COVID still an issue at tourney

The NCAA passed the cutoff date without needing a replacement team for its 68-team tournament, but COVID-19 remains a factor for March Madness even before the ball has been tipped.

Kansas will be without a key player for its first-round game. Virginia won’t arrive in Indianapolis until the day before its opener and will have just one full team practice. Oklahoma won’t have its second-leading scorer for the opening weekend. And Georgia Tech will be without its best player, according to a Stadium report.

Sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon tested positive for COVID-19, Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said, taking away one of the eighthseeded Sooners’ top players for their game against No. 9 Missouri on Saturday in the West Region.

“Players have this as a goal, to play in the NCAA Tournament,” Kruger said over Zoom. “So it’s so sadforDe’Vion.”

Harmon, who will miss the first two rounds, traveled with the team to Indianapolis on Monday night and got the news on Tuesday. No other Oklahoma players are believed to be at risk of being held out.

Wednesday, Stadium reported ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright won’t be available for ninthseeded Georgia Tech against No. 8 Loyola Chicago in the Midwest Region first round game on Friday due to COVID-19 issues. ESPN reported that Wright will miss the second round as well if the Yellow Jackets advance. On Tuesday, coach Josh Pastner said one member of the team’s traveling party tested positive for the virus, but declined t o reveal the person’s role with the team.

Kansas and Virginia, meanwhile, dropped out of their respective conference tournaments last Friday due to positive tests.

Kansas, the third seed out of the West Region, would appear to be in better shape than Virginia, the fourth seed in the West Region, which will meet No. 13 Ohio on Saturday night. The Cavaliers are still in quarantine following the positive test of a player and contract tracing that has followed. They will only be able to have one full team practice before the tournament, at home on Friday, prior to flying to Indianapolis that afternoon.

Players have been able to only have individual workouts this week, according to coach Tony Bennett.