PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the second time this season, the Villanova Wildcats returned from a quarantine after a COVID-19 issue. Their head coach was thrilled to see them back on the court.
Jay Wright tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of December. Wright has completely recovered and the program is ready to resume action after a three-week quarantine and four postponements.
Wright said it has been a difficult mental challenge for his players to stop their season for the second time, but getting back on the court for practice was a relief for everybody.
"I'm the happiest guy in the world," said Wright. "It was just a thrill to be back on the court. It was great. We had eight guys and went four on four. Just a great day."
The Wildcats will now move forward with the hope of finishing the season without any more stoppages.
The most difficult part for the Wildcats was the quarantine, and Wright said the initial impact of learning about a positive test can be difficult to deal with as they prepared for the inevitable.
"The day the positive tests hit you and you know what’s coming," Wright said. "Those first couple days are just devastating because you know what’s coming. It’s sitting alone in your room. It’s horrifying, it really is.”
This has been a trying season for Villanova as well as the rest of the college basketball world.
The NCAA continues to push through even as other programs are forced to temporarily shut down. Despite the ugly specter of COVID-19, Wright believes his team has developed a strong bond as they try to navigate through the season.
"I really feel like we’re really becoming close," said Wright. "I feel like we all feel like we can handle anything. That’s where we are now. Right after Christmas when we told them we were getting hit with a quarantine, we were crushed."
Villanova will resume play on Tuesday night at home against Seton Hall. Next up will be a game against Providence a week from Saturday.
There are 11 more games on the schedule after the Providence contest, but Wright knows things can change on a daily basis.
"I know we are Tuesday to Saturday for this week coming up and that’s all," Wright said. "But after that, I think anything’s on the table."