No. 1 no more. Marquette basketball made a big statement with their straightforward, 73-59 victory over the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the Maui Invitational Tuesday night. The relentless Golden Eagles looked every part of a Shaka Smart-led team, as they forced America to recognize their ample talents.

“Shaka Smart is Bill Self’s daddy!,” Connor Smith posted on X after the semifinal game. “Kansas turned the ball over 18 times. Marquette absolutely gave them fits! Will be taking The Golden Eagles against Purdue no matter the spread.” The group's trademark aggressive defense allowed it to record an impressive 11 steals.

Many fans gave Marquette its due, while Kansas caught some flak for its underwhelming showing.

This loaded Maui invitational features some of the best teams in the country, including the No. 4-ranked Golden Eagles. Senior center Oso Ighodaro led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds, overshadowing Jayhawks star big man Hunter Dickinson (13 points and eight boards). Reigning Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek and the remaining starters were surprisingly ineffective, but Chase Ross, the emerging Sean Jones and Ben Gold combined for a critical 27 bench points.

KU is always under the microscope, so a double-digit loss in a somewhat high-profile environment is going to draw some criticism. Kevin Flaherty of 247Sports and CBS Sports hearkened back to a similar situation that transpired in 2022. “About a year ago, Kansas lost to Tennessee by 14 at Battle 4 Atlantis,” he said. “Lost to Marquette by 14 in Maui tonight.”

Kansas was upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Arkansas this past March. Perhaps this early-season adversity will be the thunderous wake-up call it needs. Marquette basketball battles Purdue on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET in the Maui Final.