Just the first week into March Madness and records are already being made. The Marquette Golden Eagles recently faced Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in their first match of the NCAA tournament. While Marquette registered an 87-69 win, Tyler Kolek had a moment of major recognition in the match. Former Golden Eagles star-turned-NBA icon Dwyane Wade was quick to acknowledge this historic moment.

Kolek became only the 2nd player from the Golden Eagles to get 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a game since assists became official in 1984. Dwyane Wade re-shared this historic achievement on an Instagram story, thus approving of the 22-year-old player’s entry into the exclusive bracket. “@dwyanewade 🤝 @tyler_kolek”, he wrote. Kolek scored 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists!

Notably, ‘The Flash’ is the only player from Marquette to have achieved a feat similar to this one before Kolek. It is a major coincidence that the Miami Heat icon, too, had achieved this against Kentucky in a match played on March 29, 2003! He registered 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, leading Marquette to a 83-69 win against Hilltoppers. Now, with their win over Western Kentucky, the Golden Eagles have advanced to the next round of the 2024 NCAA tournament. When did they last win a championship?

It is worth mentioning they’ve not won the championship since 1977. Averaging a clinical 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists that season, D-Wade had led the team to the Final Four in 2003, but they were ousted by Kansas Jayhawks. Embarrassingly, after bottling a 19-point lead! It will be interesting to witness if Tyler can achieve what Wade could not at Marquette. 

Dwyane Wade and Tyler Kolek at the Golden Eagles: What do the stats say?

In his 96 games played till the 2023-24 season, Tyler has averaged 11.4 points per game, registering 7.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. On the other hand, Wade played 65 games for Marquette in two seasons. He averaged 19.7 points per game along with 3.9 assists, and 6.5 rebounds. Wade has a statistical edge over Kolek in terms of contributions. However, Tyler has more awards as compared to Wade.

This can be attributed to the 22-year-old player having a longer run than his predecessor. Considering Tyler’s latest achievement, following in the footsteps of Dwyane Wade, the experience seems to be coming in handy. This may well be a turning point. Without a doubt, it will be a long road for Kolek to even come close to The Flash’s achievements. However, it’s important to remember that the man with 3x NBA Championships, a retired jersey, and an upcoming statue, once carried a private school to its 1st Final Four in 26 years.

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The point is that everyone starts locally. Can Tyler Kolek break an almost 47-year dry spell at the Marquette Golden Eagles? What do you think are the odds of that happening? Let us know your favorites to win the 2024 NCAA tournament.  

Who Is NCAA’s Tyler Kolek? An In-Depth Analysis of Why 22 YO Baller Might Become the Next Big Thing