Shaka Smart met with the local media today ahead of the No. 13 Longhorns (4-1) hosting Texas State (3-1) Wednesday night (7:00 p.m. on LHN). Let’s first start with the status of that game. A report emerged yesterday afternoon that one of UIW’s guards tested positive for COVID-19 following Texas State’s 72-64 win over UIW Saturday. According to the report from Statesman Texas State beat writer Keff Ciardello, Willis took the test Friday, received the positive result Saturday following the game and is showing symptoms.
“Well, I got a call about that yesterday. The first thing I did is call our medical people because at the end of the day, we have to defer to them in terms of telling us what's safe and not safe,” said Shaka Smart when asked about UIW’s positive test and Texas State. “We're really fortunate to have Dr. Bray here. He'd done a great job with all the sports. I know Texas State's initial tests after that game everyone was negative. They tested again yesterday. I don't know if they've gotten those results yet. I have not heard. Obviously, if there's anything positive there that changes a lot. But our medical folks have told us that just kind of stay alert to what we're hearing, and that they'll keep us posted.”
Interestingly, so far medical people have been encouraged by the lack of spread through the close contact on the floor. Although basketball players are constantly around each other on the floor, the close, intense contact isn’t as high as anticipated.
“The one thing that we have found in in the games so far not just us but around the country is the level of contact with opponents - while it is obviously close and intense - in terms of minutes is not particularly high. Now, that does not mean that someone couldn't transmit COVID and certainly [it] could happen. According to our medical people that has not happened very much, but the season just started. So, it's something that remains to be seen. We will make sure our players are aware of everything. And then we'll defer to our medical folks, but also make sure that our players have a comfort level with what they're doing and our coaching staff as well.”
Even more encouraging was Smart’s response when asked specifically about Andrew Jones because of Jones’s past battle with Leukemia. Throughout COVID-19 conversations for months, Smart and Texas have always made sure to check with Jones’s doctor at MD Anderson to best guide him through the pandemic.
“Going back to the spring and the summer on that that was probably the first thought was how does this impact him? And the first person that we wanted to talk to was his doctor at MD Anderson, who's been just phenomenal,” responded Smart when specifically asked if Jones would be more likely to possible miss a game like Wednesday’s. “It was interesting. According to that doctor, again, this is not me I'm not a doctor, but according to him, Andrew is not necessarily at any more risk than anyone else, which that was great to hear. It was a little surprising, but it was it was great to hear.
“Now, even hearing that you still you feel a little bit more conservative as it relates [to him] just because of what he's been through. And so, those conversations that we had and will continue to have with Andrew, and it's tricky because he's a guy that wants to be out there as much or more than anyone. But he's also been through all these things and you know at the end of the day, for all these guys their safety and their well-being is the most important thing. So, in a situation like this, we will communicate fully to him. We'll let him know what our doctors are saying. We'll let him know you know where things are with Texas State. And then, ultimately, if his comfort level is there and our medical people say that it's safe, then that's what we go with. If any of those things are not there, then we do something differently.”
On the court, Jones has gotten off to a slow start to the 2020-21 season. Despite leading the team in percentage of shots taken, Jones is averaging just 8.8 points per game and has the lowest effective field goal and true shooting percentages on the team. It doesn’t sound like Smart is at all worried about Jones.
“I believe in Andrew Jones. He's a player that has done a lot of great things here at the University of Texas. He's a player that's been through more than any of us here at the University of Texas, and he's a guy if there's ever a guy that you say ‘Hey, he's gonna be fine as long as he keeps shooting and keeps attacking,’ it's Andrew. Now that being said, like every other player on our team he needs to lead with a defense end, giving great effort and giving great intensity,” responded Smart, perhaps indirectly explaining why Jones didn’t play a lot in the second half against Villanova. “He needs to lead by giving his teammates energy, and great spirit out there on the floor. He's a guy that the game of basketball matters as much or more to Andrew than it does anyone in our program, and that's a good thing. But it's something that when you do go through some struggles, it can get pretty mental. And so again for Andrew, the emphasis from us as coaches has been focused on what you can control. Focus on your teammates; focus on being the best you can be on the defensive end; when opportunities come up on offense, certainly take them. Because let's be honest, for us to be our best we need him to be able to score the basketball. We need him to be the terrific offensive threat that he can be.”
READ THE REST OF OUR REPORT FROM SHAKA SMART'S ZOOM CONFERENCE AND DISCUSS TEXAS BASKETBALL INSIDE THE 40 ACRES
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