No. 1 Gonzaga becomes latest program to pause due to COVID, next game Dec. 19

By ADAM ZAGORIA

One day after canceling its much-anticipated game with No. 2 Baylor, No. 1 Gonzaga became the latest Division 1 program to pause activities, doing so through Dec. 14 due to positive COVID tests.

Gonzaga canceled five games and their next game is scheduled for Dec. 19 against Iowa in South Dakota. It will end up being 17 days since their last game Dec. 2 against West Virginia.

“Out of an abundance of caution and the well-being of student-athletes, in accordance with COVID-19 protocols Gonzaga has made the decision to pause men’s basketball competitions through December 14,” the school announced.

It will end up being 17 days between games for No. 1 @ZagMBB

Dec 2. – Dec. 19 pic.twitter.com/uwaS3LSGLK

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) December 7, 2020

Gonzaga announced Saturday it had positive tests with both a student-athlete and a non-student athlete.

Since the season began Nov. 25, more than 50- games have been postponed or canceled, USA Today reported Saturday. More could be on the way.

Decisions are due in next 24 hours if ACC-Big Ten Challenge games on Wednesday at @BadgerMBB against @LouisvilleMBB and at @umichbball against @PackMensBball will happen. Louisville and NC State had COVID issues this past week.

— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) December 7, 2020

According to a source with knowledge of the situation in @BIGEASTMBB: A positive test in both @UConnMBB and @DePaulHoops are being contact traced to determine if either team will miss next game on Friday: UConn hosting @StJohnsBBall and DePaul at @SetonHallMBB.

— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) December 7, 2020

“It’s a fair question to ask, ‘should we be doing this?’ We are going to continue to see these kind of disruptions over and over again,” ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said, per the paper. “We felt like we knew this would be a bumpy ride throughout the winter time with programs pausing activity and games being postponed or canceled.”

Iona coach Rick Pitino has called for the NCAA to push the season back to March and then have “May Madness” for the NCAA Tournament. As of now, the NCAA is planning to hold the Big Dance in March and April in Indianapolis after losing $375 million by canceling the tournament in March.

“This is total chaos,” longtime college basketball voice Dick Vitale said, per USA Today. “My feeling from Day 1 was that we should’ve started the season around February and then played conference games because this thing is out of control. Basketball is my life and my love. But it comes secondary when the disease is running rampant. We’re going to have a lot of this happen and we should be listening to the experts.”

This post has been updated.

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