The Knicks moved up to take a ready-made college star and a Villanova “villain.”
Tyler Kolek, a 23-year-old guard, was chosen 34th on Thursday by the Knicks, who traded three other second-round picks to grab the Marquette star.
Kolek is a veteran by draft prospects standards. He played four years in college, one at George Mason, three at Marquette. He led the NCAA in assists last season while averaging 15.3 points in 31 games and shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.
His experience is a stark contrast to the Knicks’ first-round choice from Wednesday, 18-year-old wing Pacome Dadiet of France.
Relevant given the current dynamics of the Knicks roster, Kolek was mercilessly taunted by Villanova fans as he buried the Wildcats in January.
Kolek, who dropped a career-high 32 points with nine assists in that matchup, said he embraced Nova hate.
“We come on the road and they’re yelling [that] I can’t read,” Kolek told reporters after the game. “They’re yelling, ‘Where were you on January 6?’
“All this [expletive]. I love that stuff. I walk out, they’re booing me. It’s fun. It’s fun for me.
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