Howard-Notre Dame men's basketball game canceled originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Howard’s marquee game against Notre Dame on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been canceled due to an ongoing COVID-19 concerns within the Bison program.
“We are all incredibly disappointed by this cancellation,” Howard Director of Athletics Kerry Davis said in a statement. “This was a tremendous opportunity to bring national exposure to our basketball team and the University. However, it goes without saying that the health and welfare of our student-athletes is our priority first and foremost.”
Howard were hoping their team could recover from a coronavirus outbreak that forced two cancelations last weekend in time for their high-profile contest against the Fightin’ Irish. The national exposure would have been especially promising for the game with talented freshman Makur Maker involved. Maker became the highest-ranked recruit to choose to play at a historically Black college and university when he enrolled with the Bison program in the fall.
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Maker announced on an Instagram Live that he was recovering from the virus and had hoped to be cleared in time for this historic MLK matchup. The former five-star recruit has also missed a few games due to a nagging groin injury earlier this seaon.
After some initial cause for concern regarding the feasibility that the game could be played earlier this season, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey was resolved to make it happen. It also would have been the first time Notre Dame traveled to play at an HBCU school. The two schools faced off once before in November 2019, when Notre Dame defeated Howard, 79-50.
