Marquette's Tyler Kolek, Jones Star in Win vs. Colorado, Thrill March Madness Fans
Mar 24, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 24: Tyler Kolek #11 of the Marquette Golden Eagles celebrates a basket against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Marquette held on to beat No. 10 Colorado 81-77 and advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Sunday.
This is the first time since 2013 the second-seeded Golden Eagles have punched a ticket to the regional semifinals.
Marquette led by as many as 12 points and was up eight at halftime. The Buffaloes continued to hang around in the second half and had multiple opportunities to jump ahead late.
Sophomore guard Chase Ross hit a pivotal long-range jumper to put the Golden Eagles up three and senior guard Tyler Kolek restored the advantage with a left-handed floater inside the final minute.
Kolek posted a game-high 21 points along with 11 assists for his eighth double-double of the season. Junior guard Kam Jones chipped in with 18 points and went 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Marquette's backcourt tandem drew a lot of praise on social media:
With 11 minutes left: Simpson has 16 points and six assists. Kolek has 14 points and nine assists. They're delivering.
The Buffaloes came up short despite the best efforts of junior guard KJ Simpson, who had 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists. He was the hero in the first round against Florida but couldn't replicate that magic when Colorado needed a bucket in the waning moments Sunday.
A date with No. 11 North Carolina State awaits Marquette in the next round. The Wolfpack ended Oakland's Cinderella bid in overtime on Saturday after having ousted sixth-seeded Texas Tech to open the tournament.
In terms of the draw, Marquette will have expected to get a slightly more difficult road after getting placed in the bottom half with No. 3 Kentucky. Especially after Sunday's scare, Shaka Smart's squad won't be looking past NC State.
The action tips off Friday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The 2023 men's NCAA tournament has already given us some huge upsets in the early rounds. Most notably, No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson took down No. 1 Purdue on…
Marquette Hyped by Fans as Final Four Contender after Big East Title Win vs. Xavier
Mar 12, 2023
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 11: Kam Jones #1 of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts during the first half against the Xavier Musketeers in the Big East Basketball Tournament Championship at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Marquette won its first-ever Big East tournament title with a 65-51 win over Xavier, and now fans are expecting a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
The Golden Eagles dominated Saturday's championship game from the opening tip, gaining a 20-4 advantage over the first seven minutes of the first half. The onslaught continued, with fans seeing this team as a Final Four contender or better:
Marquette looks Final Four good. This game is over. Over.
I know there's a lot of odds that change when the brackets drop, but in the right situation, Marquette is going to the Final Four. Their defense is that fluid and that good right now.
Marquette figured how to hide Tyler Kolek defensively. They locked up UConn. They're locking up Xavier. They have two terrific individual defenders. I tried to tell @r22childress and @John_Fanta last night: This team is Final Four good. I think they're listening to me now.
Tyler Kolek led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds, although the team defense was more impressive while holding Xavier to just 34.4 percent shooting from the field.
Marquette has had a great season, going 17-3 in the Big East while improving to 28-6 overall. However, few nationally had taken notice until the latest wire-to-wire dominance over a quality opponent.
After knocking off UConn in the Big East semifinals, there aren't many question marks for this squad heading into the NCAA tournament.
BracketMatrix.com projected Marquette as a No. 3 seed entering Saturday, but the squad could be a popular pick to make a deep run.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
Momentum can be a valuable weapon during March Madness. The Kansas Jayhawks won the Big 12 tournament last year and entered the men's NCAA tournament riding a…
Caleb Love, UNC Rout Marquette, Advance to Face Baylor in 2nd Round of March Madness
Mar 17, 2022
North Carolina guard Caleb Love (2) reacts to scoring, in front of Marquette forward Justin Lewis during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA men's tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
North Carolina sent Marquette packing with a lopsided 95-63 win in the first round of the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Thursday.
The eighth-seeded Tar Heels avoided suffering an opening-round exit for the second straight season. The Golden Eagles, on the other hand, have failed to reach the second round in any of their last three trips to the Big Dance.
