[ad_1]
Kansas withdrew from the Big 12 tournament after testing positive for COVID-19, the school said on Friday.
The Jayhawks were scheduled to face Texas in the Big 12 semi-finals on Friday; the Longhorns will advance to the championship game to face the winner of Baylor-Oklahoma State.
Kansas big men David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna missed the Big 12 tournament due to COVID-19 protocols, though coach BIll Self did not say whether the players tested positive for the virus or were absent due to contact tracing. Neither player traveled with the team to Kansas City.
Kansas will remain in Kansas City and will continue to be tested daily according to NCAA tournament protocols.
“Obviously we are disappointed and our players are disappointed that we cannot continue to compete for the Big 12 championship,” Self said. “Although we have been fortunate enough to avoid this throughout the season, there are daily risks with this virus that all participants try to avoid. We have followed the daily tests and additional protocols that have been put in place. up for us, unfortunately we took a bad break. at the wrong time. I can’t wait to prepare my team in a probably unique way for next week’s NCAA tournament. “
Kansas is the fourth team in the past two days to pull out of their conference tournament due to COVID-19 concerns, after Duke and Virginia in the ACC and the No.1 seed from North Carolina A&T in the MEAC.
Virginia and Kansas could still play in the NCAA tournament, although they need to show seven consecutive days of negative tests. Dan Gavitt, senior vice president of NCAA men’s basketball, said a team only needs five healthy players to play in an NCAA tournament game. If neither the Cavaliers nor the Jayhawks have a generalized outbreak of COVID-19 and the rest of the team continues to test negative, both teams could be eligible to play in the NCAA tournament.
Virginia coach Tony Bennett said earlier Friday that the Cavaliers “are exhausting all options to enter the NCAA tournament.”
[ad_2]
Source link