Floor issue pops up ahead of second session in Greenville

GREENVILLE, S.C. — In the late moments of North Carolina's 103-64 win over Texas Southern on Friday afternoon, it became apparent there was a problem with the court. Members of the media seated courtside had pointed out an issue to the referees and they took note of it during the game.

“The officials pointed it out and said there was a bad spot on the left side of the court,” North Carolina guard Nate Britt told the News & Observer. “Coach told us to stay away.”

When the court cleared before the second session of NCAA Tournament games at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, a small crew made its way out to the court to investigate.

They brought out a sledgehammer, power drills, sanders and other tools.

The issue, it turns out, was a single floor panel that had slightly popped up. Attempts to pound it back down into place were unsuccessful, leading the crew to attempt to sand it down. That process lasted more than 10 minutes, including breaks to sweep the debris away to check the progress.

Ultimately, the court was deemed safe to play upon and warmups for the game between Duke and Troy resumed as scheduled. An NCAA spokesperson issued the following statement about the issue:

"During the first session of today’s NCAA tournament games in Greenville, a minor irregularity was discovered on one of the panels on the playing court. As is the case every year, our partners from Connor Sport Court are on site, and they quickly repaired the seam as soon as the North Carolina-Texas Southern game concluded. Once the repairs were made, players from Duke and Troy were given access to the court and each team had 46 minutes to warm up for tonight’s first game in the second session from Greenville. The safety of the student-athletes remain our top priority."

Marquette, scheduled to play South Carolina following  Duke vs.Troy, is no stranger to unexpected problems with courts, including in South Carolina.

On Feb. 25 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, the Golden Eagles and Friars dealt with a slippery floor caused by condensation from melting ice below the playing surface. That game included both teams agreeing that the officials should not make traveling calls when players slipped on the court, but outside of that the game continued and Providence earned a 73-69 victory.

In 2012, condensation on the court resulted in the cancellation of a Marquette game. Marquette was scheduled to play Ohio State aboard the USS Yorktown in Charleston, S.C. as part of the Carrier Classic but that game never got started. The Golden Eagles and Buckeyes instead agreed to play a home-and-home series over each of the next two seasons.