Marquette star Tyler Kolek claps back at viral fake reports with savage "I can read" caption announcing graduation

Marquette Golden Eagles star Tyler Kolek has had a stellar season and declared for the 2024 NBA draft in early April. He was also one of the 78 players invited to the NBA draft combine, which tipped off on Sunday.

A few months ago, Marquette coach Shaka Smart posted a graphic of 11 of his players who had a GPA of 3.4 and above, and Kolek was not on the list. This led to the escalation of rumors among college hoops fans that he was failing, giving birth to "can't read" jibes. The speculation reached tenfold when a post by an apparent NFL "reporter" on X went viral.

After graduating, Tyler Kolek harkened back to the speculation about his academic status by posting pictures of himself in his graduation gown.

"I can read," Kolek wrote.

Tyler Kolek embraces the speculation about his grades

After the speculation about his grades went viral on various social media platforms, Tyler Kolek was subjected to relentless mocking, with away fans chanting about his grades during Marquette games.

It was not the first time that Tyler Kolek addressed the speculation about his academics. After the Marquette Golden Eagles beat the Villanova Wildcats during the regular season, he embraced the crowd chanting about the issue during his postgame news conference.

"I mean all the crowds chanting all this stuff about me 'I can't read' all this other stuff, I love it," Kolek said. "I'm just out here, playing for my guys, playing for my coaches and doing what I do."

Tyler Kolek's rising draft status

Of the 78 players invited for the NBA draft combine, Tyler Kolek had one of the best seasons, and in a draft class that has been described as weak by many analysts and fans, he is trending toward being a first-round pick.

Before he was the 2023 Big East Player of the Year at Marquette, Kolek was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year during his freshman year with George Mason.

He averaged 15.3 points on 49.6% shooting from the floor and 38.8% shooting from beyond the arc, 4.9 assists and 7.7 rebounds last season.

CBS Sports draft analyst Kyle Boone projected Kolek to be drafted in the first round, No. 21 overall, by the New Orleans Pelicans. In Kolek's draft report, Boone had high praise for the Marquette star.

"This might be earlier than some expect for Kolek, but he was the best player not named Zach Edey this season in college basketball when healthy. Love his competitive edge and swagger he plays with, and his shooting and passing have dramatically improved during his time at Marquette," the CBS report stated.

It would be a remarkable rise for Tyler Kolek were he to be picked in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft after his humble beginnings as a player for the George Mason Patriots.