The Marquette basketball team enters the NCAA Tournament as a 2-seed in the South Region. They begin play against Western Kentucky on Friday, and all eyes have been on the injury status of Tyler Kolek.
Entering the tournament, there were strong indications that Kolek would be able to return to the court for Shaka Smart's team despite Kolek missing the Big East tournament. On Thursday, those indications stood true as Kolek stated that he would play, per Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated.
“I’ve been practicing all week. I feel good, I feel confident. At this point in the season nobody is 100 percent, so you’ve just got to strap up and do what you can.”
On Thursday, Kolek was warming up with the team, which is a welcome sign for the Golden Eagles ahead of their first-round matchup with Western Kentucky and even sank a half-court shot at the end of practice.
Tyler Kolek had some fun at the end of practice. The return is near. #mubb pic.twitter.com/AecXZ73tWy
— Kristin Parisi (@KristinParisiMU) March 21, 2024
Kolek has been dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain and made sure to give credit to the training staff: “It was definitely a struggle the first week. … I’m just thankful for the trainers and coaching staff. I’m ready to go.”
It has been a difficult road for the talented senior guard, and he wants nothing more than to be out there with his teammates during March Madness.
Tyler Kolek an important piece to Marquette
There is no denying how important Kolek is to this Marquette basketball team. He is the second-highest scorer, averaging 15 PPG with 7.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds. He shoots 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point land, so Shaka Smart's team is much different with him on the floor. Kolek was also named a second-team All-American.
Unfortunately, he hasn't played since February 28 and Marquette has gone 4-3 in his absence, including two losses to UConn, the top overall seed in the Big Dance.
Marquette begins their tournament with a clash against 15-seed Western Kentucky, so the Golden Eagles should have no issues putting the Hilltoppers away. Western Kentucky finished the year 19-11 but lost four in a row entering the Conference USA Tournament. Somehow, they won three in a row to win the tournament and earn an automatic bid to March Madness.
Still, we have seen plenty of upsets in March Madness: Princeton beating Arizona as a 15-seed and Fairleigh Dickinson stunning Purdue as a 16-seed in 2023 are recent examples. Anything can happen, and Marquette needs to be ready to play.
Nonetheless, Tyler Kolek returning to the floor for the Marquette basketball team is huge news as they try to make a deep run in the tournament. If Marquette moves on from Western Kentucky, as expected, they will face the winner of Colorado and Florida with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
Follow Us
Subscribe