GREENSBORO, N.C. -- In years past, March has been synonymous with college basketball. 
 
But this year, all things hoops came to a screeching halt. 
 
In mid-March, sports were placed on pause and tournaments were canceled, and rightfully so. UNC Greensboro student-athletes certainly understand the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of social distancing. Yet even still, the abrupt endings and dashed dreams have been a tough pill to swallow. 
 
For UNCG's basketball teams, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions. Both the men's and women's teams returned to campus from the Southern Conference Tournament on Monday, March 9. The women's team made it to the final, but lost in heartbreaking fashion, while the men suffered a disappointing loss in the quarterfinals. Both squads were hoping to turn things around with a postseason run. But just a few days after their return, tournaments were canceled.
 
"It was surreal," said men's basketball head coach Wes Miller, who was recently named the top coach under 40 by ESPN. "We had practice on a Wednesday, and by noon on Thursday we were canceling our season. It's amazing how quickly everything developed. I don't know if it's really sunk in for any of us."
 
Typically, at this point in the summer, players would be on campus taking summer classes and spending as much time as possible in the gym and weight room. Now, both the men's and women's teams have resorted to weekly check-in Zoom meetings and individualized at-home workouts that are sent to the players.  
 
"Our players have to be creative and self-disciplined and do their own work," said women's head coach Trina Patterson. "We encouraged them to get some free weights, and to do exercises like push-ups. They've been doing their workouts at home and in open areas, of course still being safe with social distancing."
 
Aja Boyd, who graduated in May but still has one year of eligibility, went over a month without shooting a basketball. At the end of May, she returned home to Virginia, and thanks to a connection with a personal trainer, was able to access a gym. 
 
"It was definitely a calming and peaceful feeling to do something that I love and haven't done in a while," she said. 
 
On the men's side, Kaleb Hunter has been meeting a few of his teammates in local parks to do workouts together, at a distance. When he's not focused on his game, the business management major has been keeping busy with cooking, reading, and his studies. 
 
The weekly Zoom meetings have been a great way for the teams to stay connected, share how they're doing, and discuss important NCAA updates. But while technology is helpful, it certainly doesn't replace the real thing. 
 
"The biggest thing we're missing is just those personal touches that happen so organically every day," said Miller. "We have to find ways to make sure that communication and contact is still happening."
 
Recruiting has also been turned on its head. Both Miller and Patterson travel a lot during the summer, evaluating players and meeting with families. Now, everything's virtual.
 
UNCG extended offers to some players back in the fall. For others, Miller and Patterson are relying on film to evaluate and make important decisions. 
 
So what's next? UNCG Athletics is still formulating plans to begin to safely open up facilities to student-athletes and coaches. A lot remains uncertain. 
 
But for both programs, which are coming off historic years, there's still a lot to be excited about. 
 
"This is probably the most talented team I've been a part of here," said Hunter. "It's unreal how good we can be."
 
The women's team also believes it has the talent to build off last year's success.
 
"I think everyone is committed to getting back to where we were, getting back to the SoCon title game," Boyd said. "I'm very, very confident that we can do that as long as we stick to the plan, listen to our coaches, and stay healthy and in shape."