INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Before Marquette men’s basketball’s open practice Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, senior guard Tyler Kolek spoke about his oblique injury for the first time.

Kolek — who suffered the injury Feb. 28 and has missed the last six games for the Golden Eagles — said he suffered a grade 2 oblique strain.

“It was a three-to-four-week injury, so we’re still kind of on the front end of it a little bit. But I made great progress. The doctors really took care of me. I did everything that I could to get back,” Kolek said. “That first night and first day — it’s basically a core muscle injury, you don’t realize how everything you do is your core.”

“Me and Kam (Jones), we were in class the next day on Thursday, and he had to grab my arm and help me out of the chair. I couldn’t really even stand up. That morning I got in the car, I couldn’t even reach out to really shut the door of the car.

“It was definitely a struggle the first week just trying to even get up out of bed, sit up, just little things like that kind of throws you all out of whack. You’re using more your back and then that gets out of whack. I’m just thankful for the trainers and coaching staff, and I’m ready to go.”

Kolek said he has been practicing this entire week.

“I feel good. I feel confident,” he said. “At this point in the season, nobody is 100 percent. Everybody is battling through something. Just got to put the straps on and battle up again.”

Before the team left for the tournament, head coach Shaka Smart said he was on track to return in the tournament as scheduled, and Kolek is slated to play.

“He has gone live,” Smart said at a media availability Wednesday. “He has gone five-on-five. Up and down, full court. He has done a lot of good things. At the same time, he’s coming back to playing after being off for three weeks. So there’s a re-acclimation period.”

This article was written by Jack Albright. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @JackAlbrightMU.