USC joins UCLA in halting basketball games
As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across college basketball, Southern California has joined UCLA in saying it won’t play for the foreseeable future. The two top-10 teams, both already on pause because of COVID-19 issues, said that confirmed cases within their respective programs have forced each to postpone their two Pac-12 Conference games next week against Arizona and Arizona State.
USC and UCLA will work with the conference and the Arizona schools to reschedule the games. The postponements mark the latest setback in a season already beset with pandemic-related issues for both programs. UCLA didn’t have a single confirmed positive COVID-19 case last season but now finds itself amid a program-wide shutdown with three nonconference games canceled and three Pac-12 games in need of rescheduling.
The Bruins haven’t played since Dec. 11, when they beat Marquette to move to 8-1. Four days later, UCLA coach Mick Cronin entered COVID-19 protocols, prompting UCLA to cancel its game that night with Alabama State out of caution. Two days after that, UCLA’s marquee nonconference matchup with North Carolina was canceled as the program went on pause. The following game, against Cal Poly, was also canceled. Two weeks later, those same issues are still wreaking havoc on the restart of UCLA’s season.
For No. 8 USC, the prolonged pause couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Trojans are off to a 12-0 start and ranked inside of the top 10 for the first time in three decades. Confirmed positive cases within the program last Sunday forced USC to cancel its nonconference matchup with Oklahoma State slated for Tuesday. Now, with a crucial test against a fellow top-10 team in Arizona postponed, the Trojans will have to wait 19 days between games, with their next game scheduled for Jan. 6 at California. (Los Angeles Times)
Crystal Palace coach OK with players participating in African event: Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira won’t try to block his players from competing in the African Cup of Nations, arguing that the soccer tournament deserves more respect. It is scheduled to begin in early January, in Cameroon, despite the fast-spreading omicron variant adding to concerns that include European clubs threatening not to send players after raising doubts about coronavirus protocols put in place by the Confederation of African Football.
“I will never stop any players to go to play the African Cup of Nations,” Vieira said at a news conference ahead of Palace’s match at Tottenham on Sunday. “I believe that that competition has to be more respected. This competition is as important as the European Championship.”
The Dakar-born Vieira, who played internationally for France, is set to lose Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal), Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast) and Jordan Ayew (Ghana).
“I respect and I understand the passion and the importance of those players to go and to represent their country,” Vieira said.
Liverpool would be missing league-leading scorer Mohamed Salah (Egypt) as well as Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Naby Keita (Guinea), among other teams set to lose players. (AP)
Murray headed to Australian Open: Five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray has received a wild-card entry into the 2022 tournament’s main draw. Murray last played at Melbourne Park in 2019, when he made a teary retirement announcement before undergoing a second hip surgery to extend his tennis career.
The former top-ranked Murray had also accepted a wild-card entry last year but didn’t go after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before he was due to board a charter flight to Melbourne.
“Andy is renowned for his fighting spirit, passion and love of the game and I’m delighted to welcome him back to Melbourne in January,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.
The Australian Open begins Jan. 17. Murray, No. 134 in the ATP rankings, spoke optimistically about going deep in tournaments again after beating Jannik Sinner to reach the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open in November.
“I’ve had some great times in Australia playing in front of the amazing crowds,” the 34-year-old Murray said, “and I can’t wait to step back out on court at Melbourne Park. (AP)
Former English cricket captain dies: Ray Illingworth, a former England cricket captain who went on to coach the team, has died. He was 89. Illingworth, who led England to a 2-0 series victory in Australia in the 1970-71 Ashes, had been undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer. Yorkshire, the English county Illingworth played for, announced his death Saturday.
Illingworth played 61 test matches for England between 1958 and 1973, scoring 1,836 runs at an average of 23.24 and he claimed 122 wickets. He captained England 31 times, winning 12 of those matches. He served as chairman of selectors for England between 1993 and 1996 and coached the national team in 1995-96. (AP)
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