Previewing Marquette: Shaka Smart Moves Forward with a Young Team for the Second Year in a Row

By all accounts, the 2021-22 season was a successful start for Shaka Smart in his first year at Marquette.

The Golden Eagles featured four transfers and six freshmen on a roster that saw tremendous turnover following the firing of Steve Wojciechowski in the spring of 2021. Fortunately for Smart, he was able to hold onto Justin Lewis, and the 6’7 forward delivered a season good enough that he parlayed it into an NBA contract this summer.

Marquette saw Lewis, Maryland transfer Darryl Morsell, and Rhode Island native Tyler Kolek carry the offense last season for a team that finished 19-13 overall, 11-8 in the Big East, and reached the NCAA Tournament.

Perhaps no Big East team was as streaky as Smart’s club last season. Their non-conference schedule included wins over #10 Illinois, Ole Miss, Kansas State, and West Virginia. Each of their losses out of conference were against ranked opponents (UCLA, Wisconsin, and St. Bonaventure).