Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale said the initial shock of the 2020 NCAA tournament being canceled left him despondent. Then Vitale said he quickly became grounded in the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic that’s prompted all NCAA spring sports to be canceled and pro sports leagues to be put on hold. “I love March and college basketball as much as anyone. But what’s going on is bigger than sports,” Vitale told USA TODAY Sports by phone. “When peoples’ lives are at risk, basketball goes on the backburner. Initially, I thought postponing the NCAA tournament made more sense. Those three weeks, there’s no greater time in sports for mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. But at the end of the day, we’re dealing with an infectious disease. I said to myself, ‘My friend, you love basketball. But you love people more.’”