College basketball games affected by COVID-19: Big 12 makes scheduling changes in advance of league tournament

USATSI

Across the country leagues are trying to determine how to best rearrange their schedules as makeup dates dwindle with many conference games dying on the vine. The Big 12 announced many tweaks Tuesday in regard to its league schedule from March 1-7. The most notable cancellation was Thursday's scheduled top-10 matchup between No. 10 West Virginia and No. 2 Baylor. That game has been canceled, though a previously postponed game between the Mountaineers and the Bears -- to be played in Morgantown -- has been slotted for next Tuesday.

"To avoid scheduling a team to play three games in successive weeks, the West Virginia at Baylor game scheduled for Thursday, February 25 has been canceled," the league's statement said. The new schedule will have undefeated Baylor playing five games between Feb. 23-March 7. Here is the allotment of new conference games that the Big 12 assigned.

Monday, March 1
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State

Tuesday, March 2
Baylor at West Virginia
TCU at Texas Tech
Texas at Iowa State

Thursday, March 4
Iowa State at Texas Tech
Oklahoma State at Baylor
TCU at West Virginia
Texas at Oklahoma

Saturday, March 6
Oklahoma State at West Virginia
Iowa State at Kansas State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)

Sunday, March 7
Texas Tech at Baylor (ESPN), 3:00 p.m. CT
Texas at TCU (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)

Elsewhere: Kentucky matched its longest winning streak of the season on Saturday with its third victory in a row and first triumph of the year over a ranked opponent when it won at Tennessee. But the Wildcats may have to wait longer than expected to try and extend their winning streak to four after the SEC announced that Tuesday's game between Kentucky and Texas A&M has been postponed.

The postponement is due to "a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Texas A&M basketball program," according to the league's announcement. It's the seventh straight Texas A&M game to be postponed as the Aggies last played on Jan. 30.

The Wildcats could still wind up with a mid-week game if another league opponent becomes available. Or Kentucky could resort to a strategy recently employed by North Carolina that entails soliciting nonconference opponents via social media.

Getting a game in somehow before next Saturday's home contest with Florida would likely benefit a Kentucky squad that appears to be maturing following a historically bad start. The Wildcats will almost assuredly need to win the SEC Championship to make the NCAA Tournament and could use more time on the floor to continue tuning their young roster.

Texas A&M is far from the only team dealing with issues related to COVID-19. Even as the postseason fast approaches, pauses, postponements and cancellations continue to happen on a near-daily basis. So below we're tracking all the notable such transactions in our tracker.

Upcoming notable postponements or cancellations

Feb. 21: Clemson at Pittsburgh
Feb. 21: Wichita State at East Carolina
Feb. 22: Oregon State at Utah
Feb. 23: Texas A&M at Kentucky
Feb. 23: North Carolina at Boston College
Feb. 23: UCF at SMU
Feb. 25: West Virginia at Baylor

TEAMS NOT COMPETING IN 2020-21

Bethune-Cookman
Maryland-Eastern Shore
Chicago State (suspended season after 0-9 start, citing decision to "focus on the health, safety, and academic pursuits of the Men's Basketball student-athletes.")
Howard (suspended season on Feb. 9)
Ivy League -- Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale
Maine (opted out on Feb. 13)