MILWAUKEE (AP) Shaka Smart acknowledges he's happy to return to his home state but says that isn't necessarily the reason he decided to leave Texas for Marquette.

"I grew up about an hour from here," Smart said Monday at his introductory news conference, three days after taking the Marquette job. "I was born in Madison, I spent my whole childhood in Wisconsin. It's phenomenal being back. But the reason I came back is Marquette. That's why I'm here."

Smart, who turns 44 on April 8, said he welcomed the opportunity to coach at a school where basketball was the main sport. He cited Marquette's family atmosphere and the shared vision among the school's hierarchy as other factors in his decision.