AUSTIN — Shaka Smart was really getting after one of his players during Friday’s practice at Cooley Pavilion. This was typical tough love, nothing abnormal for a high-level hoops session.
But during that hard-nosed tutelage, Texas’ coach paused, overtaken by thoughts that had nothing to do with suddenly trivial tasks like executing a set play or making the proper defensive rotation.
“I’m getting on one of our guys. I mean, I’m all over this guy,” Smart said. “And then in the back of my mind I’m thinking to myself, ‘Man, what is he going through off the court? What has his family endured in the past several days? Is he fully recovered from having COVID, you know, whenever it was?
“It doesn’t mean you don’t coach a guy. It doesn’t mean you don’t hold them accountable, but it’s just, it’s part of the equation.”
No. 12 Texas (13-5, 7-4 Big 12) will play No. 13 West Virginia (14-6, 7-4) on Saturday at the Erwin Center, if all goes according to plan.
But basketball has been further from the hearts and minds of Smart and the Longhorns than usual. The past week has left the entire state frozen, devoid of power and heat, bereft of clean water and viable food options.
“Basketball goes way down the list and it’s like OK, do you have power, do you have heat, do you have water, do you have food?” Smart said. “And the answer to a lot of those questions, for players and staff was, ‘No.’ And so now we’re scrambling and trying to figure things out.
“We’ve had multiple people in our program be displaced from their home, where they were no longer able to safely be where they were. And that’s happening to thousands of people all around the city, so we’re trying to support them. I wasn’t really prepared for this because I’m from Wisconsin and it snows all the time. But as I’ve learned over the last few days, this is different.”
Texas was originally supposed to play three games this week. But it was unable to travel to face No. 9 Oklahoma or Iowa State.
The Mountaineers haven’t played since last Saturday, a 91-90 double-overtime loss to OU, due to the cancellation of Monday’s game versus No. 2 Baylor. But they have at least been able to practice and condition without any interruption — Texas has practiced together twice since a 70-55 win over Kansas State on Feb. 13.
“We practiced yesterday, and those guys had been in their rooms really since Sunday,” Smart said. “And I’m thinking, man, the last thing I want to happen is some guy to pop his quad or hamstring. And we actually had a player who sustained a minor injury earlier early in practice —he practiced today, he’s OK — but when that sort of thing happens you’re like, what’s the right thing to do? But at the same time, you’re trying to prepare for a game.
“It starts with them being mentally ready and us helping them be mentally and spiritually in tune with what we need to do in this game.”
Redshirt junior Andrew Jones rode to the rescue in the first meeting between Texas and West Virginia on Jan. 9. He sank a silky corner 3 with 1 second remaining to secure a 72-70 win over coach Bob Huggins’ crew.
Both teams were battered by outbreaks of COVID-19 in the weeks following that game. Texas, which was 10-1 at the time, is 3-3 since. The Mountaineers have fared better, going 5-2 with wins over No. 23 Kansas and at No. 7 Texas Tech.
But WVU won’t offer any sympathy on the court. Once again, Smart and the Longhorns will have to rally around one another amid extraordinary circumstances.
“I’m proud of these guys, how they’ve dealt with everything and how they’ve been resilient,” Smart said. “You know, all this stuff with COVID going back to March of last year has been a real gut punch. And they’ve just done a really good job of doing their best and trying to hang in there and respond.
“We are trying to do something together, make it about the man next to you. Lose yourself in each other. So, we’ll see how we do with that tomorrow.”
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