UCLA, USC dates reshuffled by COVID

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across college basketball, neither USC nor UCLA can expect to see the court in the foreseeable future.

The top-10 men’s teams, both already on pause because of COVID-19 issues, announced concurrently Friday that confirmed cases within their respective programs would force both to postpone their two Pac-12 Conference games next week against Arizona and Arizona State.

USC and UCLA will work with the conference and the Arizona schools to reschedule the games.

The UCLA women’s team also postponed games against Arizona State and No. 4 Arizona. The games originally were scheduled for Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, respectively.

Because of three cancellations to end the nonconference season, UCLA’s women’s team will have 27 days between its last game to its next scheduled contest at Utah on Jan. 7. Its next home game isn't scheduled until Jan. 14 against Washington, which is nearly six weeks after the Bruins last played in Pauley Pavilion, on Dec. 5 against San Jose State.

UCLA last played on Dec. 11, losing to Connecticut in Newark, N.J. The Bruins then had to call off home games against Texas Southern, Ohio State and Cal State Bakersfield as the program paused all team activities because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

UCLA’s original conference opener against rival USC was rescheduled from Dec. 28 to Jan. 20 on Wednesday. That game at Pauley Pavilion will be followed on Jan. 23 with another rivalry matchup at Galen Center.

Maryland announced that its Tuesday game against in-state foe Loyola was called off because of COVID-19 issues in the Loyola program.