UNC took control early and didn't look back. Marquette forward Kur Kuath put the Golden Eagles ahead 8-7 at the 16:41 mark before Carolina embarked on a 20-2 run over the next eight minutes.
The Golden Eagles couldn't get within striking distance from there.
Notable Performers
Caleb Love, G, North Carolina: 23 points, three rebounds, one assist
Brady Manek, F, North Carolina: 28 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks
Armando Bacot, F, North Carolina: 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette: 16 points, three rebounds, one steal
A Lot to 'Love' for Carolina
North Carolina might be hitting its stride at the right time. The Tar Heels closed out the regular season on a five-game winning streak, a run punctuated by an upset over Duke to spoil Mike Krzyzewski's last home game.
Carolina lost by double digits to Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament semifinal, but Hubert Davis' squad didn't suffer from any sort of hangover from that defeat.
Caleb Love's 21 points paced UNC as it built a 28-point lead at halftime.
The Tar Heels' two meetings with their most hated rival captured the dichotomy of this year's squad. That comfortable victory over the Blue Devils was preceded by a 20-point drubbing in Chapel Hill.
When North Carolina is off, the results can be ugly. When North Carolina is on, you saw what can happen Thursday.
While still unlikely given their seed, a deep run for the Tar Heels is at least looking plausible.
Marquette Has Achilles Heel Exposed
Per Sports Reference, Marquette was 324th in total rebounding percentage (47.1) and 332nd in offensive rebounding rate (22.4 percent).
What's been a glaring problem for the Golden Eagles all season played a big role in their dreadful start. North Carolina was creating a lot of second chances and denying them for their opponents because of how much they dominated the glass.
UNC is shooting just 31%, but up 21-10 because it’s rebounding 43% of its misses. pic.twitter.com/epzO7QoOKG
Shaka Smart became nationally relevant when he led VCU to the Final Four in 2011. But between now and his spells at VCU and Texas, this is the sixth straight time one of his teams lost in the round of 64.
Whatever goodwill Smart built early on with Golden Eagles fans by reaching the Big Dance might be eroding already.
What's Next?
North Carolina's reward for Thursday's win is a date with Baylor, the top seed in the East region. The reigning national champion easily dispatched Norfolk State in the first round.
Texas' Shaka Smart Agrees to Contract as New Marquette HC
Mar 26, 2021
Texas head coach Shaka Smart directs his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Ames, Iowa. Texas won 81-67. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
After his team's disappointing early exit in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Texas head coach Shaka Smart is moving on as the new head coach of Marquette, the school announced.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports first reported the news.
Marquette had an opening at head coach after firing Steve Wojciechowski on March 19 coming off a 13-14 record this season.
The Golden Eagles have made just two tournament appearances since the 2013-14 season.
For Smart's Longhorns, expectations were high going into the tournament. They were a No. 3 seed in the East Region, their highest seeding since the 2007-08 season.
Texas' hopes were quickly dashed when it was upset 53-52 by No. 14 seed Abilene Christian in the round of 64. It marked Smart's fifth consecutive tournament loss dating back to his final two years at VCU.
Following the loss to Abilene Christian, Smart's future with the Longhorns was up in the air. He still had two years remaining on his contract after signing an extension in August 2016.
Smart is 272-142 in 12 seasons as a head coach between VCU and Texas. He led the Rams to the Final Four in the 2011 tournament.
Report: Steve Wojciechowski Fired as Marquette Head Basketball Coach
Mar 19, 2021
Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski works the bench during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Steve Wojciechowski's run as head basketball coach at Marquette has come to an end after seven seasons.
Per Jeff Goodman of Stadium, the Golden Eagles parted ways with Wojciechowski on Friday coming off a 13-14 record in 2020-21.
Wojciechowski was hired at Marquette in April 2014 after former head coach Buzz Williams left the program to take over at Virginia Tech.
