Contact tracing cancels Hokies’ home finale
Virginia Tech’s men’s basketball home finale scheduled for Wednesday night against Louisville has been canceled because of a “contact tracing review” within the Hokies’ basketball program, according to the ACC.
No further details regarding the nature of the contact tracing review were available. As of early Tuesday evening, No. 22 Virginia Tech’s regular-season finale Saturday at North Carolina State is still scheduled to be played, according to a Tech athletic department source with knowledge of the situation.
The first round of the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, will take place next Tuesday. Tech (15-5, 9-4 ACC) is third in the ACC standings.
If Tech finishes in the top four, it will secure a double bye in the conference tournament for the first time since the ACC expanded to 15 teams before the 2014 tournament and, thus, began awarding double byes. Tech wouldn’t have to play until the Thursday’s quarterfinal round if it earns a double bye.
After going more than 2½ months of the season without a coronavirus issue within Tech’s program, the Hokies have had three of their past five games canceled or postponed because of virus positive cases and subsequent quarantining or contact tracing review within the program.
Games scheduled Feb. 16 at North Carolina and Feb. 20 at Florida State were postponed during a 17-day quarantine-related break for Tech — a break that also featured the Hokies’ game scheduled Feb. 9 against FSU being postponed because of coronavirus issues within the Seminoles’ program.
This week’s game against Louisville had already been moved to Wednesday after the Cardinals had to postpone the game that was originally scheduled for Feb. 13 because of coronavirus issues within the Cardinals’ program.
Tech also had a game canceled Nov. 28 in Uncasville, Connecticut, against Temple because of coronavirus issues within the Owls’ program as well as games postponed Jan. 2 at Virginia and Jan. 20 against Boston College because of coronavirus issues within the Cavaliers’ and Eagles’ programs, respectively.