AUSTIN — For the first time since 2011, Texas will play in the Big 12 tournament championship game.
But the Longhorns’ unusual path back to Saturday’s final at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., provided another distressing reminder about the ongoing reality of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday morning, No. 2 seed Kansas withdrew from the tournament after a positive test within its program. The conference canceled the Jayhawks’ semifinal against No. 3 seed Texas scheduled for Friday night, giving the Longhorns a spot in the title game against the winner between No. 1 seed Baylor and No. 5 seed Oklahoma State.
“The cancellation followed a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Kansas program,” the Big 12 announced. KU will remain in Kansas City in preparation for the NCAA Tournament following the health and safety protocols set by Kansas Team Health.
“Obviously we are disappointed and our players are disappointed that they can’t continue to compete for the Big 12 championship,” Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement. “While we have been fortunate to avoid this throughout the season, there are daily risks with this virus that everybody participating is trying to avoid. We have followed the daily testing and additional protocols that have been setup for us; unfortunately, we caught a bad break at the wrong time. I look forward to preparing my team in probably a unique…
