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Update 12:45 p.m. Duke will not accept an NIT bid.
OFFICIAL: A @DukeMBB release has confirmed a positive test within the program, with athletic director Kevin White saying this will mark the end of the Blue Devils' season:https://t.co/q5PbPAaCoo
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) March 11, 2021
UPDATE 11:00 a.m. The ACC makes it official.
:
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) March 11, 2021
The @DukeMBB vs. @FSUHoops quarterfinal game has been canceled.
FSU advances to the semifinals and will play the winner of tonight’s @UNC_Basketball vs. @HokiesMBB game that will now tip at 8:30 pm on ESPN.https://t.co/voQkjIjU9n
The Duke Blue Devils are on their way home from the ACC Tournament thanks to a positive COVID-19 test, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
Duke has a positive COVID test and will not play tonight in the ACC tourney, source told @Stadium. Looks like season is over for the Blue Devils.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 11, 2021
The Blue Devils had beaten Boston College and Louisville to set up today’s tilt with No. 2 seed Florida State. With a win over the Seminoles, it’s likely they were in the NCAA Tournament. But without it, the season is probably over unless they choose to accept an NIT bid.
It was a long year for the Blue Devils, who went on a COVID-19 pause earlier this year and didn’t play a game between December 16th and January 6th. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski had previously questioned if even playing college basketball this season was a good idea, and the struggles on and off the court seemed to be adding up for what was the No. 9 in the AP preseason poll.
That is all academic now, as Florida State will go directly to the semifinals and face the winner of tonight’s Virginia Tech-North Carolina game on Friday evening.