NEW YORK (WPRI) — The Marquette Golden Eagles just earned their first-ever outright regular season title, and a big reason for that is a junior from Cumberland.
For his efforts in leading the team to a 17-3 record in the conference, Tyler Kolek was named Big East Player of the Year. The team went 25-6 overall.
“Leading up to this point, we worked really hard as a team,” Kolek said. “It’s an individual award, but it’s a team award too. We don’t get coach of the year or player of the year if we don’t win games.”
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.7 points per game and a league-leading 7.9 assists per game, which was good for second in the nation.
After playing at Cumberland High School and St. George’s School in Middletown, Kolek spent his freshman year at George Mason University where he was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year. He then transferred to Marquette.
“It’s been our relationships as a program: relationships with the players, relationships with the coaches and all the support staff that we have,” Kolek added. “That’s probably our biggest advantage as a team.”
Kolek’s parents and older brother were there Wednesday to see him receive the honor.
He’s also among the five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the top point guard in the nation.
12 Sports Director Morey Hershgordon is at Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament. Stay with 12 News for in-depth coverage on air and online.
