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Syracuse center Baye Moussa Keita answers reporters questions at the NCAA tournament in Buffalo.

(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. — He sat quietly on a bench in the Syracuse locker room, his knee brace folded beside him.

Baye Moussa Keita played his final game in an Orange uniform last Saturday. His Syracuse team lost to Dayton 55-53, relinquishing its chance to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. And for Keita, the senior center, the moment marked the end of his college basketball career.

"The four years have been great," he said. "Every year there was something great that I could remember. I will never forget. And it's kind of a little bit sad, knowing that this was my last game here. Kind of just overwhelming right now."

People have asked, in the ensuing days, whether Keita was sidelined by injury on Saturday, whether the knee that he injured earlier in the season had flared or whether a different affliction (his foot?) bothered him.

Keita played a total of three minutes in the game, his shortest outing since the two minutes he played on Feb. 19 vs. Boston College, when he returned from his two-game knee injury sabbatical.

"No," he said when asked if he was physically unable to perform. "I was just sitting there waiting for my name to be called and just go ahead in and play."

Keita will be missed in Syracuse. A friendly, buoyant personality, he was/is a fixture at sporting events around campus and supports various causes in the community. He made special efforts to mentor younger players struggling with the transition from star to bench player. SU named an award after him this season.