Virginia head mentor Tony Bennett watches play in the course of the initial 50 percent of an NCAA school basketball game versus Syracuse in the quarterfinal spherical of the Atlantic Coastline Convention match in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday, March 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
AP
The Atlantic Coastline Meeting has canceled its tournament semifinal sport among No. 16 Virginia and Ga Tech due to a constructive COVID-19 take a look at, quarantining and speak to tracing in the Cavaliers program.
It is second tournament video game the league has called off in two times owing to COVID troubles.
The ACC built the announcement Friday morning, less than 12 hours in advance of the Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers were established to play the to start with of two semifinal video games. That signifies Ga Tech will progress to Saturday’s championship sport to face the winner of the North Carolina-Florida Point out matchup.
Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett explained the end result of the tests as a “gut punch.”
“I’m hurting for our gamers, specifically our seniors,” Bennett said in a assertion. “I explained to our young adult males they have each explanation to be upset, but it is even now extremely crucial how they select to reply. We are exhausting all selections to take part in the NCAA Event.”
Virginia athletic director Carla Williams said in the assertion the college was “in conversation with the correct officials regarding our participation” in the NCAA Event, which starts off Tuesday.
The cancellation came a day soon after Duke withdrew from the tournament and ended its period amid its own constructive take a look at in advance of dealing with the Seminoles in the quarterfinals.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips reported in a assertion introduced by the league that he was “heartbroken” for the pupil-athletes, coaches and help staff members at Duke and Virginia.
“We keep on to be led by our ACC Healthcare Advisory Group and the protocols place in location that have allowed our teams to securely compete throughout the 2020-21 year,” he said. “We will comply with the lead of our medical personnel to ensure the wellness and security of our plans continue being the major precedence.”
The Cavaliers (18-6) are the tournament’s major seed and had been coming off a win versus Syracuse on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Reece Beekman on Thursday.
Whilst Virginia’s NCAA Match position is unclear, the event will be held solely in the condition of Indiana to produce what NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt has identified as a “controlled environment” rather of a bubble.
The event protocols include demanding each and every member of a team’s journey occasion to comprehensive 7 destructive COVID-19 tests ahead of leaving for Indianapolis. Gavitt has explained a team can go on to engage in if it has five players offered through individuals security protocols.
“This whole 12 months has been a large amount various for everyone with the tests protocols, socially distancing, carrying masks, producing sure you’re not seeing persons exterior of your bubble definitely,” Virginia guard Sam Hauser claimed just after the Syracuse win.
“Pretty happy of our fellas. We had been incredibly disciplined throughout the year and continue to be, specifically this time of the year when if you get a COVID bug like that, it could finish your time. … We’re just heading to go on to consider the suitable protocols, and we really should be all proper.”
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AP Sporting activities Writer Hank Kurz Jr. in Virginia contributed to this report.
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Far more AP university basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top rated25
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