Darius Carter’s finest game as a Shocker is his last
It’s a moment that can only happen in a loss, which makes it difficult to embrace.
With 20 seconds to go in Wichita State’s 81-70 loss to Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, WSU forward Darius Carter, along with fellow senior Tekele Cotton, was removed from the game.
His final game.
Carter went through the motions. He half-hugged coach Gregg Marshall, who patted Carter on the back as he passed by. He followed the same half-hearted routine with WSU assistant coaches and his teammates.
Those weren’t the greetings Carter normally would have received, or given, following a 22-point, eight-rebound performance. It certainly wasn’t the welcoming Carter would have seen if his career night led to a victory.
“It’s just tough we had to go down like this,” Carter said. “It’s been a great run with this team. They’ll always be my brothers. There’s always love.”
Carter had his best game in a WSU uniform and can’t build on it.
A transfer from Vincennes, a two-year college in Indiana, Carter didn’t reach 22 points and eight rebounds in the same game for WSU until Thursday. The Akron, Ohio, native did it close to his hometown in front of family and friends.
Not the worst way to go out.
“I’m just happy they got to see me one last time,” Carter said.
The 6-foot-7 Carter, plagued by early fouls throughout the season, picked up two in the first half, a situation so perilous that Marshall didn’t allow Carter to start the second half, opting instead for junior Bush Wamukota.
“I had two fouls in the first half and he didn’t want me (in),” Carter said. “We were starting the second half on defense and he didn’t want me to catch a quick foul, so he didn’t start me in the second half.”
The decision backfired as Wamukota drew an offensive foul away from the ball on a possession that could have helped WSU complete its rally from a 13-point deficit more quickly.
Carter immediately returned and asserted himself just as promptly. He scored to cut Notre Dame’s lead 37-34. Ninety seconds later, Carter finished off a 6-0 Shockers run that gave them their only lead of the game, 38-37.
Notre Dame scored the next six points and Carter’s offense, though still present, became less and less impactful. His basket with 15:07 to go and free throws with 12:17 to go served only as delays of the inevitable.
“We just wanted to battle,” WSU junior guard Fred VanVleet said. “Try to keep battling throughout the game, just keep running them off, but they were pretty hot, knocking down shots.”
Carter avoided foul trouble in the second half, allowing him to reach 20 points for the third time in his career, in a game in which most of his teammates couldn’t offer as much offensively.
Leading the Shockers in scoring and rebounding in many games wasn’t an overreaching idea for Carter as he began the season as WSU’s only experienced post player. He managed that feat five times season, including Thursday.
He settles for a legacy as a player not ideal for the role of true center, an inconsistent scorer whose ups-and-downs were almost always caused by foul trouble. His legacy in the locker room goes beyond that.
“A great guy, a great teammate,” WSU junior Evan Wessel said. “You loved being around him, and he did whatever it took to win.”
Carter said he never thought about the end of his career as the seconds ticked away on Friday. He scored WSU’s final points, a three-pointer with 37 seconds to go.
Now Carter has at least a couple days more than he wants to think about the end of his career, or to get a redo on those hugs.
“It’s been a great journey with these guys,” Carter said. “I love everybody on this team. It’s just tough right now. I’m just trying to get over it. (I’ll remember) the brotherhood. Everybody showed love to everybody no matter what was going on. These will be my brothers for life. I’ve never been on a team that’s this close, on and off the court.
“I’ll love them forever.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Darius Carter’s finest game as a Shocker is his last."