Player Grades: Marquette vs South Florida

Vander Blue (30 pts, 6 reb, 13-2o FG ) Dare  I say, en fuego? There was just no stopping Vander in the second half. He was hitting from outside, but what stood out was his ability to get to the rim at will. Only one other Marquette player reached double figures, making his Herculean performance even more impressive. A+

Juan Anderson ( 4 pts, 5 reb, 1 blk ) The skinny sheriff was his active self, hitting the glass and disrupting passing lanes defensively. He didn’t hit his patented 3 from the top of the arc, but did go 2-4 from the field. B-

Chris Otule (4 pts, 4 blk, 2 reb) Chris opened the game with back to back dunks to pace Marquette’s quick start and was very active on defense tallying a career-high four blocks. Otule is finally starting to gain full mobility, a much welcome for the interior defense. A

Junior Cadougan (2 pt, 6 ast, 2 reb) Junior had a quiet game offensively, hitting only one of five shots, but did a decent job distributing the ball and limiting himself to only two turnovers . B-

Trent Lockett (10 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast) His turnovers are still troublesome, as he racked up four more today, but his hustle is unparalleled. He crashed the boards  harder than anyone and grabbed a team high eight rebounds. Lockett may not be the prettiest player to watch, but Buzz has been having difficulties sitting him for any extended  period of time. B

Davante Gardner (4 pts, 3 reb, 2 blk ) Davante’s elbow swing didn’t just cost him an ejection tonigt, it may cost him Sunday’s game at No. 12 Louisville. No matter what his stat line was before that, leaving the team shorthanded draws an automatic failing grade. F

Steve Taylor (6 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl) Taylor has found  his place on this squad and no longer looks like a lost puppy. His jumper looks smooth and has been going in with more regularity. Tonight, he had  a nice 15-footer and grabbed some tough rebounds. The future is definitely bright. A-

Derrick Wilson (3 pts, 2 To) A very uncharacteristic game from Derrick. He hit his first 3-pointer as a Golden Eagle but also had two turnovers. USF’s  length bothered him on the perimeter, and he wasn’t able to create much offense. C

Jamil Wilson (0 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast) It seemed as if Jamil was turning the corner this season, but here he is putting up another bagel. He played 8 minutes less than Anderson and one less than Steve. He needs to be more aggressive, end of story. D

Todd Mayo (1 reb, 1 TO) Todd finally saw the court after getting a DNP-CD on Saturday, but his minutes were limited. It is not clear whether an injury is to blame or he is in Buzz’ doghouse.  The way Vander was playing tonight, there wasn’t much for Mayo to do anyways. D

Jamal Ferguson- Made it in for the final minute. NA 

Jake Thomas– Saw walk-on treatment, getting in for the final 52 seconds. NA

Dylan Flood– Saw game time for first time during a Big East game. NA