"I don't want the season to end": Shaka Smart goes teary-eyed with emotional message for Marquette's Second Round victory over No. 10 Colorado

Marquette men's basketball team coach Shaka Smart was emotional following their second-round victory over No. 10 Colorado in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles secured an 81-77 win in a hard-fought contest. Smart became emotional when speaking with Andy Katz of CBS about the team's journey.

“Just gratitude. Gratitude for these guys. Our guys hanging in there and continuing to fight, and now we get to keep playing. … I love these guys. I don’t want the season to end. That’s the biggest thing,” Smart said.

Reflecting on the journey, he highlighted the resilience of his players and the timely return of Tyler Kolek:

"There were so many moments where we could have cracked, and been through a lot of adversity this year. Getting this guy [Tyler Kolek] back right on time was perfect for us. He led the way and his belief in toughness really transferred over to our other guys."

This marks a significant milestone for Smart, who is in his third season as Marquette's head coach. After early exits in previous NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Sweet 16 signifies a positive trajectory for the Golden Eagles under his leadership.

Smart is known for leading VCU to the Final Four in 2011. Yet he faced challenges at Texas, where his teams failed to win an NCAA Tournament game.

Despite subsequent challenges at Texas, where NCAA Tournament success eluded him, Smart's return to the Sweet 16 with Marquette signifies a triumphant resurgence.

Shaka Smart praises Colorado freshman Cody Williams

Marquette men's basketball coach Shaka Smart commended Colorado freshman Cody Williams, labeling him "probably the best young player in the country." Despite Williams' recent move to the bench, Smart emphasized his exceptional talent and character.

Shaka Smart highlighted Williams' remarkable abilities:

"He's a ridiculous talent ... evaluated by the talent that kind of jumps off the screen. But he also appears to be a very high-character guy who cares about winning, cares about his teammates. It seems like he's very, very coachable,"

Although Williams played a sporadic fre­shman season, he was absent from 13 game­s because of nagging injurie­s. This included the last four regular-season contests due to an ankle problem. Williams pe­rsists in aiding the squad despite the­ lingering ankle issue limiting his e­ffectiveness.

Williams' playing time was reduced during the conference tournament. He logged 25 minutes against Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals, followed by 24, 19 and 17 minutes in subsequent games. In the Buffs' First Four win over Boise State, Williams saw a season-low of 11 minutes on the court.