Tyler Kolek will he help put an end to the little curse of the best passers in the NCAA? Since 2000, only four of them have managed to establish themselves in the NBA, with a Lonzo Ball – Trae Young – Ja Morant sequence between 2017 and 2019. But none has the same journey as Tyler Kolek, who reached the end of his career. four academic years between George Mason and Marquette. With the Golden Eagles, the 23-year-old has continued to progress from season to season, broadening his range as a distributor, while developing his scoring skills.
Profile
Job : leader
Size : 1m86
Weight : 89 kg
Team : Marquette Golden Eagles (NCAA)
Stats 2023/24: 15.3 points (at 49.6%), 4.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists in 33 minutes
Strong points
– The vision of the game. A total conductor, Tyler Kolek excels in managing the pick-and-roll, both through the passing angles that his left paw is capable of offering, and through managing the tempo to serve his interior. His 18 assists against DePaul in February set a historic record for Marquette University. His good ratio of assists to lost balls (2.9) despite a large volume of possessions in hand seems to be a guarantee at the highest level.
– Finisher qualities. Altruistic by nature, he is also dangerous in his attack on the basket thanks to his technique and a strong upper body (60% shooting at circle level). His very serious shooting percentage (38.8% at 3-points) makes his quality on pick-and-roll all the more dangerous, under penalty of being sanctioned from afar. However, he is much better on pass reception (in the three best percentages in the Effective Field Goal Percentage, the shooting percentage correlated to the type of shot attempted), only in the least skillful quarter when exiting the dribble.
Weakness
– Defense. Rather small, Tyler Kolek suffers in one-on-one situations against taller leaders who have a better wingspan than him. When moving, his tenacity and intelligence allow him to limit damage, particularly when reading screens. The more marked athletic dimension in the NBA, especially among the leaders, risks being a serious milestone to overcome.
Comparison
A Jalen Brunson of the poor by his ability to finish near the circle despite a reduced size and contacts, or a TJ McConnell from the rich thanks to a much better shot and the same composure, especially at the end of the match, all with the passer dimension securing more than flashy Tyus Jones.
Prognosis
Between 20th and 30th place. Tyler Kolek seems to have convinced this season that he can produce credible minutes in the NBA thanks to his progress during his schooling at Marquette. His physical limitations should, however, confine him to a modest role in rotation.
