Breaking News: Saturday’s No. 15 Ohio State, No. 21 Kentucky game canceled due to COVID outbreak

No. 15 Ohio State’s matchup with No. 21 Kentucky scheduled for Saturday as part of the CBS Sports Classic has been cancelled, per the Ohio State Athletic Department. The men’s basketball team is dealing with “positive COVID-19 tests within the program,” and therefore will not be able to make the trip out west. The game will not be rescheduled.

According to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, one “key starter” tested positive Thursday morning and was exhibiting symptoms. Test results for the rest of the team showed a second player had tested positive, which was enough for Ohio State to cancel their trip.

Earlier today, head coach Chris Holtmann acknowledged that the coaching staff has had a few breakthrough COVID-19 cases, and that it is “something you certainly have to deal with” as the pandemic is still very much not over. Holtmann did not mention any current cases involving players. It is not known if Holtmann knew about today’s cases or not at the time of his press conference. E.J. Liddell dealt with a non-COVID illness last season, but no men’s basketball player contracted COVID during the 2020-21 season as far as we’re aware.

With their game Saturday cancelled, the Buckeyes will now have an additional three days off before their next game against the University of Tennessee-Martin on Tuesday evening. That game is set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET, assuming Ohio State is able to play. That means that the team will have had 10 days off following last Saturday’s blowout victory over Wisconsin.