Marquette's Shaka Smart Still 0-For-Texas As N.C. State Advances To Elite Eight

DALLAS - Consider it a lock for Marquette coach Shaka Smart not to be vacationing any time soon - or ever - in the state of Texas.

The former Texas head coach from 2015-21 - with three first-round, NCAA Tournament losses there - made a triumphant return to the Lone Star state this weekend, arriving as the No. 2 seed in the NCAA South Regional at 27-9 - fresh off wins over Western Kentucky and Colorado.

He leaves 0-for-Texas after his Warriors fell to No. 11 seed Cinderella North Carolina State, 67-58, at the American Airlines Center Friday night.

North Carolina State star D.J. Burns fights off Marquette's Ben Gold for the ball in the first half of their NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game Friday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.  (Getty Images)

Smart lost in the state of Texas as Marquette's coach in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years as he fell to North Carolina, 95-63, in the first round in Fort Worth in 2022. His last loss as Texas' coach was not in the state of Texas, but it was to tiny No. 14 seed Abiline Christian as a 3 seed in 2021, 53-52, in Indianapolis. It was Abilene Christian's first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1999 after a season in which it played its home games on indoor tennis courts because its arena was undergoing renovations.

Shaka Smart Continues To Struggle After VCU Run

Since Smart's magical run to the Final Four at Virginia Commonwealth in 2011 as a No. 11 seed that had to win a First Four play-in game, he is 5-10 in the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina State, meanwhile, continued its Jim Valvano-like, Survive And Advance dream season, venturing deeper into the NCAA Tournament than at any point since the late Valvano reached the Elite Eight in 1986 after winning the 1983 national championship. Valvano died on April 28, 1993, at age 47 after battling cancer. The Wolfpack had lost four straight Sweet 16 games in 1989, 2005, ‘12 and ’15. 

N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts is 3-0 since getting his contract extended by two years after facing a possible firing entering the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at 17-14 and 9-11. He and his team won five games in five days for the ACC Tournament title and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

"What a great run," Keatts said. "I'm so proud of ‘em. They’re starting to trust each other."

Starting?

"It's beautiful," Keatts said. "Man, we're in the Elite Eight."

Now the Wolfpack (25-14) can return to the Final Four for the first time since Valvano's No. 6 seed in 1983 won it all, they can win on Sunday. North Carolina State will play the winner of Friday's late game between No. 1 seed Houston (32-4) and No. 4 seed Duke (26-8).