The Marquette basketball program picked up an 81-77 win over Colorado on Sunday to advance to the program's first Sweet 16 since 2013, and head coach Shaka Smart spoke about what it took for his team to do it and how proud he is of his players, especially Tyler Kolek.
“Man, so grateful for our guys just hanging in there,” Shaka Smart said, via the March Madness X account. “There were so many moments where we could have cracked, been through a lot of adversity this year. Getting this guy (Tyler Kolek) back right on time was perfect for us. He led the way, and his belief and toughness really transferred over to our other guys.
"I love these guys, I don't want the season to end" ❤️
Shaka Smart walks @TheAndyKatz through how he feels making the #Sweet16 🎤#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/oXX8zxiupM
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2024
Tyler Kolek returned for the NCAA Tournament after dealing with an oblique injury that he suffered in late February that kept him out through the Big East Tournament. Marquette basketball will face No. 11 seed NC State on Friday in their Sweet 16 matchup. If Smart's team wins that game, they would face Houston, Texas A&M, James Madison or Duke in the Elite Eight.
Despite it being a close game with Colorado that could have gone either way, any win in the NCAA Tournament is a great one. This is a bounce back for Marquette, getting to the second weekend as a No. 2 seed, something that last year's team was unable to do, as they lost to Michigan State in the second round.
It was not only the end of a drought for Marquette, it was the end of a drought for Smart too.
Shaka Smart advances to second weekend for first time since 2011
For Smart, this might be a sign that his Marquette basketball team could make a deep run. Smart last reached the second weekend in 2011 when he was the head coach of VCU. While spending four more years at VCU, Smart's teams did not get out of the first weekend of the tournament, then he took the head coaching job for the Texas basketball program ahead of the 2015-2016 season.
Smart went to the NCAA Tournament three times in six seasons at Texas, and did not get out of the first weekend in any of those trips. There was some frustration with him towards the end of his time at Texas, and he eventually left to take the Marquette job ahead of the 2021-2022 season.
Since taking the Marquette job, Smart has made the NCAA Tournament in all three seasons. In the first two years, Smart's teams failed to make the second weekend.
That changes now. Going into a Sweet 16 matchup against NC State, a team Marquette should be favored against, this could be Smart's best chance to get back to the Final Four since the 2011 season with VCU.
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