The Virginia men’s basketball game scheduled for Wednesday against North Carolina State in Charlottesville was postponed because of a positive coronavirus test within the Wolfpack program, the ACC announced Sunday afternoon.
The announcement came the day after the Cavaliers (9-2, 5-0) thrashed No. 12 Clemson, 85-50, setting a program record for the largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent. It also was the second-largest margin of victory in NCAA history in a game with both teams ranked.
Virginia has won its ACC games by an average of 15.4 points after a 98-75 loss to top-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 26 prompted the Cavaliers to address their commitment to the defensive principles that have transformed the program into a national power under Coach Tony Bennett.
The Cavaliers are scheduled to play their next game Saturday night against visiting Georgia Tech.
The postponement against N.C. State marks the third such ACC modification for Virginia, which is awaiting an announcement from conference officials as to when it will face Wake Forest and Virginia Tech in games originally scheduled for Dec. 16 and Jan. 2.
The Cavaliers also had a handful of nonconference games postponed or canceled, including against then-No. 7 Villanova and then-No. 4 Michigan State. They also were scheduled to play Florida the day after Thanksgiving in Uncasville, Conn., until the Gators announced they were pausing for virus-related reasons.
Virginia went through its own pause after it announced a positive test within its locker room the day before it was to play the Spartans in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Charlottesville.
More recently, the Cavaliers fielded a diminished roster with the absence of starting guard Casey Morsell for two games. The first-team All-Met selection from St. John’s was in contact tracing protocol after Virginia announced one of its staff members had tested positive.
Morsell has played the past two games, scoring a career-high 15 points during an 80-68 win against Notre Dame on Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena. The sophomore shot 6 for 7, making all three of his three-point attempts, and added four rebounds.
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