Tag: Tyler Kolek

Breaking: Marquette star Tyler Kolek to miss remaining regular season games

Marquette will be without star point guard Tyler Kolek for the final two Big East regular season games as he recovers from an oblique injury.

Things went from bad to worst for Shaka Smart and the Marquette Golden Eagles here in March. Not only did Marquette get beat by Creighton over the weekend, they got word that starting point guard and 2022-23 Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek will miss the final two games of the regular season due to an oblique injury.

Kolek did not suit up against the Blue Jays in Marquette’s 89-75 loss, and it was clear how much he was missed when the Golden Eagles had seven total assists – where Kolek averages 7.6 assists on his own.

Additionally, Kolek is also averaging a career-high 15 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting an even 40% from three and 88% from the free throw line.

Smart and Marquette will hope some extra rest can get Kolek healthy enough to participate in the Big East Tournament – although keeping him rested and ready for the Big Dance is likely the more important thing so this program can avoid what happened last year when as a two seed they lost to seven seeded Michigan State in the Round of 32.

Notre Dame not nearly competitive against Marquette

Not a good night to say the least.

MILWAUKEE – Notre Dame knew it had its toughest test of the season in playing Marquette on the road. Sure enough, everything went against the Irish from the moment they stepped onto the Fiserv Forum court. Battling the No. 8 team in the country and a raucous crowd, the Irish merely were foils in a 78-59 loss that was more of a blowout than the final score indicated.

The Eagles (8-2) scored early and often in the first half, putting the game’s first 17 points on the board unanswered. By the time [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] put back his own miss on a layup with 12:53 left in the opening frame, the Irish (4-5) already were too far behind to even make it a contest. While they did outscore the Eagles in the second half, 35-26, it came far too late.

Dominance doesn’t even begin to describe the Eagles’ performance in this game. Factoring in the four shot-clock violations they committed in the first half alone, the Irish were completely annihilated. That includes on fast-break points (26-4), points off turnovers (30-12) and points in the paint (42-16). The eye test also showed that the Eagles are bigger, faster and more coordinated than the Irish, who are just trying to tread water in the middle of a rebuild.

Oso Ighordaro is headed to the NBA after this season, and he showed why with 20 points on six-of-eight shooting and making all eight of his free throws. Tyler Kolek had an impressive line of 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Kam Jones, another NBA draft prospect, contributed 11 points.

Burton was one of the few bright spots for the Irish, scoring 20 points to match Ighordaro and recording a game-high four steals. [autotag]Julian Roper II[/autotag] scored all nine of his points on three 3-pointers.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Zach Edey, Trayce Jackson-Davis headline AP All-America first team

Edey and Jackson-Davis headlined the players named to the Associated Press All-America first team.

Purdue junior Zach Edey and Indiana senior Trayce Jackson-Davis headlined the players named to the Associated Press All-America first team on Tuesday.

Edey, the Big Ten Player of the Year, was the only player to appear on all 58 first-team ballots after averaging 22.3 points, 12.8 points, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists with the Boilermakers. He ranks sixth in the country in scoring, second in rebounding and first in double-doubles (26).

Jackson-Davis became the first Hoosier since Victor Oladipo in 2013 to earn first-team honors after averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 blocks. He ranks 16th nationally in scoring, 13th in rebounding and sixth in blocks (82).

Joining Edey and Jackson-Davis on the first team are Kansas forward Jalen Wilson, Houston guard Marcus Sasser and Alabama forward Brandon Miller, who was the only freshman to appear on the list.

AP named Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona) and Jalen Pickett (Penn State) to the second team. On the third team were Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State), Tyler Kolek (Marquette), Kris Murray (Iowa) and Armando Bacot (North Carolina).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=650262453]

Notre Dame’s experience can’t compete with Marquette’s youth

“Staying old” didn’t work in this matchup.

From the beginning of the season, [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] has lauded the experience on Notre Dame’s roster. However, one basic rule of sports is that if a team is young and talented enough, it can be a serious threat to experience. That threat played out Sunday at Purcell Pavilion. In the end, [autotag]John Shumate[/autotag]’s Ring of Honor induction at halftime was the only experience worth celebrating in a 79-64 loss to Marquette.

The story of this game was that the Irish (7-3) were outplayed and outhustled by a younger and hungrier opponent. The Golden Eagles (8-3) turned up the defensive pressure and forced the Irish into ugly shots and poor decision-making, ultimately resulting in 10 Irish turnovers to the Eagles’ three.

Even when they found openings in that defense, the Irish weren’t able to make enough shots regardless of distance. They somehow only trailed by five at halftime, but the Eagles finally made them pay with more offensive power afterwards, and it was their fans rocking Purcell Pavilion before the game even ended.

Kam Jones led all scorers with 25 points. Oso Ighodaro had a double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds, seven of them coming on the offensive end. which undoubtedly contributed to the Eagles’ 22-7 advantage in second-chance points. Olivie Prosper scored 14, and Tyler Kolek had 11 points to go with a game-high six assists.

Although [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] and [autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] scored 20 and 12 points, respectively, they combined to shoot 11 of 27 (40.7%) from the field. No one else on the Irish scored more than eight points. That’s not exactly a recipe for success, and the chances for that success won’t get any easier with Georgia awaiting in Atlanta next week.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89