Michigan State forward Marcus Bingham Junior grew up playing basketball at MLK park in Grand Rapids and desperately wanted to be part of Wednesday's Unity in the Community event.
"It sounds exciting to be able to have people from all over playing at the park that I grew up in," Bingham said. "For me that is the most important thing, if I could be there I would just be giving back."
He won't be able to because doing so would require him to quarantine before returning to campus and joining his teammates.
"All the athletes here are kind of isolated," Bingham said. "We've got time slots where we can do stuff. It is pretty hard."
That means no seeing family or friends that are not on the team.
"We can't do anything," Bingham said. "As far as going to work out and coming back home, that's it. We can't have company, we can't do anything."
While the players workout, they don't practice the way would normally this time of the year.
Instead they work in small groups, still trying to get ready in hopes that a season will be played.
"We are just trying to all stay up to our pace and stay in the gym and stay in shape so if anything happens we will be ready," Bingham said. "I feel like everybody is doing a good job of that."
The three time defending Big Ten champs are looking forward to getting back on the court after not getting a chance to play in an NCAA Tournament last March.
"Everybody on the team I feel like has an edge on their shoulder coming into next season," Bingham said. "Because we didn't get to make the run that we were supposed to."
Should there be a season, Michigan State will once again be among the favorites in the Big Ten.
