Dallas — When it comes to memorable memories with the Golden Eagles during the NCAA Tournament, Marquette coach Shaka Smart finds it difficult to forget his time spent in Texas.

 

 

It has been two years since Smart advanced to the NCAAs during his debut season at Marquette, and he is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since leading VCU from the First Four to the Final Four thirteen years ago.

This time around, Smart is almost 200 miles away from the Texas Longhorns’ campus in Dallas. The team had a crushing first-round loss to North Carolina in 2022, which took place in Fort Worth, some 30 miles to the west.

After a devastating defeat to Abilene Christian in 2021, Smart’s future was called into question because coach has not won an NCAA Tournament game in his six seasons in Austin. By accepting the Marquette position, he initiated contact.

Following three NCAA titles, including a close victory over Colorado in the second round last weekend, Smart is avoiding the spotlight once more as third-seeded Marquette (27-9) gets ready to take on No. 11 seed North Carolina State (24-14) in the South Regional on Friday night.

But now that March Madness has primarily been depressing for him, there’s an opportunity to pull down the nets in the state.

“I always look up the NCAA Tournament sites when the season starts,” Smart remarked. Thus, we might be at five different places today. The season is ended, so we may be in Milwaukee, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, or Detroit. Of those first four, I would have chosen any of them.

The Longhorns advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Miami a year ago, following the Golden Eagles’ second-round loss to Michigan State, the program’s first tournament triumph in a decade.

Smart may still take pleasure in the Longhorns victory through a vicariously experienced relationship. He is now able to take action that first helped him land the Texas job.

Leading scorer Kam Jones stated, “He doesn’t really say too much about it to us.” “I am aware that he considers it as a man, a rival, and a person. It holds significance for him. That essentially relates to our shared objective of winning. Everybody wants to win—not just for Coach, but also for each other. We really want this.

Chase Ross, a sophomore from Dallas, was recruited by Smart to go to Texas before deciding to join him at Marquette. He didn’t even know the Golden Eagles could end up in his hometown until they reached Indianapolis for the first and second rounds.

Hence, whether Ross and Smart would admit it or not, a Sunday celebration would mean a bit more to them.

“It’s a cool, collected guy,” Ross described his coach as. He remains loyal to who he is. I believe we’ll be alright because he’s in the situation he is in and is communicating with us what he needs.

Smart will always minimize the relationship, regardless of how many times he returns to Texas in the hopes of winning an NCAA championship. Though they are aware of it, his players know better than to ignore it.

It wasn’t until a reporter mentioned it that Jones gave the idea of a Texas celebration any serious thought.

As for him, Jones remarked, “I’m sure it would be kind of bittersweet, pretty good experience for him to be able to do that.” “We have to do what we have to do Friday in order for us to do that.”

 

Alright, let’s get started. It sounds like something from Smart.