College Basketball

College basketball rankings: Marquette routs Texas as Shaka Smart is showing leaving Longhorns was wise move

USATSI

Marquette’s Shaka Smart advised his gamers prematurely of Wednesday’s showdown with Texas that teaching towards the Big 12 program he beforehand led for six seasons did not actually carry any particular weight with him.

“Bullshit,” Marquette level guard Tyler Kolek said following the Golden Eagles’ 86-65 blowout of the Longhorns.

Put me down as #CrewKolek, if solely as a result of it defies logic to suppose there would not be a minimum of a bit one thing swirling inside Smart as he ready to face the varsity whose followers turned on him in a method that made it wise to go away Texas for Marquette following the 2020-21 season.

Despite making three of the 5 NCAA Tournaments that had been performed whereas he was at Texas, most UT followers had been bothered by the truth that Smart by no means superior within the 68-team bracket. After Texas, as a No. 3 seed, was upset by Abilene Christian within the first spherical of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, it turned clear that Smart would enter Year 7 at Texas very a lot on the so-called scorching seat. Rather than stay that life, he properly bounced to Marquette, the place Smart received a clear slate and recent set of expectations.

The move has gone brilliantly.

Smart has already received a Big East championship and Big East Tournament title — and in addition participated in every of the previous two NCAA Tournaments. His Golden Eagles are No. 7 in Thursday morning’s up to date CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 every day school basketball rankings after the simple victory over Texas that served as a pleasant bounce-back from Saturday’s loss at Wisconsin.

“I told the guys in the locker room after the game that this really was the result, not just of their effort and connectivity tonight, but [of] what they were willing to put into the last few days,” Smart mentioned. “There was some real conversation and reflection after Saturday’s game [at Wisconsin]. The difference between good teams and great teams is [that] great teams are able to come together after adversity.”

Texas’ 21-point loss at Marquette compelled me to fully take away Rodney Terry’s group from the Top 25 And 1. Simply put, we’re now greater than a month into the season, and nothing that has occurred suggests the Longhorns need to proceed to maintain a quantity beside their title. They’ve solely performed two faculties ranked within the high 160 at KenPom.com — first UConn, then Marquette — and misplaced these video games by a median of 15.5 factors. Their greatest victory is an 81-80 win over a Louisville program that is embarrassingly dangerous and ranked 162nd at KenPom.com and 171st at BartTorvik.com, which means UT’s resume is full of some whatever-wins and two lopsided defeats. So Texas is out of the Top 25 And 1 — and now the Longhorns will not have one other alternative to safe their first win over a at present ranked group till they play Baylor in 44 days.