The Kansas Jayhawks pulled out of the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Friday after a player tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Kansas Jayhawks were set to play the Texas Longhorns on Friday in the Big 12 semifinals, but the game was cancelled, according to CBS Sports reporter Matt Norlander. It is unclear if Kansas being pulled from the semifinals will affect the team’s eligibility for the NCAA Tournament, Norlander reported. (RELATED: Virginia Dumped From ACC Semifinal Game After COVID-19 Outbreak)
“Obviously we are disappointed and our players are disappointed that they can’t continue to compete for the Big 12 championship,” head coach Bill Self said in a statement, according to sports reporter Matt Tait.
#KUbball confirms withdrawal from Big 12 tournament. No game tonight. Here’s Self… pic.twitter.com/y8eRgSzjrQ
— Matt Tait (@mctait) March 12, 2021
“While we have been fortunate to avoid this throughout the season, there are daily risks with this virus that everybody participating is trying to avoid,” Self continued. “We have followed the daily testing and additional protocols that have been set up for us, unfortunately we caught a bad break at the wrong time. I look forward to preparing my team in probably a unique way for next week’s NCAA Tournament.”
Duke and Virginia have also been pulled from tournaments due to coronavirus outbreaks.