Grading out the 2008 Marquette Golden Eagles: Wings

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Butler struggled mightily to start the year, looking lost on offense and slow on defense. The peak of his struggles came in the Villanova game late in the season when he fouled out playing very lazy defense. He also missed his only shot from the field.

His performance against the now-Final Four bound Wildcats also prompted me to write “The Case for Jimmy Butler,” where I compared his performance this year against other players on the bench, as well as his month-by-month progression. Well, he sure made me look good by exploding over the next two months to become one of Marquette’s key rotation players and first man off the bench.

He played extremely scrappy basketball, cleaning up the boards and being on the receiving end of McNeal's and Matthews' drives to the hoop. His defense improved and he seemed to get faster as he got more comfortable while in the game.

Every game, he would do something to show his improvement and got better as time went on. A 19-point performance against Villanova in the Big East Tournament capped off a great season in which he went 13-16 from the free throw line.

On the year, he shot 76 percent from the stripe and 51 percent from the field.

Next year, he will be a key ingredient to a very young Marquette team. While he might not start, expect him to log 25 minutes a game and come in during key stretches in the game. If he can improve his jump shot he will be able to contribute at three positions (2, 3, and the 4).

GRADE: B-

Joe Fulce, 1.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists

Fulce showed a lot of promise early in the year before an injury sidelined him for quite some time. Despite big minutes in the Providence win, he did not get enough experience early in the year to crack the rotation.

Next year, he will get more of a chance if he is able to stay healthy, and should be in the rotation as Buzz Williams goes deep into his lineup. 

GRADE: D-

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