Marquette's Tyler Kolek Has Returned to Do It All

The senior guard returned from injury and looks like one of the best players in the country.

Tyler Kolek / Dylan Buell/GettyImages

There are two things to know about Tyler Kolek: he wants the ball in his hands, and he is not afraid of the moment. Both attributes have been on display during his time at Marquette. He led the Big East in assists per game as a sophomore and won Big East Player of the Year as a junior. But at this time last year, Kolek and his teammates came up short with a berth in the Sweet 16 on the line. Marquette was upset by Michigan State and sent home from the NCAA Tournament. Kolek wasn't going to let that happen again.

On Sunday, with No. 2 seed Marquette locked in a tight back-and-forth battle with No. 10 seed Colorado, the senior guard took over. He posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists, while adding five rebounds. He hit a huge layup in the lane to put Marquette up 79-76 in the final minute of the game that helped secured the win. Kolek and the Golden Eagles beat a red-hot Buffaloes team, 81-77, to cement their spot in the Sweet 16.

With his performance coming on the heels of his 18 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds in the First Round against Western Kentucky, Kolek is the first player with back-to-back 10-5-5 performances in the NCAA Tournament since Jason Kidd in 1993. Head coach Shaka Smart showered praise on his star guard, whose performance in the opening weekend is especially impressive considering he suffered an oblique strain on February 28. He missed six games leading into the NCAA Tournament.

"So grateful for our guys, just hanging in there," Smart said during his postgame interview on the court. "There were so many moments where we could've cracked. Been through a lot of adversity this year. Getting [Kolek] back right on time was perfect for us. He led the way and his belief and toughness really transferred over to our other guys."

The win will lead to Marquette's first Sweet 16 appearance in more than a decade. It was anything but easy. The Buffaloes had won 10 of their last 11 games entering the Second Round. They were coming off an emotional, adrenaline-spiking win over a higher-seeded Florida team. Colorado also boasted one of the top NBA prospects in the tournament, Cody Williams. The Buffs had all the momentum and it was no surprise they traded blows with Marquette over the course of 40 minutes. It was the sort of game where nothing was given and everything was earned by the winning side.

Kolek's career already carries a great narrative. He started out at George Mason, winning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, before transferring to Marquette. He has become an All-American and is now leading a storied program on its deepest NCAA Tournament run in years. Doing so after suffering an oblique injury a few weeks ago just makes it all the more impressive. And his story isn't done yet.

Liam McKeone is a staff writer at The Big Lead.