleeve for the spring and summer in terms of adding players. If they were to hit the transfer or reclassification market, more guard depth should be atop the list.

24. West Virginia Mountaineers

West Virginia exceeded expectations this season, despite struggling down the stretch and losing six of seven before beating Iowa State and then Baylor in the season finale. Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers made the Sweet 16 in three of four seasons prior to a down 2019 season, and I've got faith in Huggins getting West Virginia to 20-25 wins again. Only one starter is gone, and the interior duo of Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver are both back down low. The Mountaineers will need to find more consistent ways to score in the half court, and another year from Miles McBride -- who had a breakout stretch midway through the season -- should help. There's also Jalen Bridges, a former ESPN 100 prospect who committed to the Mountaineers late in the process before taking a redshirt year in Morgantown.

25. Richmond Spiders

After winning nine of 10 to end the regular season, the Spiders would have entered the Atlantic 10 tournament with a legitimate chance to earn an at-large bid on Selection Sunday. And Chris Mooney should have everyone back from a group that went 14-4 in the league. There wasn't a single senior on the roster and all five starters will be seniors next season, giving Mooney a talented, experienced group that was effective at both ends of the floor. The perimeter trio of Jacob Gilyard, Blake Francis and Nick Sherod brings a little bit of everything: scoring, playmaking, shooting, defense. And Grant Golden is a skilled big man up front to balance things out. Richmond will also get Tulane transfer Connor Crabtree eligible after sitting out; he brings some size and shooting to the perimeter.

Next in line:

Arizona State Sun Devils

UCLA Bruins

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Florida Gators

Indiana Hoosiers

University of Minnesota sophomore forward/center Daniel Oturu plans to enter the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Monday.

Oturu is considered a frontcourt prospect with the potential to be selected in the first round of the draft in June. He is ranked as the 36th overall prospect in ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony's most recent top 100 prospect rankings.

Oturu averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2.6 blocks for the Golden Gophers and received first-team All-Big 10 defensive team and second-team All-Big 10 honors.

He shot 56% from the floor.

Basketball's governing body, FIBA, is telling players around the world to stay inside.

FIBA president Hamane Niang and secretary general Andreas Zagklis said that in "no circumstance should our passion to play basketball surpass the importance of following the instructions of the public authorities" when it comes to helping ensure public health.

FIBA said it plans to make decisions soon about the Basketball Champions League, the Basketball Champions League Americas and the Basketball Africa League -- as well as all suspended international competitions.

FIBA also is monitoring the Olympic developments as the world begins bracing for -- and in some cases, advocating for -- a postponement of this year's Tokyo Games. Since qualifying is not yet completed, FIBA said "there is a growing need for answers to be provided quickly."

Niang and Zagklis added that "we will not ask our players to go somewhere, where we would not send our own children."

NBA icon Charles Barkley, who announced 10 days ago that he was being tested for the coronavirus after falling ill, does not have COVID-19, he said Monday.

"I've received my COVID-19 test results this morning and they are negative," he said in a statement released by Turner Sports. "I'd like to thank everyone for reaching out and expressing your concern and support. You all be safe and please take the necessary actions to help ensure your well-being."

The colorful NBA analyst had called into his show on TNT on March 12 to say he wasn't feeling well and was self-isolating and being tested for the coronavirus.

"I'm just kind of in limbo right now. I'm hoping, I'm really hoping, it was just a bug," he told the crew on "Inside the NBA."

"I was in New York earlier this week, and that was a hot spot. When I got to Atlanta, I just wasn't feeling well. I took the test, I haven't gotten the results back yet, and that's where I'm at now."

Barkley's announcement came one day after the NBA suspended play following Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert's positive test.

Before the New York trip, Barkley, 57, was with the Los Angeles Angels on March 2 in Mesa, Arizona, for a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said last week that no Angels players or coaches had exhibited coronavirus symptoms after Barkley's visit.

Angels general manager Billy Eppler told ESPN March 13 that the team was monitoring Barkley's test and awaiting instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.