Oso Ighordaro, aka Nostradamus, predicted a banner season for Marquette
By GERY WOELFEL
It was last July, at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and Oso Ighodaro was reminiscing about the past and his fond memories of playing basketball for Marquette University.
Ighodaro also chatted about the future for his former college team and how the Golden Eagles were going to fare without him and Tyler Kolek, the team’s two stars..
Kolek and Ighodaro were highly instrumental in the Golden Eagles’ banner season, a season in which they posted a 27-10 record and a 12th-place ranking in the final Associated Press poll.
The fact Ighodaro and Kolek were second-round selections in the 2024 NBA draft – Ighodaro by Phoenix and Kolek by New York – spoke volumes of their basketball talents.
Yet, almost eight months ago following a Summer League game, Ighodaro didn’t buy into the prevailing feeing that Marquette would take a step back this season. He was fully confident the Marquette program wouldn’t skip a beat.
“I think they’re going to be even better than we were,’’ Ighodaro said then of the current Golden Eagles squad. “I think they’re going to be slept on a little bit because me and Tyler are gone.
“But I think those guys are going to show up and be really good.’’
Ighodaro now looks like Nostradamus. The Golden Eagles are indeed formidable and well on their way to another NCAA postseason tournament appearance. Marquette’s revamped crew is 22-9 overall and ranked 20th in the latest AP poll.
The Golden Eagles have excelled with a dynamic defense and balanced scoring attack, one spearheaded by Kam Jones who has elevated his game this season and is averaging a team-high 18.9 points.
Three of Jones’ teammates are also scoring in double figures, including David Joplin (13.9 points), Stevie Mitchell (10.7) and Chase Ross (10.6).
But the man who is stirring Marquette’s drink is Shaka Dingani Smart, now in his fourth season as the Golden Eagles head coach.
The 47-year-old Smart has established a winning culture at Marquette and boasts an unusually strong bond with not only his current players but past ones as well..
Ighodaro simply raves about Smart and points out how the latter has positively impacted his life.
“I love him,’’ Ighodaro said of Smart, who has a sterling 97-39 record at Marquette. “Obviously I’m biased, but I think he’s the best coach in the country. He’s really helped me grow up as a person and a man, more than anything.
“He texts me every morning … every morning. He’ll text me a passage that he’s been reading, something to help my mentality and help me grow as a person.
“He does that for all of us (players). I don’t take that for granted. He just cares.’’
