College basketball COVID-19 updates: Oregon-UCLA game postponed after positive test on officiating crew
Oregon was supposed to resume Pac-12 play Wednesday afternoon with a game against preseason conference favorite UCLA.
The No. 24 Ducks will have to try again next week against a different team.
A COVID-19 testing issue with the officiating crew for the game against the Bruins at Matthew Knight Arena forced an indefinite postponement and gave Oregon’s men's basketball players and staff an early start on their Christmas break.
One member of the three-man officiating crew tested positive Wednesday morning during the pregame screening process that everyone must go through.
Because the crew had worked the Oregon State-Portland State game together in Corvallis on Tuesday, the two officials who tested negative Wednesday were also put into the contact tracing protocol.
If the officials had not worked together Tuesday, the game could’ve been played using a two-man crew. Starting Dec. 31, the Pac-12 will have an alternate official on hand at all conference games.
The Ducks (6-1, 1-0 Pac-12), who are riding a six-game winning streak, are scheduled to host California at 7 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Between now and then, the players were given a chance to head home for the holiday as Oregon coach Dana Altman decided to take a chance and let his players leave the bubble.
“I felt it was really important to let the players and their families decide their Christmas plans,” Altman said. “Selfishly, I’d like them all to stay but I don’t think this year I can do that. I never have before; I always let the players go home for Christmas. I think it’s an important time that they get away for a few days and spend some time with their families.”
Altman said about half the team took him up on the offer and the other half will remain in Eugene.
“I’m staying,” Altman said. “The coaches are staying in town so the players that don’t go home I hope will spend some time with us. We can spread it out and each take one or two players so they’re not quite so isolated in their rooms all by themselves for Christmas.”
Those heading home received a plea from their coach: Be safe, be disciplined, keep the big picture in mind.
“You can’t just go back and hang out,” Altman said. “Hopefully they’ll spend some time with their families and use some great decision-making and come back and we’ll get everybody tested and we’ll go from there. But what a stressful year for them.”
As for UCLA game, it’s uncertain when and how the game will be rescheduled, though both teams only have one game scheduled during the final week of the Pac-12 season.
“We won’t be making it up anytime soon,” Altman said. “(We could) possibly make it up later on, but there’s going to be a lot of scheduling dilemmas. We’re just going to have to fight through it.”
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.