Shaka Smart's "defense" for Marquette against Creighton makes fans angry on social media

Marquette's Shaka Smart is an enthusiastic presence on the sideline during games.

He's often crouched low in a defensive stance, and he's known for making leaping fist-pumps to punctuate big moments.

But Smart drew the ire of an opposing fan base during MU's 72-67 victory over Creighton on Saturday at Fiserv Forum.

The Creighton fan site Barstool Bluejays shared a video on the social-media site X of Smart mirroring defense on Baylor Scheierman in the second half, calling it an "Absolute Joke."

Smart does venture on the court during his defensive slides, something that was called out by an old MU foe in Sam Dekker.

"This is a technical foul," the former UW star opined.

Kam Jones and David Joplin defend their coach

MU guard Kam Jones, always an effusive personality, had fun tweaking the Bluejays fans.

Jones shared the Barstool Bluejays post along with the quote "Best coach in the world" along with the crying laughing emoji.

The Golden Eagles' David Joplin, who was actually defending Scheierman on the play, shared the clip on his Instagram account while adding "preciate the help."

Shaka Smart has upset Creighton fans before

Smart has incurred the wrath of Creighton fans before, after last season's 73-71 victory at Creighton that put the Golden Eagles in the driver's seat for the Big East title.

Smart had a particularly enthusiastic leap after that win.

Smart mentioned his enthusiasm after the latest victory over Creighton, though it was not specifically about his "defense" on Scheierman.

"One thing you'll never say about our program is that we have any ounce of apathy," Smart said. "There's a level of passion and energy that every member of our basketball program is required to have. Starting with me."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Shaka Smart's "defense" for Marquette vs. Creighton makes fans angry