Marquette vs Villanova injury report and predictions, March 14: Latest on Tyler Kolek, Nnanna Njoku and more

The Marquette Golden Eagles (23-8, 14-6 Big East) take on the Villanova Wildcats (18-14, 10-10) in the Big East Tournament quarterfinal round on Thursday night. This contest begins at 9:30 p.m. EST on FS1 from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.

The Golden Eagles are the third seed and will open the tournament against the sixth-seeded Wildcats. Marquette concluded its regular season as the 10th-ranked team in the nation but went 1-2 in its final three games of the regular season. The Wildcats narrowly defeated DePaul 58-57 in the tournament's opening round to advance to the quarterfinal.

Both teams enter this contest with a couple of injuries, with one of Marquette's stars remaining on the injury report before this matchup. Here is the latest on the injuries for both teams ahead of their meeting in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.

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Marquette vs. Villanova injuries

Tyler Kolek, Marquette

Marquette's second-leading scorer this season, Tyler Kolek, will miss tonight's matchup against Villanova with an oblique injury. The Golden Eagles are hoping to get Kolek back in time for the beginning of the NCAA Tournament next week.

On Wednesday, coach Shaka Smart stated Kolek would sit out at least the first three games of the Big East Tournament, but they plan for him to return next week for the NCAA Tournament.

"He practiced for part of our session today, and he's been working out and continues to get treatment," Smart said. "The plan is absolutely for him to play next week, and he's made really good progress."

Kolek's oblique injury occurred in a game against Providence on Feb. 28. He would be forced out of action for the final three games of the Golden Eagles' season, as they went 1-3 in his absence.

The senior guard is Marquette's second-leading scorer this season, averaging 15 points per game. His 7.6 assists per game this season is also enough to lead the nation in that category.

Sean Jones, Marquette

A torn ACL injury in January forced sophomore guard Sean Jones to miss the remainder of this season. Jones played in 16 games off the bench this season for the Golden Eagles, averaging 5.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Nnanna Njoku, Villanova

Junior forward Nnanna Njoku is out indefinitely after undergoing successful surgery on his right knee in January. It is unknown if Njoku will be available to return this season, as this could potentially be the final game of the season for the Wildcats if they fail to advance or earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova coach Kyle Neptune spoke on Njoku's injury in January:

"We're disappointed for Nnanna, who made an impact inside for us earlier this season before this issue arose. We know that Nnanna will bring a great attitude to his recovery and continue to support his teammates with tremendous energy and passion."

Njoku played in 11 total games for the Wildcats this season, recording nine total points and 21 rebounds.

Trey Patterson, Villanova

Junior forward Trey Patterson is out indefinitely after having successful surgery in July to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Patterson has played three seasons with the Wildcats but has struggled to stay healthy during that time.

Coach Kyle Neptune offered the team's sympathy for Patterson's struggles with injury, saying:

"It's been a difficult stretch of significant injuries for Trey. In my years of coaching I can't recall a player having to undergo three different major surgeries in 11 months. We all feel for Trey and have a tremendous respect for the great attitude he has maintained throughout this. We look forward to the day when Trey can rejoin us on the court."

Patterson has played in 40 total games for Villanova and averages 0.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.2 assists.

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Marquette vs. Villanova prediction

This matchup will be the Big East Tournament opener for Marquette and the second game for Villanova, who defeated DePaul in the first round. The season series between these two teams belongs to the Golden Eagles, who are 2-0 against the Wildcats.

The Golden Eagles defeated the Wildcats 87-74 in their first matchup of the season, behind 22 points from leading scorer Kam Jones. Villanova sophomore guard Mark Armstrong put in a game-high 24 points on five for nine shooting from beyond the arc. But his effort was not enough for a Villanova team that turned the ball over 12 times in that game, compared to Marquette's three turnovers.

The second matchup between these two teams finished closer than the first. After trailing at the half, Villanova charged back with a strong second half and received 24 points each from leading scorer Eric Dixon and TJ Bamba. However, The Golden Eagles emerged victorious again behind a game-high 32-point outburst from Tyler Kolek.

Marquette will miss Kolek's scoring ability in this game. He averaged 26.5 points, 10.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds in two games against Villanova this season. The Golden Eagles must dig deep into their lineup to compensate for Kolek's absence. If they fail to do that, they could easily be on upset alert against a Villanova team fighting for an NCAA Tournament spot.

Prediction: VILL 71, MARQ 67

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