COLUMBUS, Ohio — Twelve years ago, Shaka Smart went from novice head coach to household name, leading upstart Virginia Commonwealth from the First Four to the Final Four.
“The way he talked, communicated and carried himself was unlike most other coaches,” Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports national columnist who covered Smart and the Rams’ that season, said. “He was very unique.”
A little over a decade later, Smart, 45, has returned to the big stage, leading Marquette to a Big East regular-season championship, winning the conference tournament and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles face 15th-seeded Vermont at 1:45 p.