Michigan State-Virginia basketball game postponed due to COVID issues affecting Cavaliers

No. 4 Michigan State's game against No. 18 Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Cavaliers' program, the University of Virginia announced Tuesday night.

The contest at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, was to feature the first meeting in a college basketball game between MSU junior forward Joey Hauser and older brother Sam, who is a senior forward on the Cavaliers' team.

They were teammates Stevens Point Area Senior High School and at Marquette before the pair transferred after the 2018-19 season with Joey moving onto Michigan State and Sam going to Virginia.

Though COVID-related cancellations have been prevalent throughout the early NCAA basketball season, this is the first involving the MSU men's team. On Sunday, the Spartans rolled past Western Michigan, which had two of its first three games canceled.

Michigan's scheduled game against N.C. State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Crisler Center Wednesday was also canceled due to COVID-related concerns within the Wolfpack program. However, UM announced it will host Toledo instead in its final nonconference game at 6 p.m. Wednesday (FS1/950).

MSU (5-0) is scheduled to play Oakland at the Breslin Center on Sunday. The status of Virginia’s home contest vs. William & Mary on Sunday is to be determined, the school said in a statement.

The Spartans, who traveled to Charlottesville, Va., on Tuesday afternoon, were set to return to East Lansing by midday on Wednesday. There have been no plans yet to either reschedule the game against Virginia or replace the game with one against another opponent.