WASHINGTON — Michael Carter-Williams leaned forward, wearing his black East Region champions hat backward, as he sat in front of his locker and tried to put Syracuse’s Elite Eight victory over Marquette into words.

He spoke about toughness and heart, two qualities once seemingly lacking from this Orange team that carried it past a Golden Eagles squad that defines itself as tough. The 6-foot-6 point guard said Syracuse is a tough team that does all the “little things” now.

Carter-Williams embodied those qualities better than anyone on Saturday.

“I try to do all the little things, get some rebounds and push the ball out and get some easy shots,” Carter-Williams said, “and do anything to get us to win.”

Carter-Williams played with unmatched intensity on every possession to lift Syracuse to the Final Four with a 55-39 victory over Marquette at the Verizon Center. He skied above the other nine players on the court to collect a team-high eight rebounds, knifed through the MU defense for 12 points and found his teammates for six assists. The brilliant performance, paired with his 24-point outburst to lead SU past Indiana on Thursday, earned Carter-Williams Most Outstanding Player honors in the East Region.

“I think Michael Carter‑Williams, over the last couple of weeks, may be playing the best he’s ever played,” Marquette head coach Buzz Williams said. “And that says a lot because he’s always been really good.”

He was the difference-maker at both ends of the floor from the start.

His first highlight came 45 seconds into the game, when he pinned Marquette forward Juan Anderson’s breakaway layup on the glass. His next came nearly three minutes later as he soared above his Marquette counterparts to snatch a defensive rebound with his outstretched right arm before flying up the floor and banking a shot in off of the glass.

Then, he showed off his court vision, attacking a gap in the MU zone and threading the defense with a pass that resulted in a vicious two-handed slam by forward C.J. Fair. His long reach tipped away a Jamil Wilson pass and led to a transition 3-pointer for Brandon Triche.

Following Carter-Williams’ lead, Syracuse jumped out to a nine-point lead in the opening 10 minutes.

“Michael’s been unbelievable, not only this tournament, but the whole year,” SU forward James Southerland said. “For a guy who hasn’t been playing at all his freshman year, to come in this year and be one of the best players and be one of the best leaders in the country, it means a lot.”

Carter-Williams stayed locked in all half and handled everything Marquette threw his way. When MU guards Junior Cadougan and Derrick Wilson picked him up full-court, he beat them time and again.

And when Syracuse was in dire need of another jolt when its 12-point lead melted to three with just minutes remaining before the break, the point guard made a play.

Carter-Williams darted to his right, directly toward Southerland, who was parked beyond the arc. He dropped a pass off behind him to the forward and continued his momentum to set a screen for the sharpshooter.

Southerland nailed it. The lead was back to six. Carter-Williams sprinted down the court, giving a fist-pump and glaring ahead as he set up on defense. His next pass, with nine seconds before halftime, went through Trevor Cooney’s hands and set Carter-Williams off in a temper tantrum that head coach Jim Boeheim tried to defuse heading to the locker room.

On a team whose passion was questioned during its late-season funk, Carter-Williams was setting the tone in the biggest game of the season.

“People said, ‘Oh, we don’t have any heart and this and that,’” Carter-Williams said. “We took that real personal, especially me because I’m so competitive.”

Every rebound and hard drive to the basket mirrored that trait. With a Final Four trip on the line, Carter-Williams was living and dying with every possession.

“Mike is the most competitive guy that I know,” Triche said. “He competes every play, literally – even when he’s tired.”

Carter-Williams didn’t let loose until he danced his way down the court after his 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, punctuating the victory and his brilliant two-game run in Washington, D.C.

Two nights earlier, where Carter-Williams now sat with his championship gear, he leaned back with two large bags of ice taped around his knees and put the Orange’s upset of top-ranked Indiana into perspective.

He called Syracuse a different team, one flying high with confidence. On Saturday, with Carter-Williams leading the way, he and his teammates played the part and earned a trip to Atlanta.

Any questions about the Orange’s toughness and heart had been answered.

Said Carter-Williams: “We ante’d up and we’re just amazing right now.”

Published on March 30, 2013 at 11:09 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu