Report: Marquette will play Shaka Smart's former team next season in Big East-Big 12 Battle

Shaka Smart will face a familiar opponent next season.

According to a report from CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein on Wednesday, Marquette will play Texas at Fiserv Forum as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle.

Smart coached the Longhorns for six seasons, compiling a 109-86 record. But Longhorns fans grew restless with a lack of success in the NCAA Tournament, and Smart jumped to MU in March 2021.

Texas hired Chris Beard to replace Smart, but Beard was fired in January after he was arrested on a third-degree felony charge of assault in December. The charges were dropped, and Beard was hired by Ole Miss.

Rodney Terry was the interim coach at Texas, then was given the permanent job after leading the Longhorns to the Elite Eight.

MU is expected to be one of the best teams in the nation, with its entire playing rotation eligible to return.

The Golden Eagles' other known non-conference games next season include a road game at state rival Wisconsin, a home game against Notre Dame and the Maui Invitational that boasts a loaded field with Purdue, Gonzaga, Kansas, Syracuse, Tennessee and UCLA.

Texas' roster is in flux, including Racine native Tyrese Hunter testing the NBA draft waters, but the Longhorns will bring in several top recruits like Ron Holland and A.J. Johnson.