![]() 1, 2020, in Austin, Texas.Īnother narrative in college basketball circles is that Texas may have been too big of a school and brand for Smart and that smaller schools such as VCU and Marquette are better fits for his coaching style. University of Texas guard Jase Febres (right) consults with coach Shaka Smart (left) during a game against Iowa State at The Frank Erwin Center on Feb. ![]() “Actually, it’s kind of funny to me that, as a kid that’s got really no background – my family or people close to me – in basketball, I played Division III basketball, that anyone would have any thoughts on any of that stuff.” “I don’t feel any kind of way ,” he said. When asked about the comeback narrative when his supposed shortcomings at Texas are compared to his VCU-like success at Marquette, Smart said he tries not to get caught up in things outside of his control. Marquette enters this week’s NCAA tournament as a 2-seed in the East Region, Smart’s highest seed ever. This time, Smart and company obliterated those predictions, winning the Big East regular season by two games and winning the Big East tournament March 11 at Madison Square Garden. The Golden Eagles finished sixth and earned a NCAA tournament bid.īefore this season, Marquette was again picked to finish ninth in the Big East. Before Smart’s first season at Marquette, his team was picked to finish ninth in the Big East. Related Story 2023 Men's NCAA Tournament Bracket | ESPN Read nowĪfter an upset loss to Abilene Christian in the 2021 pandemic bubble NCAA tournament in Indianapolis, Smart, a Wisconsin native, bolted Texas for the Marquette head coaching job. At Texas, Smart’s teams lost in the first round in each of its three NCAA tournament appearances. However, fans and media members often judge a college basketball coach’s success solely on NCAA tournament results. Smart also successfully recruited multiple five-star prospects and had a number of players drafted into the NBA. His Texas teams received NCAA tournament bids in three of the five years the tournament was held (there was no NCAA tournament in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic), and in 2019 Texas won the NIT. ![]() At Texas in the rugged Big 12 Conference, he was unable to sustain the level of success he had at VCU, but his tenure was solid. Smart went on to lead VCU to four more 26-plus winning seasons before accepting the head coaching position at the University of Texas. The following year, Smart became a household name and an upstart in the industry by guiding the then-CAA team to an improbable Final Four run in 2011. It has been 14 years since this year’s Big East Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year candidate led Virginia Commonwealth University to a 27-9 record and a CBI Tournament championship as a rookie head coach at 31 years old in 2009. Yes, it is the great American poet, rapper LL Cool J who comes to mind when thinking about Shaka Smart’s return to college basketball prominence. Don’t call it a comeback, he’s been here for years.
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