Audacity was the word of the week for the Marquette Golden Eagles.
New head coach Shaka Smart kept the word front of mind for his players ahead of his team’s upset of 10th ranked Illinois.
Who would have the audacity to think that this program with so many new players and a new head coach could knock off a Top 10 team right off the bat?
Well, they did.
And they did it because they now have a defined identity.
In his previous head coaching roles at VCU and Texas, Smart preached what he calls “havoc” on the defensive side of the floor.
Widespread destruction.
He wants his teams to be a nightmare to play against on defense.
Havoc was on full display on Monday night as the Golden Eagles came up with defensive stops on 10 of the final 11 possessions of the game.
That included a game-winning steal and basket down 1 point with 30 seconds to play.
Long gone are the days where the Golden Eagles are going to win with a barrage of threes and 50-burgers from Markus Howard.
This new era of Shaka Smart Marquette Basketball will hang its hat on defense.
And if Monday is any indication of what’s to come, March Madness will be back in Milwaukee sooner than you might expect.
