Marquette's Tyler Kolek to miss at least final 2 games of regular season with abdominal injury

Updated Mar. 4, 2024 2:59 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Marquette guard Tyler Kolek will miss at least the final two games of the regular season as the 2022-23 Big East player of the year recovers from an oblique injury.

The abdominal injury already caused Kolek to miss Marquette’s 89-75 loss at Creighton on Saturday. Marquette was ranked fifth and Creighton 12th at the time.

Marquette announced Monday that Kolek won’t play when the eighth-ranked Golden Eagles (22-6, 13-4 Big East) host No. 2 UConn on Wednesay and visit Xavier on Saturday. He'll be re-evaluated before the start of next week’s Big East Tournament in New York.

Kolek hurt his oblique during a 91-69 victory over Providence on Wednesday. He told coach Shaka Smart that he made a pass, twisted his body and felt it. He left the game early in the second half, returned briefly and then left again for good.

Kolek was named an Associated Press All-America third-team selection last season as he led Marquette to the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. He hurt his thumb in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that season and played through it as Marquette fell to Michigan State in the round of 32.

He was named an AP All-America preseason selection this season. He leads all Division I players with 7.6 assists per game and averages 15 points and 4.7 rebounds.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball