[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Tyler Kolek
Frame: 6’3″, 195 lbs
Position: Guard
Team: Marquette Golden Eagles
2024 Draft Age: 23
Stats via www.sports-reference.com and www.barttorvik.com

 Offense

Kolek generates pressure on the rim as a crafty pick-and-roll savant who can make any type of pass. He is most dangerous driving to his left, where he finishes with floaters and scoop layups. Kolek is adept at getting his man on his back and finishing or spraying out to open shooters or cutters. He developed a dominant two-man game with his teammate and NBA Draft prospect, Oso Ighodaro, where he routinely finds him on a lob or a pocket pass from different angles for a push shot. Kolek has improved his scoring and efficiency (15.3 points per game on 60 percent true shooting). He is also a capable three-point shooter (38.8 percent on 3.9 attempts), with most off of spot ups (74.5 percent of his threes assisted). Kolek would benefit from adding a mid-range game to his repertoire to become an even more proficient scorer. He has a great touch around the rim and can finish with his right hand (58.3 percent shooting at the rim).

Sometimes, Kolek struggles to finish over length, which can lead him to second-guess some of his shots or interior passing. He always makes the extra pass and is comfortable pushing pace and getting the ball up the floor quickly (7.7 assists). Kolek is great at finding his shooters from different areas of the floor; when driving left, he can throw cross-court bullet passes to the opposite side for an open shot or to push the defense into rotation. He has an excellent feel for the game and patiently probes around the rim to find open shooters and cutters. Kolek is always on the move and often engages screens while getting downhill to his left hand. 

Kolek always keeps his dribble alive and uses spin moves and pivots to open up more shooting angles for himself and others. He has great patience and is unselfish; he knows when to push the tempo and when to slow the pace. Kolek needs to clean up the turnovers (2.9 per game); sometimes, trying to make passes into tight windows or lead his man somewhere and puts too much power on it. He has too many careless turnovers that can be avoided, like dribbling off his foot, stepping out of bounds or just losing control of the ball. Kolek does not have a quick first step and often needs a screen to get by his man; he is not much of a leaper either—with zero career dunks.

Defense

Kolek is an intelligent team defender who knows where to be and fights hard through screens. He has good hands (1.6 steals per game) and knows when to initiate a timely double to force a turnover. Kolek has a good nose for the ball and is not afraid to crash the paint for rebounds amongst the trees (4.9 rebounds per game). His stature and length (6 ‘3″ wingspan) will always make him a target on defense, so he must be surrounded by plus NBA defenders to thrive.

He can sometimes turn his back to his man when he’s playing off-ball defense, allowing them to cut for an easy basket. Kolek needs to work on lateral foot speed to stay in front of his man and not cause breakdowns. Kolek fights to keep his man in front of him, but sometimes, it is too easy for his man to finish over him. Due to his diminutive stature and limited foot speed, he is sometimes late to contest his man or on rotations, causing easy baskets for the opponent. However, Kolek is a scrappy competitor who always puts maximum effort into that end and plays within the team’s defensive scheme.

Looking Ahead

Kolek’s penetration, playmaking and shooting should translate to the next level. He led the nation in assists and will thrive next to rim-running bigs and shooters. Kolek is a true floor general that teams can utilize off the bench to run the second unit smoothly. He displays leadership and a high feel for the game, qualities any coach would love to have. Kolek can play at any pace, depending on his team’s personnel.

The First-Team All-Big East product is seasoned and should be able to contribute to a winning situation immediately. Kolek projects as a mid- to late- first-rounder—how he finishes at the rim over length, holds up on defense and shoots off the dribble will determine how good he can be as a pro.