Rhode Island product Tyler Kolek practicing 5-on-5 and eyeing return for Marquette's NCAA Tournament opener

Kolek, who hails from Cumberland, R.I., and was named the Rhode Island's Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for St. George's, has missed Marquette's last six games, but Smart has expressed confidence the Associated Press All-America second-team selection would be back for the NCAA Tournament. “He has gone live, he has gone 5-on-5 up-and-down fullcourt,” Smart said Wednesday before the team left campus. Marquette went 3-3 in the games Kolek missed, with two of the losses coming to No. 1 seed UConn.