There was a real moment last night when I saw all the good will Marquette had rebuilt after the Butler loss start to dissipate, as Villanova’s run just would not stop and a 20-point lead was looking likely to be a double digit loss. Marquette had just given up a 14-0 run, going 8 straight possessions without a bucket, and the offense continued to find no seams or good looks as MU went down by 4.
And then Kolek happened.
Following a fortunate foul on a Chase Ross 3-pointer, here are the next 6 possessions.
Kolek 3
Kolek 3
Jop 3 (Kolek Assist)
Kolek 3
Kolek 3
And thus Marquette found itself up 7, back in control of the game with a muted crowd and momentum well in hand.
It wasn’t just that Kolek put up historic stats like that (more on that in a moment), it was that he took over the game at a time when not doing so could have changed the trajectory not only of the game, but of the season. It was as clutch a performance as I can remember and will be a night I won’t soon forget.
Here’s the highlight package for those that may have missed it.
The Villain
I will also note that Kolek’s performance was made that much sweeter because he was hearing it from the Nova student section all night, chanting “airball” and “you can’t read” audibly enough for the telecast to clearly pick up. Kolek played into it, cupping his ear and taunting the crowd with shh’s after his makes.
Nove poked the bear. The bear ate them whole.
Big East History
Kolek’s final stat line (32 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds) is gaudy enough to not need context, but the context just makes it that much better.
Stat man Chris Altruda did some additional digging and found that this stat line has only been matched twice by Big East players since 1997.
Some of these statline cherrypicking hunts can get a bit too technical, I admit, but this doesn’t feel like that. Kolek made his presence felt in every aspect of the way.
Down year?
It’s understandable how the narrative on Tyler has gotten to the point where he is not even mentioned in Big East Player of the Year candidates. Oso has been unreal, Kolek has gone quiet at times, there hasn’t been another leveling up. I’ve been just as guilty of it.
But last night was a good reminder that Marquette still has the best PG in the country when it all clicks. You don’t need (or want) Kolek to have to do this every night, but the fact he can do so was a great reminder to everyone of how elite he is.
In fact, something I’ve been tracking all season is points created on Synergy, which quantifies how much assists are worth in terms of points as well as adding in passes that lead to free throws.
And by this measure, he hasn’t just been the best player in the Big East, he’s been on another level compared to more nationally recognized names like Tristen Newton and Trey Alexander.
He’s up to 419 passing points this season, and that’s with MU’s shooting touch missing from 3 this season. His value to Marquette is just so absurdly large.
Synergy has him at 57 points created last night, the most he’s had this season, and 67% of Marquette’s total points scored. Again, just an incredible night and numbers that are hard to even fathom.
Reactions
And because I’m a sucker for Tweets, a few more from last night that captured the spirit.
Paint Touches 
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