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Texas basketball: Shaka Smart tests positive for COVID-19

By Bre'ana Singleton

AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns watches as his team plays the TCU Horned Frogs at The Frank Erwin Center on February 19, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns watches as his team plays the TCU Horned Frogs at The Frank Erwin Center on February 19, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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Texas basketball head coach Shaka Smart has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19.

This year’s college basketball season has seen its share of postponements and cancellations due to COVID-19 and Texas basketball is the most recent program to be affected. Texas Longhorns Head Coach Shaka Smart tweeted on Monday morning that he has tested positively for COVID-19 and that he’s taking the proper precautions to ensure the health and safety of all involved.

Texas basketball may be without Shaka Smart this week due to COVID

Texas is ranked at No. 5 in this week’s AP poll having had its last two games against Iowa State and TCU postponed due to COVID-19 precautions. The Longhorns are scheduled to take on No. 24 Oklahoma on Tuesday and Kentucky on Saturday. With an overall record of 11-2, Texas is surely competing for a number one seed in this year’s NCAA tournament.

It remains to be seen how Texas plans to handle the news of Smart’s positive test. As of right now, the school has not announced any plan to replace Smart, nor to reschedule the games while he’s in isolation but all details are obviously subject to change.

The NCAA is taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of coaches, players, and spectators during this year’s tournament. March Madness is set to take place entirely in the state of Indiana as college basketball attempts its version of a “bubble”. We certainly hope that these measures will help to protect the players and students as we look to finish out this college basketball season.

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