UNDATED (AP) — Texas men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart say he had “significant” symptoms while in extended isolation from his team and family after testing positive for COVID-19. Smart returned to the team Sunday and will be on the bench against Baylor on Tuesday.
He didn’t detail the extent of the symptoms he experienced. But he appeared frustrated that Texas played last week’s home loss to now-No. 9 Oklahoma when the Longhorns were missing their head coach, two starters and a key reserve because of COVID-19 protocols.
In other men’s basketball news:
— Purdue’s charter flight was diverted to Indianapolis on Monday because of mechanical problems, according to the athletic department. The 24th-ranked Boilermakers left their campus in West Lafayette, bound for Maryland, where they were scheduled to take on the Terrapins on Tuesday. According to a statement issued by the team, Purdue was scheduled to change planes in Indy before resuming the trip.
— Top-ranked Gonzaga has announced that Thursday’s game against Loyola Marymount will not be played as scheduled due to a COVID-19 related protocol within the Lions’ program. The Bulldogs come off Saturday’s 22-point win at Pepperdine and now aren’t scheduled to play until Feb. 11 at Santa Clara.
— Boston College will have only four scholarship players available for Tuesday’s men’s basketball game against No. 20 Florida State. Coach Jim Christian says he will fill out the rest of his bench with players from the scout team. Christian said the team was off for 11 days and he has only had two practices with the five walk-ons who will be on his bench against the Seminoles.
— DePaul’s game next week at third-ranked Villanova has been postponed, one of three schedule adjustments for the Blue Demons announced by the Big East Conference. Wednesday’s game against Xavier is postponed due to COVID-19-related issues, and DePaul’s previously postponed game at St. John’s on Jan. 2 has been rescheduled for Feb. 20.
— Kentucky will play at No. 18 Missouri on Wednesday, one day later than scheduled. The move is an adjustment following a weekend pause because of positive COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and quarantining within the Wildcats’ program. The pause resulted in the cancellation of Saturday night’s meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, against No. 5 Texas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
— Gonzaga and Baylor continue their season-long run atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. The Zags received 61 first-place votes from a media panel and Baylor had the other three. Third ranked Villanova is followed by Michigan and Houston, with Texas, Ohio State, Iowa, Oklahoma and Alabama rounding out the top 10.
