Positive COVID-19 tests force Gamecocks basketball to halt team activities
The South Carolina men’s basketball team has paused activities following the positive COVID-19 tests of individuals within the program, the school announced Tuesday evening.
Due to the positive results, Thursday’s home opener against Wofford has been canceled.
The team did not specify how many people within the program tested positive, saying, “those individuals who tested positive will be retested on Wednesday, as will the rest of the team. The Gamecocks have paused all team activities until further test results are received.”
This is the second time South Carolina has canceled a game this season due to COVID-19. The Gamecocks’ home opener against Coker, an exhibition match, was canceled due to a delay in Coker’s testing results.
Head coach Frank Martin, who tested positive for COVID-19 himself back in May, has said throughout the last few weeks that he views every opportunity to play a game as a victory in itself.
Martin met with reporters via Zoom earlier in the day Tuesday to preview the now-canceled game against Wofford. He talked about some of the challenges that come with players needing to isolate and stay separated from friends and loved ones.
“This year, it’s not easy, man,” Martin said. “Mental health for these kids is a complicated formula because they’ve got no outlet right now. If fans, media, you guys, average Joe, if you guys want to be really, really critical of me, go at it. But this is not the year to pound on the players. They’re in a place where they’re sheltered, away from their normal 18-, 19-, 20-year-old lives so they can play basketball to make everyone happy.
“This is not the year to over-judge good days and bad days. We should all celebrate the days we get to go out there and play.”
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 8:33 PM.
