Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg Issues Statement Following Concerning Exit During Wednesday Game vs Indiana

The sports world finds itself increasingly stunned by the expanding reach of the coronavirus, and college basketball was among the hardest-hit Wednesday when the NCAA opted to conduct its annual men's and women's basketball tournaments behind closed doors. In the wake of that decision, fans were downright terrified watching Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg acting visibly ill on the sideline while his Huskers took on Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

Hoiberg had to exit Bankers Life Fieldhouse to receive medical treatment, and the Nebraska team was later quarantined in an abundance of caution. Hoiberg was diagnosed with the flu and fortunately not the COVID-19 virus, and has now delivered his first public remarks on the matter.

"I would never do anything that would put my team, family or anyone else in harm's way," he insisted.

Yes, he was given the go-ahead to coach the game by Big Ten medical personnel. But in a time of such fear, uncertainty, and even naked misinformation, the very sight of someone suffering on the sideline of a major sporting event while television cameras rolled did far more harm than good.

At the very least, we know that Hoiberg was only at risk of spreading influenza and not coronaviirus. But that's still not incredibly reassuring in the big picture.

The Big Ten Tournament is due to continue today, but as we've seen around the world, these directives can be pre-empted at any time as more information becomes available.

For now, let's just declare that we all dodged a bullet and leave it at that.