Duke canceling non-conference schedule after Mike Krzyzewski suggested delaying season
Two days after head coach Mike Krzyzewski suggested delaying the college basketball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke has canceled its non-conference schedule.
Krzyzewski announced the news on Thursday.
UPDATE: We will forgo our remaining non-conference regular-season games for the 2020-21 season. Next up is Notre Dame next Wednesday in South Bend. pic.twitter.com/z3uSVAXjqe
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 10, 2020
“Just for safety, we’re not gonna play any non-conference games,” Krzyzewski said in a video released on social media. “We’re not gonna try to reschedule. We could reschedule three games. We’re not gonna do that.
“We’re gonna play conference and hopefully get to play all of them.”
The news arrives after Duke lost to Illinois on Tuesday, its second home lost to a non-conference team this season after dropping a Dec. 1 game against Michigan State. After the Illinois game, Krzyzewski questioned the wisdom of playing basketball as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens and projects to continue to do so as winter approaches.
‘I don’t think it feels right to anybody’
“For the good of the game and for the good of the safety and mental and physical health of players and staff, we need to constantly look at this thing,” Krzyzewski told reporters. “ … I don’t think it feels right to anybody.”
Duke’s upcoming schedule
Duke’s Saturday matchup against Charleston Southern had been postponed after Charleston Southern suspended activities because of a COVID-19 case. Duke’s next scheduled game is now an ACC matchup on Dec. 16 against Notre Dame. Its next non-conference game was scheduled for Dec. 19 against Gardner-Webb.
Duke then continues its ACC season with a game against Pitt. Shutting down the non-conference schedule would essentially mean the cancelation of the Gardner-Webb game in addition to previously postponed matchups against Charleston Southern and Elon.
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