[ad_1]
Longhorns coach Shaka Smart will return with No.6 Texas when he takes on No.2 Baylor on Tuesday night, after fully recovering from his fight with COVID-19.
Smart, however, said the experience was no fun – as he was battling “significant” symptoms.
“It wasn’t a walk in the park for me, not saying it was for someone else,” Smart said Monday, via The Associated Press. “When you go through that stuff, certain things certainly spin on your mind.”
Texas never stopped after Smart tested positive
Smart missed Texas’ No.9 loss to Oklahoma last Tuesday, as did three other players due to coronavirus protocols.
He said the team had “several positive tests” a week before he tested positive, and that he held a training session with just two players just days before contracting the virus.
Yet despite their difficulties, Texas has not closed its doors. Their game against Kentucky was postponed, but that was due to coronavirus issues within the Wildcats program.
The Longhorns only had eight fellows available for their game against Oklahoma, two more than the Big 12’s requirement.
“We knew it was going to be tough to go,” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said via The Associated Press. “But we have reached the threshold and we continue to play.”
Smart, naturally, found it hard to have to watch this game from home.
“If you talk to the majority of our guys, they want to play. That’s not to say that there haven’t been times when some of them, they’re like, “Wow, that’s really really weird” and thought about what we should be doing? Smart said, via The Associated Press.
“Everyone has their own rules for how this stuff is handled. I didn’t say we didn’t want to play. I was not there. I think you can tell it was a very, very difficult day for me.
Smart last to contract COVID-19
Smart is just the latest coach to contract the coronavirus this season.
He joins Tom Izzo of Michigan State, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, Fred Hoiberg of Nebraska and many others. South Carolina coach Frank Martin even contracted it twice.
Baylor coach Scott Drew also got it right before Thanksgiving.
The country now averages more than 148,000 new cases of coronavirus per day, according to the New York Times – which is significantly down from the record highs recorded by the United States in early January. Texas recorded the second-highest number of cases in the United States and recorded nearly 18,000 new cases last week alone.
Tuesday night’s game is the first between the two schools this season, as their first game has been postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak within the Bears’ schedule. Although Smart is back with the squad, and has said everyone should be available, it can be difficult to come back and knock out Baylor, who still haven’t lost a game this season.
“I think it’s going to be a little difficult for them just because of the return of some people from COVID,” Baylor goalkeeper Davion Mitchell said via The Associated Press. “They need to find that team chemistry. But it’s going to be a good game.
Learn more about Yahoo Sports:
Originally published
[ad_2]
Source link