Prior to joining the program, Wojciechowski spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach on Mike Krzyzewski's staff at Duke. The 44-year-old played for Coach K with the Blue Devils from 1994-98, winning the National Association of Basketball Coaches Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior in 1997-98.
After a 33-32 start with no NCAA tournament appearances in his first two seasons, Wojciechowski led the Golden Eagles to the tournament twice in the next three years. They also advanced to the NIT quarterfinals during the 2017-18 season.
Marquette finished 128-95 overall with Wojciechowski as head coach but never finished higher than second in the Big East standings and failed to win an NCAA tournament game in two appearances.
Marquette Men's Basketball Team Takes Knee, Wears Black to Support Jacob Blake
Jan 5, 2021
Marquette guard D.J. Carton (21) passes the ball to Marquette guard Koby McEwen (25) in the game against Creighton during an NCAA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
The Marquette men's basketball team took a knee prior to its game against UConn on Tuesday and wore black uniforms after Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley declined to file charges against law enforcement officers involved in the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Marquette men’s basketball team took a knee prior to its game vs. UConn and wore black uniforms in support of Jacob Blake after the Kenosha County district attorney decided not to charge any of the officers involved in his shooting
The shooting sparked nationwide protests amid a year filled with demonstrations advocating for social justice, an end to systemic racism and police reform.
The men's hoops team is one of a few in Wisconsin that have demonstrated following the Blake shooting.
Of note, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for a playoff game against the Orlando Magic soon after the shooting, sparking a three-day pause in the league's postseason. The Bucks' stand led to other franchises, such as all 12 WNBA teams, to postpone play.
Police officer Rusten Sheskey, who is white, shot Blake shot seven times in the back. Blake survived but is now paralyzed from the waist down.
Todd Richmond and Michael Tarm of the Associated Press relayed comments from Graveley regarding his decision:
"Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said investigators concluded Blake was carrying a knife when police responded to a report he was trying to steal a car. Officer Rusten Sheskey said he 'feared Jacob Blake was going to stab him with the knife' as he tried to stop Blake from fleeing the scene.
"'I do not believe the state ... would be able to prove that the privilege of self-defense is not available,' Graveley said."
ESPN News Services provided a recounting of the events leading to the shooting of Blake, which was caught on video:
"The shooting occurred as officers were responding to a call from a woman who reported her boyfriend was not supposed to be around. Cellphone video shows Blake walking to the driver-side door of an SUV as officers follow with guns drawn, shouting. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, Sheskey grabs Blake's shirt from behind and opens fire. Sheskey's attorney, Brendan Matthews, said Sheskey fired because Blake started turning toward the officer while holding a knife."
The Bucks also released a statement regarding the DA's decision:
Other athletes spoke out, including Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward LeBron James.
Ex-Ohio State Guard D.J. Carton Announces Transfer to Marquette
Apr 15, 2020
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 26: D.J. Carton #3 of the Ohio State Buckeyes moves against the Northwestern Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena on January 26, 2020 in Evanston, Illinois. Ohio State defeated Northwestern 71-59. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton announced his intention to transfer to Marquette on Wednesday.
"We 100 percent support D.J. in this decision and we genuinely wish him all the best moving forward," Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. "We appreciate all he contributed to our program. We will assist him in any way we can."
Carton averaged 10.4 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game as a freshman, shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from three-point range.
Ohio State previously lost guard Luther Muhammad to an Arizona State transfer. Forward Alonzo Gaffney has also entered the transfer portal.
Carton was the No. 34 overall prospect and No. 4 point guard in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports. He will join a Marquette program that finished sixth in the Big East during the regular season before the conference and NCAA tournaments were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It's possible Carton will take over the lead-guard role occupied by Markus Howard, who was in his final year of eligibility.
As the current NCAA rules stand, Carton would have to sit out the 2020-21 season unless he is granted a hardship waiver. The NCAA is currently considering a one-time transfer rule that would waive the one-year eligibility forfeiture. If the new rule is approved, Carton would be immediately eligible.
