WACO, Texas -- Trying to please the demanding Kim Mulkey and adjusting from high school to elite college basketball at Baylor could lead to a breakdown for any freshman. But Lauren Cox's major freshman issue had nothing to do with any of that. Her misery before Baylor faced Tennessee on Dec. 4 was all because the biggest challenge of her life -- Type 1 diabetes -- threatened to keep her from playing in the game. Her blood sugar levels were dangerously high.
Cox ended up taking the floor in the Baylor win. Her blood sugar returned to the necessary level to allow her to play. Still, she admits it's been incredibly challenging -- dealing with her condition, working to succeed on the court for a top program and trying to be a freshman in college all at the same time.
"It's been pretty tough," Cox said this week, before Baylor faces Louisville in the Sweet 16 on Friday night (ESPN2/WatchESPN, 9 p.m. ET). "Not having my parents there (at Baylor) is definitely a big challenge. Just managing my levels has been pretty tough but I've had a pretty good handle on it."
On the court, Cox has flashed the potential that made her the top recruit in the country. She has been a key reserve for Mulkey, earning the Big 12 Sixth Man Award while being named to the All-Freshman team after averaging 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
That is even more impressive considering Cox has to watch and count every carb she eats. The 6-foot-4 power forward, who has dealt with her condition since she was 7, pricks her finger up to 12 times a day to watch her blood sugar. She takes insulin before she eats and has to test her levels before, during and after practices and games. She will check her levels every hour in practice, with the Baylor trainers keeping an eye on her.
Otherwise, the consequences of playing with high blood sugar levels can be devastating.
"It is really bad on my body," Cox said. "In the long term, I can lose limbs, lose my eyesight -- that kind of stuff; if it gets really bad, it can take years off of my life, and I have to make sure I have a good handle on it."
That is why Mulkey vowed to Cox's parents that she wouldn't play their daughter with high blood sugar and risk her health. Before that Tennessee game, Mulkey was prepared not to play Cox in Baylor's first game on ESPN2 this season.
"Initially when I found out that it was too high, she was a basket case," Mulkey said. "She had a meltdown and wanted to play and I had to be stern with her and tell her, 'While you may have played like this throughout your career, I made a commitment to your parents that your health is most important. And you are not going to play until [your numbers] get to a reasonable level.'"
Cox played a total of seven minutes while battling foul trouble in Baylor's 88-66 win over Tennessee.
"I can get really frustrated just with myself, and it is really hard not being able to play and not being able to contribute," Cox said. "And if my team needs me, just not being able to be out there."
So far in her first NCAA tournament, Cox has posted a total of 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 41 combined minutes through Baylor's first two wins.
Entering the season, Cox said she hoped to use the visibility that comes with playing for a premier women's program such as Baylor to help educate and inspire others who live with Type 1 diabetes.
Baylor hosted a Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Night earlier this season, and Cox hopes to be a role model as her career goes on in college and beyond.
"That's a big thing," Cox said. "I feel like doctors may say, 'Oh, you have to cut down on this sport' or something like that -- 'just because you have diabetes.' I just want to show them that you can do anything that you set your mind to."
Mulkey has had to learn how to handle her coveted freshman's emotions when it comes to dealing with daily ups and downs that can come with Type 1 diabetes.
"I realize she is tender when it comes to her diabetes and yet she is tough because it is something she has had to cope with since she was 7 years old," Mulkey said. "It has not affected her ability; it has not affected how great of a player she is and will continue to be.
"It's kind of, in her words, a nuisance. It's our job as leaders of this program to make sure that she understands: Your health and safety come first, and make sure your levels are where they are supposed to be when you play."