The Shaka Smart Appreciation Thread

[LutherRackleyRulez]

I'll be honest....

I knew little about the man until I did sum sufin'...

interesting cat!



http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/vcus-shaka-smart-is-a-stand-up-type-of-guy/2011/03/26/AFRLkoeB_story.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka_Smart
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/host.madison.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/3/b7/b6e/3b7b6e3c-54f4-11e0-9838-001cc4c03286-revisions/4d8959222238f.image.jpg

[MuskieMAN5]

Shakas the man! I think he may go to purdue if that job opens up with painter leaving for mizzou.

[GoMuskies]

I thought it was funny in his press conference yesterday when someone asked him what this run would do for his recruiting efforts at VCU. He basically had no answer since, you know, he's not going to be recruiting for VCU anymore.

[LutherRackleyRulez]

Per Steve Serby/NY Post.... Twitter....


A VCU-Connecticut championship game:


Shaka-Conn




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aXArByYsuE&feature=fvwrel

[Blue Blooded-05]

Seriously, in honor of Shaka, how have VCU fans not begun wearing this costume to games...

http://www.aquabacon.com/wp-content/main/2009_11/the-shocker-costume.jpg

[xavierj]

Smart sounds like a Smart man.

[LutherRackleyRulez]

Per J. King/Yahoo Sports.....




Smart's Motivational Ploy Pays Off For VCU Against Kansas


Just as he has throughout the tournament, Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart set up a television in the middle of the Rams’ locker room and played a motivational video for his team shortly before it took the court. Sunday’s video featured snippets of analysts such as Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and Greg Anthony picking Kansas to beat VCU.

“There were all these clips of guys saying, ‘I got Kansas,’ or, ‘I’m picking Kansas,’ or ‘Kansas is going to win this one,’ ” Burgess said. “All we heard was ‘Kansas, Kansas, Kansas’ over and over and over.”

It was a brilliant motivational ploy by the 33-year-old Smart, who was hired two years ago to replace Anthony Grant. By the time the Rams met Kansas’ captains at midcourt just before tipoff, they were as fired up as they’d been the entire tournament.

Kansas jumped to a 6-0 lead before suffering a collapse that would extend into the second half. Jayhawks fans watched in horror as VCU made nine 3-pointers before intermission while forcing Kansas to shoot just 31.3 percent from the field.





http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/212625/Smarts_Motivational_Ploy_Pays_Off_For_VCU_Against_ Kansas

[XUglow]

He has my favorite quote from the tourney... "We aren't a Cinderella team. Cinderella went to a dance. We are playing basketball."

[jco17]

Shaka Smart is Debbie Yow's #1 target right now at NC State. They were gonna try to throw 4 million dollars at Sean Miller too. He told them to move on. How much joy would some of the fans on here have gotten had he left UA for NC State? Yikes, I think some just went from 6 to 12 and then abruptly back down to 6. lol. Sorry, please excuse my weiner humor.

Shaka obviously will not comment one way or the other most likely until after the tournament. NC State has a crap heap of money and Smart is target #1 on their list. I think every school with a vacancy is gonna go after Smart. NC State might actually be scary with him as their coach if he can get in there and make ties quickly. State is a very delusianal program and their fans are nuts, so it may be best for him to head on to Mizzu. Just my two cents.

[Roach]

I'm quite fond of Shaka's wife, Maya:

http://smartsimplemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mayasmart.png

[Xavier]

On an ESPN interview they asked a player if what one of the Kansas twins said pre-game "your run stops here" fueled the team. The VCU player didn't say anything for a few seconds then just said "I mean look where he is now"