By JACOB POLACHECK
The highly anticipated matchup between No. 4 Michigan State and No. 18 Virginia has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Virginia program, the team announced Tuesday.
The teams were set to play on Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, setting up a matchup between brothers and former teammates Joey Hauser of Michigan State and Sam Hauser of Virginia.
“I don’t want to make it about me and my brother because we’re playing Virginia,” Joey told reporters Sunday night. “We’re not going out there to play the Joey Hauser-Sam Hauser game. It’s Virginia vs. Michigan State, and that’s what I want it to be about.”
The Hauser brothers played together at Marquette for one year, but opted to transfer following the 2018-19 season.
“It’s gonna be a really fun opportunity to see him,” Joey said. “Hopefully my family is able to attend the game. It’s gonna be awesome. Obviously two really well-respected programs, it doesn’t get much better than Michigan State and Virginia, so I think that makes it even better.”
Sam, a 6-foot-8, 218-pound senior forward, is averaging a team-high 14.5 points, while adding 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He is shooting 58.5 percent from the field in four games for the Cavaliers this season.
Joey, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound redshirt sophomore forward, is averaging a team-high 14.0 points. He is also averaging 10.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 54.3 percent from the field in five games for the Spartans.
Joey previously told reporters that 8-10 family members and friends would be in attendance for the game.
ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Tuesday, December 8
Purdue at Miami | ESPN2 | 5 PM
Boston College at Minnesota | ESPNU | 7 PM
North Carolina at Iowa | ESPN | 7:30 PM
Ohio State at Notre Dame | ESPN2 | 7:30 PM
Penn State at Virginia Tech | ESPNU | 9 PM
Illinois at Duke | ESPN | 9:30 PM
Syracuse at Rutgers | ESPN2 | 9:30 PM
Wednesday, December 9
Maryland at Clemson | ESPN2 | 5 PM
Louisville at Wisconsin | ESPN | 7:15 PM (POSTPONED)
NC State at Michigan | ESPN2 | 7:15 PM (POSTPONED)
Georgia Tech at Nebraska | ESPNU | 7:15 PM
Michigan State at Virginia | ESPN | 9:15 PM (POSTPONED)
Indiana at Florida State | ESPN2 | 9:15 PM
Pitt at Northwestern | ESPNU | 9:15 PM
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