While Dan Hurley has begrudgingly accepted the transfer portal era, Shaka Smart remains tied to his traditional ways. Hurley brought in the likes of Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith this past offseason to strengthen his squad. It has paid off as UConn eased past Smart’s Marquette 73-57 to improve to a 14-1 record. On the other hand, Smart has had exactly zero additions and reduced to 5-10 overall and 0-4 in the Big East. However, Hurley still respects Smart and Marquette’s process while predicting that they will eventually turn it around.
“Shaka is just a man with values and principles. He’s got a code, and he’s an incredible winner. He took VCU to the Final Four, the consistent success at Texas, and then what he’s done at Marquette,” He said after the Marquette game. “If you just take this year and what he’s done at Marquette, as good a coaching job as anyone’s done the last couple years in the country.”
Since Shaka Smart arrived at Marquette back in 2021, the Golden Eagles have made the NCAA Tournament each season. They have rebuilt to Big East contender time and time again. They haven’t had the national success of UConn or necessarily made the headlines of a Creighton or St. John’s in recent years, but Marquette has historically meant business…