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Stanford canceled its game Saturday while USC and UCLA both have paused activities.
The Cal men’s basketball team is scheduled to resume Pac-12 play on Sunday, Jan. 2 at Stanford, but it’s now worth asking when the Bears will actually play again.
COVID-19 has prompted the question after the Bears’ next three conference opponents have announced health issues within their programs.
Stanford’s game against Vanderbilt in the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii on Saturday was cancelled due to heath and safety protocols within the Cardinal’s program. The game was declared a no contest.
“Stanford team-related activities have been paused, and the status of future games is to be determined,” Stanford wrote in a news release.
The Cardinal (8-4, 1-1) has won four of its past five games and beat Wyoming and Liberty to reach the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic.
Cal (8-5, 1-1) has won its past four games and completed the month of December with a 5-1 record.
Meanwhile, Cal’s two subsequent opponents, No. 8 USC (12-0, 2-0) and No. 5 UCLA (9-1, 1-0) already have postponed each of their next two games, Pac-12 matchups against the Arizona schools. The Pac-12 reportedly will try to rescheduled those four games.
USC is scheduled to play at Cal on Thursday, Jan. 6 with the Bruins coming to Berkeley on Saturday, Jan. 8.
USC paused team activities a week ago, canceling its game against Oklahoma State that had been scheduled for last Tuesday. The Trojans were scheduled to play home games vs. Arizona State (5-7, 1-1) on Thursday and No. 6 Arizona (11-1, 1-0) next Sunday. Both of those games are postponed.
UCLA hasn’t played since a 67-56 win over Marquette on Dec. 11, having canceled games against Alabama State, North Carolina and Cal Poly. The Bruins announced Friday that home games vs. Arizona on Thursday and Arizona State next Saturday have been postponed.
Two of four final-day games at the Diamond Head Classic were scratched. In addition to Stanford’s championship-game matchup vs. Vanderbilt, the seventh-place game between host Hawaii and Northern Iowa was canceled after Hawaii pulled out on Friday, citing injuries and health and safety issues.
On Thursday, the Hawaii Bowl was canceled because of COVID-19 issues for the Hawaii football team.
Cover photo of UCLA’s Jaimie Jaquez Jr., by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo