Marquette Golden Eagles head coach Shaka Smart is moving on from the verbal tussle that marred their 82-52 win over Providence Friars.
His counterpart Kim English and his assistant coaches had little exchange with 44 seconds left in the game after Friars’ Ryan Mela got into it with Golden Eagles reliever and walk-on player Casey O’Malley.
The game was basically over but the 6’6 forward thought it would be alright to do some more trash talk, which the opponents and even coaches did not appreciate.
English himself did not appreciate the taunt made by his players but he made sure that he will not be confronted by the opposing team’s men.
He made sure that no one will get close to Mela when a number of people was rushing to him and having some words.
“I was going to coach Mela on that. I think their bench, their coaches had words for Mela, which you don’t do. We talk to our players,” English said.
“You talk to your players. Then the benches kind of exchanged words. We have a ton of respect for this program, Shaka.”
Mela was eventually given a technical foul. O’Malley sank the free throws. They were his first points in college.
Marquette Golden Eagles coach Shaka Smart plays down confrontation
That exchange stops right there at the Fiserv Forum for Smart.
The Marquette Golden Eagles chief does not think it is anything big and that what he and his coaches had with English is a friendly banter.
As for the Providence counterpart’s comment that the Golden Eagles’ coaches should not confront his players, Smart said he does not disagree with it.
“I tend to not comment on what the other coach says. It’s fine. I don’t disagree.”
Marquette have bigger fish to fry than the past game. They return to court on Saturday to face Georgetown Hoyas who they beat last January 7.
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