Duke Out of ACC Tournament, COVID-19 Test Positive
Duke has withdrawn from the ACC tournament and ended its season after a positive COVID-19 test within the program. The ACC announced Thursday that the Blue Devils' conference tournament quarterfinal game against Florida State was canceled after "a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Duke men's basketball program."
Duke athletic director Kevin White said in a statement that the cancellation "will end our 2020-21 season," snapping the Blue Devils' streak of 24 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
The Blue Devils (13-11, 9-9 ACC), who won their first two games in the conference tournament, entered the week knowing that they likely needed to win the ACC tournament to extend the NCAA streak dating back to 1996.
Florida State will advance to the tournament's semifinal round to play the winner of Thursday's game between North Carolina and Virginia Tech -- a contest that will now tip at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.