UNC basketball game vs. Miami postponed after players seen without masks at gathering
The ACC announced North Carolina’s game against Miami scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday is postponed, hours after a video was published of two UNC players not wearing masks at a Saturday night gathering.
According to the release from the league, both schools mutually made the decision not to play. The league did not say whether any player tested positive for COVID-19 after their respective games on Saturday.
“The postponement follows a meeting of personnel from both schools, who mutually concluded the game could not move forward today,” a release from the ACC said. “Both teams continue to adhere to the minimum outlined protocols within the ACC Medical Advisory Group report.”
A video from a social gathering late Saturday night showed UNC forwards Day’Ron Sharpe and Armando Bacot present without masks around about 10 other people, who were also maskless. UNC coach Roy Williams was expected to address that situation following Monday night’s game.
Miami Coach Jim Larranaga confirmed to the Miami Herald that the video of Bacot and Sharpe led directly to the game being postponed.
“There was a video that was out there with several of their players without masks at a party at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, which is less than 48 hours from our game,” Larranaga said. “Our president [Julio] Frenk is adamant that student-athletes are allowed to compete, but they’ve got to stay safe, social distance.”
The Hurricanes made the trip to Chapel Hill on Sunday after Saturday’s 80-76 home loss to Virginia Tech in overtime.
“Our guys have done a fantastic job. We have not had a single guy test positive and they were all unanimous that this isn’t right,” Larranga told the Miami Herald. “We have been quarantining, hibernating, whatever you want to call it, and we don’t want to put ourselves in a position (to get the virus). We came to a decision that it’s better to postpone the game.”
This marks the third ACC game the Tar Heels have had postponed this season. The first two were due to COVID-19 protocols that shut down their opponents — their Jan. 2 game at home against Syracuse, and Jan. 9 game at home against Clemson. The league moved up a scheduled Jan. 30 visit from Notre Dame to fill in for the Orange postponement.
UNC director of athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a statement: “We are disappointed that tonight’s game against Miami is postponed and hope that every effort will be made to re-schedule the game.”
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 5:08 PM with the headline "UNC basketball game vs. Miami postponed after players seen without masks at gathering."