For a head coach who preaches mindfulness with his team, in a moment when his players celebrated amidst confetti raining down at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Saturday, Shaka Smart took a knee and spent a few seconds taking it all in.
The No. 13 Texas Longhorns had just pulled off a 91-86 victory over the No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys to win the first Big 12 Tournament title in program history, producing the pinnacle moment for Smart, whose competence and job security were questioned at nearly every twist and turn by the Longhorns over the last several seasons.