‘Nova pauses hoops as Wright tests COVID positive

Villanova’s break for Christmas will last a little longer than desired.

The Wildcats announced Sunday that they have paused team activities after two Tier 1 members of the program tested positive for COVID-19. One of those who tested positive was head coach Jay Wright, the school announced in a statement. Wright is in isolation and is experiencing mild symptoms.

“Our players have been very diligent and disciplined with all of the COVID protocols,” Wright said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we have had two staff members test positive. I am one of them. My symptoms are mild, and we remain connected as a team and staff by phone and Zoom. I am grateful to our team physician, Dr. Mike Duncan, who has worked tirelessly to help guide us safely through this.”

The fifth-ranked Wildcats (8-1 overall, 3-0 Big East) have been off since beating Marquette, 85-68, on Wednesday, Dec. 23. The team postponed a game with St. John’s on Dec. 30 so the players could spend time with family for Christmas in a controlled setting. Wright said he and his staff would not be involved in those visits.

Villanova allowed family members to meet with the players on campus for three consecutive days through Christmas. After the visit the players isolated in a local hotel for four days starting Saturday night and were scheduled to be tested every day.

The Wildcats were scheduled to get back into action next Saturday at No 22 Xavier. That game has been postponed with no makeup date set as yet. Also, no determination on how long the pause will last has been announced.

Villanova is scheduled to visit DePaul on Jan. 5 and host Marquette on Jan. 8. The status of those games remains unknown.

This is the second time the Wildcats have had to shut down due to positive tests within the program. Villanova paused activities for a total of 23 days in late September and early October, according to Wright. The team went into quarantine for 14 days and spent another nine days undergoing other tests including cardiac tests for myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.

The Wildcats have won six in a row since dropping an 83-71 decision to Virginia Tech in overtime on Nov. 28. The last four victories have been by an average of 17.25 points.