Marquette Golden Eagles guard Tyler Kolek was held in check against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday in a loss. Kolek is the reigning Big East Player of the Year for a reason as he scored 28 points in a convincing 86-65 win at home for the eighth-ranked Golden Eagles over the 12th-ranked Texas Longhorns.
He also grabbed eight rebounds and recorded six assists for Marquette. Tyler Kolek had his way all night with Texas. Head coach Shaka Smart is counting on his leadership and play for this basketball team. To go along with his big night, Kam Jones scored 17 points and Chase Ross also scored 12 points off the bench for the Marquette Golden Eagles.
One of the reasons why Marquette was able to win convincingly against Texas was because of the three-point shot. The Golden Eagles shot 46.7% from three as the Longhorns only shot 25.0% from three. This was a huge win for the Golden Eagles because they were able to bounce back and add another quality win out of conference to their NCAA Tournament resume.
This win also came against Shaka Smart’s former team. Ryan Cassidy posted on his Twitter about Tyler Kolek having a conversation before the game against Texas with Smart:
“He’s like, I don’t really care. I coached there, but I don’t really care. And I was like ‘bullshit.’ I know you care. After the game I grabbed him and said this one’s for you.”
Marquette Golden Eagles Point Guard Tyler Kolek Plays Well When the Lights Are On
Kolek has played well this season for Marquette and Big East Conference play is right around the corner. The dominating win against the Texas Longhorns is a very good sign for this basketball team. If they had lost, it would have been a little rough patch. They are 8-2 on the year and Texas drops to 6-3 on the season.
He is averaging 15.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.3 APG so far this season for the Golden Eagles. Kolek is also shooting 54.7% from the field this year. The Marquette Golden Eagles will have two more out-of-conference games before beginning conference play.
Marquette will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-4) on Saturday night. That is a game that Tyler Kolek and the Marquette Golden Eagles should win easily. Kolek is one of the best players in college basketball and Shaka Smart should be happy to coach him up.
