TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – First, their head coach caught the flu.
Then, their assistant coach had to have emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder.
Finally, the University of South Florida women’s basketball team has to test their fate against the top-seeded North Carolina State University in the next round of the NCAA tournament on Tuesday.
“There is nobody really in our league that you can compare them to,” said the Bulls head coach, Jose Fernandez, Monday afternoon. “We got to be solid tomorrow on both ends of the floor but there is a reason why they are the No. 1 seed as well.”
Fernandez has been battling the flu.
“I am feeling good,” he said. “As soon as I got the flu, they put me on Tamiflu so I am five days in with that so I am feeling good.”
He proceeded to reveal another ailment that fell on one of the members of the coaching staff.
“It is unbelievable,” said Fernandez. “My assistant coach, Danny Hughes, who was at the game last night, he had an emergency gallbladder surgery the day before and was at the game. As a matter of fact, he got discharged from the hospital that morning, late late morning.”
He shared the Bulls team doctor checked on Hughes allowing him to coach in the game less than 24 hours after the surgery.
“This has been a very interesting trip here to San Antonio so far,” said Fernandez, “but this is the best time of the year. We are happy we are here and we are really excited to still be playing and it is a great opportunity to be one game away from the next game in this tournament.”
