UNC-Miami Postponed After Maskless Party Video Surfaces

Heels players celebrate after Duke win

After defeating Duke in a game where even parents and immediate family members weren’t allowed in, at least two North Carolina players celebrated at a postgame maskless party.

As a result, UNC’s game against Miami had to be called off, two hours before opening tip.

Sophomore Armando Bacot and freshman Dar’Ron Sharpe were seen with at least seven other people at a gathering that didn’t appear to enforce social distancing or mask protocol. The video was posted on Snapchat and obtained by UNC’s student paper, the Daily Tar Heel, which published it on Sunday morning.

The official release from the ACC didn’t mention the reason for the postponement:

“The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that the Miami at North Carolina men’s basketball game will be postponed. The game was originally scheduled to be played today, Monday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m.

“The postponement follows a meeting of personnel from both schools, who mutually concluded the game could not move forward today.”

Neither did a statement from Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham, who said, “We are disappointed that tonight’s game against Miami is postponed and hope that every effort will be made to reschedule the game.”

Miami coach Jim Larranaga was more forthcoming in his statements to the Miami Herald:

“There was a video that was out there with several of their players without masks at a party at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, which is less than 48 hours from our game. Our president (Julio) Frenk is adaman that student-athletes are allowed to compete, but they’ve got to stay safe social distance. Our guys have done a fantastic job. We have not had a single guy test positive and they were all unanimous that this isn’t right. We have been quarantining, hibernating, whatever you want to call it, and we don’t want to put ourselves in a position (to get infected).”

The ACC’s medical advisory board recommends a seven-day quarantine following a potential contact. If Bacot and Sharpe’s attendance at the party is considered a contact, they, and any teammates they came in contact with, would be forced to miss Saturday’s game at Virginia, although it’s not clear from the ACC’s statement that the players are currently serving a quarantine.