The deadline for teams to be replaced in the NCAA Tournament passed without incident: The field of 68 is set, with only Virginia not yet settled in Indiana.
The NCAA had selected the first four teams outside the field to be on standby just in case one of the teams selected had to withdraw because of COVID-19 issues. Louisville was the first team on deck, then Colorado State, Saint Louis and Mississippi.
The deadline for a replacement team to be called up to Indianapolis was 6 p.m. Tuesday. If any team has to withdraw after this point, the game will be a no contest and their opponent will advance in the bracket.
Virginia is still on campus after most of its players ended up in quarantine after one individual tested positive for COVID-19 last week. That forced the Cavaliers to withdraw from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Because Virginia’s players and coaches can still complete seven days of negative tests before arriving in Indianapolis, they will be allowed to arrive late for Saturday night’s first-round game against 13th-seeded Ohio.
NCAA senior vice president for basketball Dan Gavitt said Wednesday that Virginia is expected to arrive early Friday. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will still have to be tested twice and quarantine until both tests are returned negative. Gavitt said he believe Virginia will have the opportunity to get a practice in before they play.
ST. JOHN’S: Isaih Moore and Vince Cole are leaving St. John’s after one season with the team.
Both juniors have entered their name into the NCAA transfer portal, the school announced Tuesday evening.
Moore and Cole, both from South Carolina, arrived this past season as junior college transfers and were significant contributors to a Red Storm squad that finished 16-11.
Moore, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 25 games. He shot 57.5% percent from the field, adding 17 blocks and 13 steals. But he played only three minutes in the regular-season finale against Seton Hall and missed an overtime loss to the Pirates in the Big East Tournament five days later because of coronavirus protocols.
Moore was required to quarantine due to contact tracing after a member of the program’s support staff tested positive for COVID-19, the school said. He scored in double figures five of the previous six games, including 10 points and 11 rebounds in a March 3 win against Providence.
Cole played in all 27 games, making 22 starts, and averaged 8.7 points on 39.3% shooting from the floor. The 6-foot-6 wing had 35 3-pointers, 13 steals and pulled down 2.6 rebounds per game.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Hall of Famer Art Whisnant has died. The school announced Whisnant’s death.
No cause of death was given. He was 81 years old.
Whisnant played for the Gamecocks from 1959-62 and was a three-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection during that time. He finished his career with 1,505 points, 11th all-time among South Carolina career scorers. He averaged 19.1 points a game in 79 contests in college.
Whisnant was also the grandfather of Masters’ champion and current world No. 1 Dustin Johnson.
Whisnant was named to the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2001. He joined the state’s athletic hall in 2016.
Whisnant was a fifth-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962.
ALBANY: Marquette assistant Dwayne Killings was hired as Albany’s basketball coach.
Killings served as associate head coach at Marquette under Steve Wojciechowski. Killings replaces Will Brown, who was not offered a contract extension after the season.
Albany finished 7-9 in the pandemic-shortened season, its third straight losing season under Brown. He had a 315-295 record over two decades.
DRAKE: Coach Darian DeVries has agreed to an eight-year contract extension through 2028-29, Athletic Director Brian Hardin announced.
DeVries has led the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons each of his first three years at the school. Drake, at 25-9, has the third-most wins in the nation and will play Wichita State in an NCAA First Four game Thursday.
FOOTBALL
TENNESSEE: Tennessee has temporarily paused all football activities a week before starting spring practice. The Volunteers have had multiple positive COVID-19 test results among athletes and staff members in recent rounds of testing.
Those who tested positive have isolated themselves and are following all safety guidelines.
The Volunteers are scheduled to start their first spring practice with new coach, Josh Heupel, on Tuesday.
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