Syracuse 55, Marquette 39: Player grades

Junior Cadougan: It was tough to watch Marquette’s senior point guard go out the way he did, but simply put he couldn’t stay in front of Michael Carter-Williams, and shot just 1-of-8 with two assists and three turnovers on offense. Marquette went as Cadougan went all season, and tonight that meant an ugly loss and the end of the season. GRADE: D

Vander Blue: For NBA scouts whose ears may have perked up when hearing of Blue’s first two NCAA Tournament game performances, they were all but washed away by a 3-of-15 performance tonight. Blue was 1-of-6 inside the arc, being overmatched by the lengthy Syracuse interior. Worse, he made just 2-of-9 3-point attempts and turned it over four times. Still, he made it to the free throw line seven times (six makes) and grabbed five rebounds. GRADE: C+

Trent Lockett: Marquette’s other senior was magnificent the first five minutes of the game, crashing the boards, playing solid defense and playing within the game. But Lockett never improved, finishing the game scoreless on 0-of-3 from the field with four rebounds. He disappeared. GRADE: C-

Juan Anderson: Marquette’s fifth starter wasn’t bad in five minutes, grabbing two rebounds, nabbing a steal and committing one foul. His progression this offseason will be key for a team losing Lockett. GRADE: B

Chris Otule: If this was Otule’s last game in a Marquette uniform, he goes out in impressive fashion. The fifth-year senior grabbed six rebounds, blocked two shots and made his only field goal attempt in 27 minutes. Outside of Gardner’s offense, Otule’s defense was the best takeaway from this game: GRADE: B+

Davante Gardner: Plugging in Gardner’s offense late in the first half was crucial, as he scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting to close Syracuse’s halftime gap. The only problem was he went 2-of-5 in the second half, scoring just five points–the last of which was a 3-pointer in the closing seconds. Gardner didn’t stand a chance against James Southerland, as his defensive limitations were exploited. He was good, but not great. GRADE: B

Jamil Wilson: Wilson just couldn’t get anything going in the middle of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone like he did back in February at home. Wilson made 1-of-9 shots and grabbed five rebounds, but he was a non-factor against the Orange’s length. He really came on strong late in the year and has some incredible momentum heading into his senior season. GRADE: C-

Todd Mayo: Who knows if Saturday was the last time we’ll see Mayo in a Marquette uniform? If it was, he didn’t go out with a bang. Williams, as we expected, inserted Mayo into the game late to try and spark the offense, but it backfired. He wound up missing all five of his shots–0-of-4 from beyond the arc–and his defense was nothing to write home about in what can only be described as a less-than-stellar performance. GRADE: D

Derrick Wilson: Cadougan’s spell played 10 minutes, missed both of his shot attempts and committed two fouls, both hand-checks on Michael Carter-Williams. He didn’t play poor, but Marquette needed some more offensive punch from him tonight and it didn’t come. GRADE: C

Steve Taylor: One minute, one offensive rebound. Needs to improve his defensive intensity if he wants to log minutes. He will.

Jake Thomas: Two minutes of Club Trillion in his last game on scholarship.

Jamal Ferguson: DNP-CD

Dylan Flood: DNP-CD