The Kansas basketball team withdrew from the Big 12 tournament on Friday after having a positive test for COVID-19. The Jayhawks would play Texas in the semifinals of the league on Friday night, and due to the withdrawal, the Longhorns will advance through Saturday to play the winner of Oklahoma State and Baylor in the Big 12 tournament. CBS Sports’s Matt Norlander was the first to report the news that Kansas was forced to leave the Big 12 tournament on Friday.
“We are obviously disappointed and our players are disappointed because they cannot continue to compete for the Big 12 championship,” said head coach Bill Self. ‘Although we have been happy to avoid it all season, there are daily risks with this virus that everyone who tries to participate tries to avoid. We followed the daily testing and additional protocols set up for us, but unfortunately we got a bad break. at the wrong time. I look forward to probably preparing my team in a unique way for next week’s NCAA Tournament. ‘
It is unclear who is the player who tested positive, but a source told Norlander that it was someone who played against Oklahoma in KU on Thursday night. Only seven Jayhawks players saw Thursday night’s action, in part because they were already dealing with COVID issues during the week. Starting center David McCormack and reserve Tristan Enaruna were excluded from the Big 12 tournament before the team left for Kansas City, as both were placed in health and safety protocols.
He himself said before the Big 12 tournament that he expects both to be available for the NCAA tournament, but this is a new ripple that could throw a wrench into the availability of other KU players for next week’s NCAA tournament. , given contact detection and quarantine measures performed. According to the NCAA protocol, playing the Big Dance requires seven consecutive days of negative test results among Tier 1 staff prior to arrival in Indianapolis, meaning the test has already begun.
The KU’s sudden withdrawal from the tournament due to a COVID-positive test has been a major theme for key conference teams in recent days across the country. Duke had to withdraw from the ACC tournament on Thursday – and thus end his season – after a player who had not played the night before tested positive. On Friday, Virginia had to do the same because a player who participated in the team’s game on Thursday tested positive.