Tyler Kolek injury updates: Will Marquette star play vs. Western Kentucky in March Madness game?

Marquette played shorthanded for the last three weeks heading into the NCAA Tournament. But reinforcements appear to be on the way.

Head coach Shaka Smart and his Golden Eagles team are one of the top programs at the 2024 NCAA Tournament. After a 23-8 regular season, including a 14-6 mark in Big East play, Marquette earned the No. 2 seed in the South Region.

Marquette kicks off its March Madness play with a matchup against No. 15 seed Western Kentucky, and it’s very likely fans will get to see the return of star guard Tyler Kolek. The senior has missed the last six games with an injury and was unable to help the Golden Eagles during the Big East tournament, but he appears to be on track to take the court in Indianapolis.

This is not the first time that Kolek has played at less than 100% in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the guard injured his thumb in Marquette’s first-round victory over Vermont. While he continued to play, Kolek was noticeably not himself in the team’s second-round loss to Michigan State.

Here are more details on Kolek’s injury and his status for the NCAA Tournament.

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Will Tyler Kolek play in 2024 March Madness?

Kolek appears set to return from injury for the first game of the NCAA Tournament when Marquette faces No. 15 seed Western Kentucky in the first round at 2 p.m. ET Friday.

Kolek took part in 5-on 5-drills all week in preparation for the 2024 tournament, Smart said Wednesday.

“He has gone live, he has gone 5-on-5 up-and-down fullcourt,” Smart said Wednesday. “He’s done a lot of good things … He looked like himself.”

Smart did acknowledge that there will be an adjustment process for Kolek after his missed time. But the head coach was encouraged by what he saw out of the senior guard.

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What is Tyler Kolek’s injury?

Kolek injured his oblique during Marquette’s win over Providence on Feb. 28.

“[Tyler] injured his oblique in the Providence game making a pass that only Tyler can make,” Smart said at the time. “It’s a rare injury in basketball. But it’s one that impacts how you play and what you do out there. Your core is crucial to any movement in the game of basketball. Good news is he’s already feeling better. Tough news is that it’s already March 2. It’s not the best time of year for something like this to happen.”

Kolek was ruled out for the last three regular season games, and the team said it would “re-evaluate” him ahead of the Big East tournament. He ended up missing all three conference tournament contests for the Golden Eagles.