Tyler Kolek needed March Madness success. He got it when Marquette beat Colorado to reach Sweet 16

INDIANAPOLIS - There was a moment over the summer when Tyler Kolek was sitting on a moped outside of the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee and chatting amiably with a visitor.

There was some talk about legacy and, suddenly, one of the best point guards in college basketball got a faraway look in his eyes. Kolek said he wanted to be remembered as one of the best players in MU history, but he was told that he had to come through in the NCAA Tournament.

Kolek will now be written about as a program legend, possibly with some bigger chapters to come.

Kolek, a consensus All-American, had two double-doubles in NCAA Tournament victories this week at Gainbridge Field House. The 6-foot-3 guard had 21 points and 11 assists in second-seeded MU's 81-77 victory over 10th-seeded Colorado on Sunday that sent the Golden Eagles to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

"It's not something I really reflect on because I'm still in the moment," Kolek said in the cramped locker room. "We're still winning games.

"We got more to come. My legacy isn't a closed book. It's not already finished. Just trying to continue to do things that this program hasn't done in a long time is our goal."

Shaka Smart's program breaks through to face North Carolina State in Sweet 16

It has been a steady build to this moment.

Shaka Smart took over MU in April 2021. He got the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Tournament in the first season, but they were blown out by North Carolina in the first round. MU swept the Big East conference regular-season and tournament titles last season, but was upset by Michigan State in the NCAA second round.

MU returned so much talent that this season felt like the breakthrough. The Golden Eagles have been ranked in the top 10 most of the season, but have battled injuries throughout the roster, including the six games that Kolek missed with an oblique injury just before the NCAA Tournament.

"Any time you get to the Sweet 16 is sweet," said guard Kam Jones, who scored 46 points over the first two rounds. "We've never been here. I would say I guess that's the reason (it's sweet). We've never been here before."

Smart pared his rotation down to seven players against Colorado State, all players who were part of the devastated locker room last season in Columbus, Ohio, when the Golden Eagles were eliminated by Michigan State.

"We've been through a lot as a group together, really 90-some percent of the things we've been through have been very positive, but you tend to remember some of the hard times, as well," Smart said. "The loss to Michigan State, Tyler's injury, Chase (Ross) was banged up this year all year long, Sean Jones tearing his ACL.

"We've had some adversity. But guys have never wavered in terms of their belief in our playing and our way, and they stayed connected with one another. Relationships is our No. 1 advantage, and that's just something that we believe in, and I think it won us the game today."

Chase Ross came through off the bench against Colorado

NCAA Tournament games provide opportunities for role players to etch themselves into program lore.

MU sophomore guard Chase Ross didn't score against Western Kentucky in the first round. But MU wouldn't have beaten Colorado without him.

Ross is playing through a left-leg contusion, and he also missed five games with a dislocated shoulder.

He racked up 26 minutes against Colorado, in part because Jones battled foul trouble. Ross came through with 12 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

His big moment came with 2 minutes and 53 minutes remaining when he nailed a three-pointer off a pass from Kolek that broke a 74-74 tie.

"Coach always preaches eff-it shooting," Ross said. "So when I got it, it was eff it, and it went in."

Marquette moving on to Dallas' American Airlines Center in Sweet 16

Ross hails from the Dallas area. The Golden Eagles are headed there this week to face North Carolina State on Friday at the American Airlines Center.

"It means a lot," Ross said. "But still want more than that. Dallas is not the last stop for me."

That was the consensus in MU's locker room. The Golden Eagles needed to bust through the wall to the Sweet 16. But they know they have the opportunity to elevate themselves further in the storied history of MU basketball.

"We've been saying all year that the national championship is our goal," MU big man Oso Ighodaro said. "That's a step toward that.

"The history part is nice. But even more than that, it's another step to our goal."