Senior guard Tyler Kolek and senior forward Oso Ighodaro of the Marquette University men’s basketball program were selected 34th and 40th, respectively, in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday afternoon.
The Kolek selection was made as a proposed trade with the New York Knicks, who now own the rights to the pick. Ighodaro’s pick was made as part of a proposed trade with the Phoenix Suns, as he returns to his home state.
MU had 58 players previously selected in the NBA Draft, beginning with Gene Berce (New York) in 1948. The most recent pick prior to Thursday was Olivier-Maxence Prosper in 2023, who was selected 24th overall by the Sacramento Kings before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Prosper appeared in 40 games for the Mavericks during the team’s run to the NBA Finals.
Marquette had two players selected in the same draft for the first time since 2012 (Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom).
A two-time Consensus Second Team All-America selection (one of three back-to-back selections in school history) and BIG EAST Player of the Year as a junior, Kolek concluded his career second all-time at Marquette in assists (697) and led the nation in assists per game (7.7) in 2023-24. He helped lead Marquette to three-straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 last year.
Ighodaro earned Second Team All-BIG EAST Conference accolades his final two seasons and was named the BIG EAST Scholar-Athletes of the Year and Academic All-America Second Team last year. He led the team in rebounding in each of his final two seasons and finished as the program’s leader in career field goal percentage (62.4 percent).
Kolek and Ighodaro join former Marquette players Jimmy Butler (Miami), Jamal Cain (Miami), Jae Crowder (Milwaukee) and Wesley Matthews (Atlanta) currently active in the NBA ranks. Doc Rivers, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, is also a Marquette alum.
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