Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek declares for 2024 NBA Draft
One of the most gifted point guards in America has decided to forgo his final season of college eligibility. Marquette’s Tyler Kolek officially announced on his Twitter page on Wednesday evening that he won’t be coming back to school and that he’ll be entering the 2024 NBA Draft.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for everyone who has been a part of my journey at Marquette. These past three years have exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations while allowing me to build relationships that have changed my life,” Kolek wrote in his statement.
“To Coach Smart–Thank you for your trust and pushing me to grow as a person, player, and leader. To all my coaches, teammates, my family and all the fans–Thank you for your love, support and guidance along the way,” he continued.
“I have decided to forgo my extra year of eligibility and declare for the 2024 NBA Draft. While I may be moving on to the next chapter of my basketball career, I will always cherish the memories and lessons from my time in Milwaukee and take tremendous pride in representing this special basketball program at the highest level moving forward. Tyler Kolek.”
Once he led Marquette to the NCAA Tournament this year, Kolek did not disappoint. He became the first player to record consecutive games with 10-plus points, 10-plus assists, and five-plus rebounds in a single NCAA Tournament game since Jason Kidd did it in 1993. Simply put, he’s been one of the most talented guards in America for the past few years.
He led the nation in assists in the 2023-2024 campaign, dishing out 7.71 assists per game. One of the most complete guards in the country, he stuffed the stat box with 15.3 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.8% from beyond-the-arc. In the 2022-2023 season, Kolek ranked third in the nation in assists, with 7.5 per outing.
Kolek was named a consensus second-team All-American in 2024, while also bringing home second-team All-American honors in 2023 from The Sporting News and the United States Basketball Writer’s Association. He won Big East Player of the Year honors in 2023.
Kolek also dominated the 2023 Big East Tournament, earning Most Outstanding Player honors after he averaged 18.7 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in three games.