“That’s really wild” - College hoops world has hilarious reactions as Shaka Smart puts dropped gum back in his mouth during intense play

Shaka Smart puts dropped gum back in his mouth during the first round of the NCAA men's tournament as No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles beat the No. 15 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in a comeback 87-69 victory on Saturday.

The game was not without its odd moments, when Marquette's coach Smart, was captured on camera inadvertently dropping his gum onto the court, only to promptly retrieve it and reinsert into his mouth.

This comical mishap swiftly circulated across social media and attracted reactions from the college basketball community.

“Fellas you can still be locked in while being hygienic I swear,” one fan wrote.

Screenshot, via Instagram

“That's really wild no matter how locked in he was,” another fan wrote.

“After further review it had been less than 5 seconds before he put it in his mouth no foul on the play,” a fan commented.

“Bro yall just put him on blast that wasn’t supposed to be a seen moment,” another wrote.

Screenshot, via Instagram

More reactions were prompted on Instagram:

Screenshot, via Instagram

Although the Golden Eagles were trailing 43-36 at halftime, they eventually overwhelmed the Hilltoppers in the second half.

Point guard Kameron Jones was the star of the game, scoring 28 points to lead his team to an impressive victory on Friday, following March Madness.

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Shaka Smart’s Marquette conquered Western Kentucky despite seven free-throw setbacks

Shaka Smart the head coach of the Marquette Golden Eagles gives a hug to Tyler Kolek.

Despite missing seven of its 15 free-throw attempts, Marquette topped Western Kentucky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek, returning after a three-week hiatus, missing a triple-double by four rebounds, catalyzed Marquette's dominance in the later half of the game.

Kolek hit two long threes in his first two shot attempts and scored 10 points in the opening seven minutes of the first half, which helped Marquette (26-9) build an early 26-17 lead. Kolek ended with 18 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds.

"I really haven't felt out of the groove at all, even in practice," Kolek said (h/t Reuters).

"The two days that I did go full go … it's been basketball. I've been playing this game a long time. Once I hit the floor, some obvious jitters because I haven't played in three weeks now, but I think 37 minutes, most minutes in a game, so I thought I did all right with the wind."

Coach Shaka Smart Marquette enters the March Madness tournament with a 25-9 overall record, including a 14-6 record in the Big East, while WKU boasts a 22-11 record, including an 8-8 record in Conference USA. I

In their upcoming second-round matchup in the South Region on Sunday, the Golden Eagles face off against Colorado.