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It was a sight that no fan of the Marquette men’s basketball team wanted to see, especially with the postseason on the horizon.
Point guard Tyler Kolek, the reigning Big East player of the year and a preseason first-team All-American, exited the Golden Eagles’ 91-69 victory over Providence on Wednesday night because of an oblique injury.
Here is what we know about the injury to the 6-foot-3 senior guard.
When did Tyler Kolek get hurt against Providence?
The initial injury seemed to happen just before the 16-minute mark of the second half. Kolek took a pass from Stevie Mitchell and drove to the baseline on the left side of the court. Kolek made a spin move and then tossed a cross-court pass to Kam Jones.
After the delivery, Kolek grabbed at his left side.
He stayed in the game, even drawing two defenders and notching an assist on a three-pointer by Ben Gold. On defense, Kolek could be seen holding his left side.
Kolek remained in the game after the under-16 minute media timeout, but was clearly grabbing his left side while guarding Providence’s Corey Floyd Jr. He bent over several times during a deadball like he was trying to stretch it out.
After an offensive foul by the Friars’ Josh Oduro, Kolek asked to be subbed out of the game.
Kolek walked into the tunnel behind MU’s bench to be examined by senior associate athletic trainer Kenny Wilka.
Kolek was back on the bench a few minutes later, standing and clapping when teammates David Joplin and Tre Norman made tough baskets.
Kolek checked back in with 12:44 remaining when Providence called a timeout. He stayed in for only 12 seconds, however. While dribbling up the floor, he threw a left-handed pass to Oso Ighodaro that caused some clear discomfort.
After Ighodaro’s shot was blocked out of bounds, Kolek threw in the inbound pass. Joplin got fouled, and Kolek exited the game.
Kolek had a brief discussion with head coach Shaka Smart, again pointing to his left side.
Kolek went to the MU locker room with the training staff and didn’t return to the game, though he was back on the bench in the final few minutes.
More: Tyler Kolek gives an unfiltered look at how Marquette got through rough patch in season
What is an oblique?
Obliques are muscles that run diagonally across a person’s trunk. There are two on each side of the abdomen. The externals go from the hipbone to the ribs and spine, and the internals go from the hip to ribs. Internal obliques are the ones most often strained.
“Both of them do rotation of the spine or the trunk and side-bend of the trunk,” David Leigh, a former clinical associate professor of exercise science at Marquette, told the Journal Sentinel in 2018. “So think if you’re going to go over here to reach for something, those muscles are going to work.”
More: His dad was Little East player of the year in 1987. Marquette’s Tyler Kolek could earn the same honor in the Big East this season.
How will the oblique injury affect Tyler Kolek?
Oblique injuries are most common in baseball, with the body torque required to throw and hit.
Kolek is left-handed and the injury is on his left side. While he uses both hands during games, most of his shots and passes come with his left hand.
Kolek is one of the most creative passers in college basketball, and throws them from a variety of angles. He leads the nation in assists at 7.6 per game. Last week, he set the MU record for assists in a game with 18 against DePaul.
More: Marquette’s Tyler Kolek knows he shot poorly last year. Here’s what he’s doing to change.
How long do oblique injuries last?
The recovery varies wildly with the severity of the strain. The injuries often linger because obliques are used in almost every human activity, including walking and breathing.
Treatment is usually limited to rest.
“You hurt your shoulder, you can put it in a sling for a while. You rest it,” Leigh told the Journal Sentinel in 2018. “There’s really no way to splint your trunk.”
What is Tyler Kolek’s injury history?
Kolek has suffered an unfortunately timed injury before during his time at MU.
In MU’s victory over Vermont in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 64 last season, he had his left thumb caught in an opponent’s jersey. Kolek had to wear a brace in MU’s loss to Michigan State in the second round.
This season, Kolek fought through a nasty ankle injury suffered against Rider on Nov. 10. He played the next game against Illinois and scored 24 points.
In the first half against Providence, Kolek was hit in his left eye while chasing a loose ball. With blood trickling down his face, he knocked down a three-pointer before leaving the game for a few minutes.
