Duke basketball sees fitting end to 2020 calendar year

Another Duke basketball game has been postponed because of COVID-19.

Given all that has transpired in the 2020 calendar year, it’s a fitting way to have the Duke basketball year come to an end with a postponed game.

Late Monday afternoon, the No. 20 Blue Devils (3-2, 1-0 ACC) announced that their matchup with the Pittsburgh Panthers (5-2, 1-1 ACC) has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Panthers’ program.

Tuesday’s scheduled meeting will be the fourth game Duke has seen postponed because of positive tests within its opposition (Gardner-Webb, Elon, Charleston Southern, Pittsburgh).

The Blue Devils tried to reschedule their other three postponed games but could not find dates and announced that they would cancel the remaining games of their non-conference slate.

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Duke’s most recent game came against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where the Blue Devils played their most complete game of the season in a 75-65 road victory.

Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel was planning on coaching against Duke as of Monday afternoon following his press conference, in which he announced he was almost hospitalized with COVID-19.

Capel suggested that he does not believe college basketball should be played right now, something Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski commented on earlier in the month, saying the NCAA needs to “reassess” the status of playing in a pandemic.

The women’s basketball program at Duke canceled the remainder of its season over safety concerns raised by the players about playing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Duke basketball will have another long layoff before its next game

It was going to be 13 days in between Duke basketball games prior to the postponement between the Blue Devils and the Panthers, but now it will be 17 days until the five-time National Champions take the floor.

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Duke will be back in action against No. 21 Florida State (5-1, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday, January 2 at 8:00pm EST (ESPN2).

Saturday night will also mark the first time the Blue Devils play in an arena that is allowing fans to attend in the 2020-21 season, as Notre Dame allows only families of players and coaches to attend its home games.