Yet another college basketball team is out of a conference tournament because of COVID-19.
This time, it’s Kansas. The Jayhawks have withdrawn from the Big 12 conference tournament after a player tested positive for COVID-19.
The Jayhawks weren’t a bubble team with a record of 20-8. They were essentially a lock for a spot in the NCAA tournament, so they didn’t need to perform well in the conference tournament to make it to the big dance.
With a week until the NCAA tournament kicks off, it’s unclear what this reported positive test could mean for their entry into the tournament, regardless of their record. It could potentially keep the Jayhawks out of it altogether.
Due to a positive COVID-19 test this morning within #KUbball, the Jayhawks have withdrawn from the 2021 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship.
More ➝ https://t.co/2LvytsF9HN pic.twitter.com/TPUvUpEtUa
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) March 12, 2021
It remains to-be-determined whether or not this will impact Kansas’ availability and eligibility for the NCAA Tournament, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 12, 2021
Kansas’ positive test just continues the alarming trend of teams being knocked out of conference tournaments due to COVID-19.
On Thursday, Duke was removed from their conference tournament that they needed to plain in to make the NCAA tournament. Early on Friday morning, it was Virginia. Now, it’s Kansas. That’s all within a span of just over a day.
Now think about what could happen on the scale of the NCAA tournament over the course of a few weeks. All of this, once again, is just a grim outlook of what could potentially be coming down the line. And none of it is a good look.
At this point, it seems like none of this should be happening at all.
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