Written: 2-9-2021
No one can deny that this UNM men’s basketball season has been downright miserable for both player and team, as the program has slogged through a 5-11 season.
Well, it somehow managed to get worse.
The Lobos will not be playing a series against Colorado State, which was scheduled for February 9 and 11, due to COVID-19.
While UNM has been able to keep the dreaded virus away from it’s program, the Lobos would confirm that Scott Padgett, an assistant for UNM, had come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID.
“Coach Padgett has tested negative twice since being exposed and has no symptoms, however per CDC guidelines, he will begin the self-quarantine process. In an abundance of caution, the entire UNM men’s basketball travel party was tested an additional time today, all with negative results.” said the email from the UNM Athletic program.
While the initial plan was for the Lobos and the Rams to play tonight’s game, Larimer County (Colo.) officials deemed Scott Padgett a presumptive positive, according to UNM Senior Deputy AD David Williams, and thus the game was called off.
According to Geoff Grammar, the Albuquerque Journal’s go to UNM reporter, both teams were on the court when the decision was made to cancel the games.
The Mountain West Conference, Colorado State, and UNM would all release statements saying that the game has been postponed, a distinction that is different from UNM’s recent cancelation against San Diego State.
Eddie Nuñez, UNM’s Athletic director, indicated that he was trying to get the games rescheduled as the team will be in the Colorado area for the rest of the season.
Nuñez would also confirm that the game was called off due to the individual that Padgett was with experiencing COVID-like symptoms.
“Unfortunately, our team was ready to go, but as things progressed throughout the night the individual that coach Padgett (was with) has started to show symptoms.”
It is currently unknown whether the Lobos will play their next series, which is slated to be against Wyoming, as Nuñez said that “This is one of those situations, as we’ve gone through COVID, we’ve learned that things change and they change sometimes a little faster than we all want them to and this is no different.”
But Nuñez would state that there are no confirmed cases within the Lobo program at this moment, but that “we’ve been very cautious,” when it comes to this situation.
“We’re gonna continue to assess this,” added Nuñez.
All UNM players and staff tested for COVID today, according to Nuñez and none came back positive, reaffirming the fact that no one within the program has tested positive for COVID.
The exposure happened sometime between last Saturday or Sunday, according to Nuñez, while Williams would say that the individual that came into contact with Padgett tested positive on Monday.
“Timing stinks, we did everything that we could to continue to move forward with the direction of the doctors and the medical team,” added Nuñez.
For the Lobo team, more lamentation as another roadblock is set before a team that has had too many roadblocks to count.
“They’re (the team) going back to the hotel,” said Nuñez while adding that, “first thing is get them in a hotel, let’s assess/manage/monitor them, see how things are going, make sure nothing else transpires with them…. We will isolate them, quarantine them, do what we need to do as we continue to assess the situation.”
Alas, the problem is that an airborne virus may be spreading through the team, and thus that made Nuñez assess the situation like this: “Hopefully we are able to manage this.”
Spencer Butler can be contacted at sb751094@gmail.com or on Twitter @SpencerButler48
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