FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas basketball team’s game scheduled for Tuesday night at Tulsa has been canceled because the Golden Hurricane are unable to have enough players available due to positive tests for covid-19 and subsequent contact tracing.
An announcement by Tulsa stated a game against Oral Roberts has also been postponed. Tulsa said it is hopeful the games can be rescheduled.
The Arkansas staff is working to add a game this week, according to sources, before the Razorbacks (4-0) are scheduled to play the University of Central Arkansas on Saturday in Walton Arena.
Numerous games across the country have been canceled — including Saturday’s matchup of No. 1 Gonzaga versus No. 2 Baylor — because of coronavirus-related issues since the NCAA set the start date for the return of basketball for Nov. 25.
On Nov. 23, Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said on his radio show that the Arkansas staff was anticipating some nonconference opponents would have to cancel games.
Musselman said Anthony Ruta, Arkansas’ director of basketball operations who handles nonconference scheduling, is ready to try to add new opponents if necessary on short notice.
“There are college basketball games being canceled a lot,” Musselman said on his radio show on Nov. 23. “If something happens, we’ll get on the phone and try to get another game. That’s going to kind of be the whole way through non-conference.
“Coach Ruta will not sleep. He’s got a spreadsheet of games that are canceled, who’s supposed to play [and might be available for a game]. Every day is kind of a moving target.”
Musselman said on Nov. 11 in a media Zoom call that if an Arkansas game was canceled, it would be because the opponent was having covid-19 issues, not the Razorbacks.
“We will have enough players every single night to play, and we'll have enough coaches, because we've had enough people that have had [the virus],” Musselman said. “We're going to be able to play on our end.
“I'm not saying I will, because I still haven't had it. But we'll be able to play without me for sure.”