San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Wait continues for Horns
Bears pause because of COVID-19 as teams’ Big 12 opener postponed
AUSTIN — Texas sophomore forward Kai Jones was beaming Friday afternoon when discussing a looming matchup with No. 2 Baylor in Waco.
“We’re really excited,” Jones said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to play a team as good as them. It’s going to be good to go against them and show that we can play on that level.”
No. 13 Texas (5-1) will have to wait to test its mettle against the Bears (4-0), though. Baylor on Saturday paused all team activities as a result of COVID-19 protocols, which led to calling off Sunday’s game at the Ferrell Center.
Baylor’s game against Tarleton State on December 15 also has been postponed.
“This is a disappointing time for everyone involved with our program, but we will always prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes,” Drew said. “The Big 12 Conference prepared for this possibility by leaving the final week of the regular season open, and we look forward to hosting Texas at a later date. Our program will return to competition as soon as we can do so safely.”
The Big 12 announced it would work with both institutions to find another date for the game, which was scheduled as the conference opener for both teams. Texas and Baylor also are scheduled to play at the Erwin Center on February 2.
Texas had not had any games postponed or canceled before this week’s matchup with the Bears. Baylor had games with Nicholls State and No. 1 Gonzaga canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the other programs.
“In consultation with the Indiana State Health Commissioner, the Marion County Public Health Director, and both team physicians, Gonzaga and Baylor have mutually agreed today’s game will not be played,” a December 5 joint statement from the programs read.
The postponement of Sunday’s game in Waco pushed back Texas’ Big 12 opener back a week to December 20. Oklahoma State (6-0) and projected No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham will visit the Erwin Center that day. Before that, Texas will take on Sam Houston State (3-3) on December 16 at home.
The cancellation of Sunday’s game between Texas and Baylor was far from the first of this young college basketball season. This week alone, the University of Houston paused team activities because of positive COVID-19 tests, Duke canceled all its remaining nonconference games “out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19,” a Top 25 matchup between No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 25 Louisville was postponed and South Carolina canceled a second game.
The list is much longer than that and will only expand as the season wears on and cases of COVID-19 continue to rise.
“I think once we get into our season, the most important thing is just trying to keep our guys safe, “Smart said September 24. “Then when you play another team, you have the same considerations for them.”
The potential for severe harm to players because of the coronavirus is greater within the Texas program than most others around the nation because of redshirt junior guard Andrew Jones. A leukemia survivor who endured months of chemotherapy after the initial cancer diagnosis in January 2018, Jones is immunocompromised and a higher risk to experience more extreme symptoms from COVID-19.
Texas opted to hold Jones out of its season opener against UT-Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 25 after he developed a cough on game day. Jones ultimately tested negative for COVID-19 and has played in all of the teams games since.
“Everything we do is a domino,” Smart said in September. “So every guy on our team needs to understand the impact that they have on each other, and that they have on Andrew, and that they have on our coaching staff. we’re all around each other on a daily basis. We really try to just be as safe as we can.”