AUSTIN, Texas — It’s potentially a tough blow to a team with a lot of momentum. University of Texas at Austin men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart on Monday announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation.

“I tested positive for COVID and am in isolation away from our team and my family,” Smart wrote in a statement he shared on Twitter. “I am working remotely and look forward to rejoining our team in person when it is safe to do so.”

The Longhorns are currently ranked at 5 in the latest AP men’s basketball poll and are slated to play Oklahoma on Tuesday and Kentucky on Saturday.

Games scheduled for last week with TCU and Iowa State were postponed due to COVID-19 issues with those teams.

The team made waves a few weeks ago when it beat Kansas and cracked the AP’s top five. It marked the team’s highest ranking since February 2011 and the highest under Smart.

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Texas is currently 11-2.

Craig Huber - Digital Media Senior Producer

Craig Huber is a digital producer for Spectrum News. He is a graduate of Central Michigan University and has worked in the news industry for 25 years.