Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Gophers talks to his team during a timeout in the second half against Middle Tennessee during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team has paused workouts and activities due to COVID-19, a team spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.
It’s not known how many positive COVID-19 cases the team has, or if it’s players or coaches who have tested positive. A team official said they will resume workouts and practices when they are cleared to do so.
The Gophers were scheduled to open their regular season in about two weeks.
On Monday, Richard Pitino announced that Austin native Both Gach, a transfer from Utah, received a waiver from the NCAA and is immediately eligible for the 2020-21 season. Point guard Marcus Carr was also named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
The Gophers finished 15-16 last season before the Big Ten Tournament was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Gophers' women's basketball team has also been impacted by mutliple positive COVID-19 tests, a team spokeperson confirmed. Lindsay Whalen's squad had to pause practices last week, and resumed activities gradually last Friday.
A team official said they're hopeful to resume full practices by the end of this week. Details on how many positive cases the team has had between players and staff have not been released.