It’s only been three seasons since Shaka Smart coached the Texas men’s basketball team, but it seems like a generation ago.
And considering the vagaries of college basketball in the portal era, three years certainly equates to three decades these days. Texas now has its third head coach in as many years with Rodney Terry, and Longhorns’ greybeard Brock Cunningham is the only player still on the roster who played for Smart.
But No. 12 Texas (6-1) certainly won’t worry about the past when it visits Smart and No. 8 Marquette (6-2) Wednesday in Milwaukee. The nonconference road trip gives Texas one more attempt to seize a marquee win over a ranked nonconference opponent before hosting conference rival Texas Tech on Jan. 6. The remaining schedule between the meeting with Marquette and the start of Big 12 play includes games against Houston Christian, LSU, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UNC-Greenville.
“These are the type of games where you can build a lot of chemistry,” Terry said. “You get a chance to go into a hostile environment and play against one of the top teams in the country on their home court. Shaka’s team is playing at a very high level right now, so it’s going to prepare us for Big 12 play. You never take these opportunities lightly.”
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Terry: ‘I have great respect for Shaka’
Terry has a long history with Smart, even though the two never crossed paths at Texas. Smart coached Texas from 2015-21, going 109-86 with a win in the NCAA Tournament. Smart left before Terry’s arrival as part of the staff of former Longhorns head coach Chris Beard, but Terry says he and Smart “often talk” about their respective teams as well as the state of college basketball.
“I’ve always had a great respect for Shaka,” Terry said. “He and I have known each other a long time. You’re talking about one of the best coaches in college basketball and a guy that has his team playing at an elite level. He has done an incredible job in a short time at Marquette and bringing that program back to the top of college basketball.”
So no extra motivation facing off against Smart, even for Cunningham?
“I can’t speak for Brock, but I’m sure there’s always a level of respect for your former coach and the guy that you had a chance to spend some time with,” Terry said. “I’m sure he’ll be excited about the opportunity to compete against coach Shaka and his team and everything. I think there’s a mutual respect there among the two of them. And I think he’ll be excited about going against one of the top teams in college basketball on their home court.”
Homecoming for Texas guard Tyrese Hunter
It’s also a home court of sorts for Texas guard Tyrese Hunter. A native of Racine, Wis., just south of Milwaukee, Hunter grew up playing in the shadows of the Golden Eagles program and knows several of their players. He also helped Iowa State to a pair of wins in the first weekend of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in Fiserv Forum, Marquette’s gymnasium.
“It’s exciting, but it’s just another game,” said Hunter, a stoic presence for Texas at the point. “I’m just grateful for my family to be that close and to be able to see me, but it’s same goal as every other game whether we’re back at home for me or not: Just go out there and win and play the best basketball I can for my team.”
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On Wednesday, that could mean trying to slow the Big East’s preseason player of the year in point guard Tyler Kolek or cool off hot-shooting guard Kam Jones, Marquette’s leading scorer.
“When Tyrese is playing at an elite level, defensively, it takes our team to a whole other level,” Terry said. “Even going back to last year when he started playing defense at a very elite level, our team instantly became really, really good. (Hunter) is one of those guys who wants to be all-Big 12 defensive player. We’ll need him (against Marquette) because their guards are really, really good.”
Hunter downplayed the meaning of the matchup with the Golden Eagles’ backcourt, saying the game is just the latest opportunity “to get better.”
“We’re six, seven games in the season,” he said. “We are just getting started with everything. Our mindset every day is to be aggressive and keep improving. You’ve got to want it and have that dog mentality.”