College basketball is careening off the walls as it staggers toward the finish line.

Just this week, Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan, and Florida State have had games postponed, the latter three are still in a pause. They could comprise the Final Four in early April.

North Carolina’s game versus Miami was bumped Monday night even though there were no positive tests for either team or even verified contact tracing issues. A video of two UNC players surfaced of them at a party following Saturday’s win at Duke and they weren’t wearing masks.

So, Miami wasn’t comfortable. No game.

We are two-and-a-half months into the college hoops season and games are being lopped off left, right, and center. Monday’s postponement was the 28th in the ACC this season. Three have been made up and three are scheduled to be made up, ACC authority David Teel of the Richmond Times-Dispatch tweeted Monday evening.

As things are, imagining the NCAA Tournament going off without incident is more a fantasy than an offering into reality.

The NCAA will have a plan in place to deal with this when the time comes, but that time is fast approaching. Selection Sunday is 32 days away, and that week teams from around the nation will gather for their respective conference tournaments.

Good luck with that.

Seriously, a month ago, the idea of not having the ACC Tournament seemed a bit ludicrous, but not anymore. And it’s not because UNC’s game was axed, but all that it took for the game to get called off. The fragility within the current climate is real. Teams are choosing to not play even without testing or secondary testing serving as a factor.

And Miami isn’t exactly marching toward the big dance, either. Yet, Jim Larranaga and his team were totally justified in not feeling comfortable enough to play the Tar Heels, who could have been compromised at the party. It wasn’t worth the risk.

Now, this has nothing to do with personal feelings about COVID-19 and how it is being handled, this is strictly about the process as it relates to college basketball. And right now, it appears increasingly plausible conference tournaments will not take place, which would also be the wise move.

Everyone directly within all teams' travel parties for the NCAA Tournament must have seven consecutive negative COVID-19 tests before they arrive in Indiana, where the entire tournament will be held.

So why would a Gonzaga, which is a lock for the NCAAs, play in the West Coast Conference tournament against teams coming from ten different locations to the same place at the same time and risk positive tests thus jeopardizing its NCAA viability? The same goes for Baylor, Villanova, Virginia, FSU, etc.

And, what about Houston, or other teams (including the Zags) from one-bid leagues? If the Cougars opt out of the AAC tourney, does the winner still get an automatic bid? Imagine the forthcoming mess if certain teams don’t play while others do.

So, what makes the most sense is for all conference tournaments to be shelved this year, including the prestigious ACC Tournament. Instead, use that final week to make up some of the postponed games.

As it stands right now, UNC likely will finish the regular season having played eight ACC home games and 10 ACC road games. Perhaps making up the Clemson game in Chapel Hill and finding another opponent – no way Miami should have to again fly back up to Carolina – so the Heels and everyone else can get as close to 20 league games as possible. Ten at home and 10 on the road if possible, too.

In addition, finish the games the Thursday before Selection Sunday so everyone has a week to support their positive tests.

Grant all regular season champions as the automatic NCAA qualifiers and move on.

And before anyone rejects the notion, we survived the ACCT being canceled a year ago in mid-stream, so if it means taking more drastic measures to ensure the actual national championship event can begin will all 68 deserving participants in place, then that should happen.