Pac-12 Tournament canceled: USC basketball won’t play Arizona

The Pac-12 Tournament has been canceled. USC basketball will no longer play Arizona in the quarterfinals on Thursday as coronavirus fears grow.

USC basketball’s quarterfinal matchup with Arizona, and the entire Pac-12 Tournament, has been canceled because of concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

“The Pac-12 Conference has made the decision to cancel the remainder of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament and all Pac-12 sports competitions and Pac-12 Championship events, effective immediately, until further notice,” the conference announced in a press release on Thursday morning. “This decision has been made in consultation with our member universities in an effort to limit the spread of the virus and in the interest of the health and safety of our student-athletes, campus personnel, working and event personnel, and all those who attend Pac-12 events.”

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USC was scheduled to face off with Arizona at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in Las Vegas. However, a slate of cancelations in the sports world heralded the end of those plans.

On Wednesday night, two NBA players reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the league to suspend their season. Other sports leagues like the MLS followed suit.

By 9:00 a.m. Pacific Thursday, the AAC and Big Ten set off a cascade of cancelations when they halted their tournaments. The SEC and Big 12 also suspended their tournaments soon after.

The question now turns to the NCAA Tournament, which is slated to tip-off without fans in attendance later this month. With the spread of coronavirus growing in the United States, and increased measures aimed at slowing it, the NCAA will have to decide if the tournament will go ahead.

Along with the Pac-12 Tournament cancelation, the conference indicated that all of its sports competitions have been suspended. That would include spring sports like baseball.

USC football conducted their first practice of Spring Camp on Wednesday and another outing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. UCLA opted to cancel the remainder of their football practices ahead of Spring Break. The Trojans, who have already closed practice to the public, have not indicated a change to the schedule but more communication is expected as events unfold.