Duke University men’s basketball team announced that it has withdrawn from the ACC tournament and ended its season after team personnel tested positive for coronavirus.
On Thursday, the ACC tournament announced that the Blue Devils’ conference tournament quarterfinal game against Florida State was canceled because of a positive coronavirus test.
Duke athletic director Kevin White said in a statement, “Unfortunately, after going an entire season with no positive COVID-19 tests among our men’s basketball student-athletes and coaching staff, one member of our program tested positive following Wednesday’s ACC Tournament game in Greensboro.” The statement then announced that the test caused the game to be canceled and “will end our 2020-21 season.” This has snapped Duke’s streak of 24 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. The Blue Devils had won the first two games of the tournament and knew that they had to win the entire tournament to extend their streak. The NCAA streak dated back to 1996.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement released by the school, “I feel deeply for our players, who have done a terrific job all season in taking care of each other and the team.” He continued, “I am extremely proud of their collective attitudes and effort, which could not have been stronger, we are disappointed we cannot keep fighting together as a group after two outstanding days in Greensboro.”
“This season was a challenge for every team across the country, and as we have seen over and over, this global pandemic is very cruel and is not yet over,” said Krzyzewski in his final remarks in the team statement. “As many safeguards as we implemented, no one is immune to this terrible virus.”
