NC State men’s basketball pauses all activities due to COVID-19
For the time being, N.C. State’s basketball season has been placed on hold.
The school announced on Wednesday that all men’s basketball program activities will be paused due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. According to a release from N.C. State, two members of the travel party have tested positive for COVID-19.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and staff remains our unwavering priority,” NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan said. “We will continue to work with all appropriate parties and adhere to ACC, campus and local protocols to make the most responsible decisions moving forward.”
That means the Wolfpack’s next game, originally scheduled for Saturday versus FAU will not be played. N.C. State (3-0) was scheduled to play at Michigan Wednesday as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, but that game was postponed on Monday. According to a release the two schools will “work together to see if a game can be arranged on an alternative date.”
“This was a difficult, but ultimately necessary decision for our program,” head coach Kevin Keatts said. “The health and safety of our student-athletes and staff will always come first. After consulting with our medical team, we decided the appropriate measure was to pause all team activities effective immediately.”
This is the fourth game canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 this season for the Wolfpack.
The team had to leave ‘Bubbleville’ basketball event in Connecticut and cancel its game with UConn after a member of the traveling party tested positive last Friday.
Everyone in the program tested negative before the trip to Connecticut and again before the game versus the River Hawks. Everyone within the program was tested again Friday and someone’s result was positive.
The team returned to Raleigh around 7 p.m. Saturday and was tested immediately, roughly 36 hours after the Friday morning tests. Tests were performed again Sunday.
After the win over UMass Lowell last Thursday, Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts talked about how fortunate they were to get in games this season.
“I’ve said it all along,” Keatts said, “we scheduled 27 games, if we get 15 to 18 games in, I think we’re all blessed.”
N.C. State is not alone in the ACC in having to miss out on games that were on the schedule. Wake Forest, Louisville and Notre Dame have had to cancel games recently due to COVID-19 cases.
The Wolfpack could potentially miss the ACC opener at Louisville on Dec. 16. The Cardinals’ ACC-Big Ten Challenge contest versus Wisconsin was canceled on Monday. Louisville has been on a COVID-19 pause since Dec. 3.
N.C. State has Campbell on the schedule for Dec. 19 at PNC Arena, followed by their second scheduled ACC game, at home versus North Carolina, on Dec. 22.
There has been no determination on how the pause in activities will affect games beyond the Dec. 12.
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 11:07 AM with the headline "NC State men’s basketball pauses all activities due to COVID-19."
