Marquette Wire
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11 years after becoming a household name for taking Virginia Commonwealth from the First Four to the Final Four, Shaka Smart led Marquette to its best season in nearly a decade during the 2022-23 season. Instead of doing a traditional feature on Marquette or Smart leading into the NCAA Tournament, I spoke to those who are (players and coaches) or have been (former players, media members, etc.) around Smart to look for any similarities between two of Smart's teams that overachieved preseason expectations. I found one: the importance of relationships. This article was named a finalist for a College Media Association Pinnacle Awards in the category of Best Sports Feature.
