By Richie Burke Contributor Published Mar 27, 2024 at 6:01 PM

Before taking down Western Kentucky and Colorado to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013, Marquette’s Stevie Mitchell and Kam Jones stopped by the studio for an episode of Milwaukee Uncut.

Before heading into the game against Western Kentucky, I asked the guys if it was difficult to stay in the moment with a potential big run ahead, and if they felt extra pressure from Marquette’s rabid fan base after a disappointing early exit as a 2-seed last year.

“We know what it feels like to be a first and a second round exit. You can’t take a single possession for granted in March Madness. The margin for error goes very low,” Kam acknowledged, adding, “I can guarantee there is not a single fan that wants to win more than we want to win.”

"We’re focusing on one game at a time, if you’re not at your best in the tournament you are very beatable," Stevie added. "Every team will experience pressure; everyone wants to win badly. If we can use that to our advantage instead of hindering our performance, it can be a good thing for us. We know that the only way we’re gonna win is if we focus on the right things and the things that go into winning.”

That mentality showed on Friday and Sunday as they overcame adversity in both games.

In the Western Kentucky matchup, Marquette was down by seven at the half before ultimately making a huge second-half run to win, 87 to 69. Against Colorado, Marquette was up by 11 at the half, but squandered the lead, tying the game with only three minutes to go. That said, Marquette got some clutch stops and critical buckets down the stretch, holding Colorado off and advancing to the Sweet 16 where they’ll take on the #11 seed N.C. State Wolfpack on Friday night.

In the episode, we also asked what it’s been like to play for Shaka Smart. Both Kam and Stevie were recruited to play for Wojo but chose to stay on after Marquette made the coaching change to Smart. From diving on the floor during film sessions, to EGBs (energy generating behaviors), and Kam sending Shaka a Drake verse that Shaka thought was supposed to go to a woman, we dive into their relationship with the 2023 National Coach of the Year.

In the full episode, we also go into a number of other topics (listed below) to take you inside Marquette hoops, give you some laughs and get you fired up for the tournament run.