Creighton Basketball: Maurice Watson Jr. believes Bluejays have nation’s top backcourt
Creighton basketball is set for a trip to the 2017 NCAA Tournament because of their deadly backcourt.
After winning 20 games, beating a top-10 team in Xavier in Omaha and earning a berth in the NIT in 2015-16, the Creighton Bluejays are ready to take the next step.
Related Story: What does Maurice Watson Jr. have in store for an encore?
Creighton was selected third in the Big East Preseason Poll (behind Villanova and Xavier) by fellow coaches and should be ranked in the top-25 in most national preseason polls in the coming weeks.
“(Last year’s) success helps us with our confidence,” Maurice Watson Jr. said at Big East Media Day at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. “Seeing that we controlled a lot of games that we didn’t finish puts a lot of optimism into our season.”
The main reason for the high expectations: Watson is returning for his senior season and he has a counterpart in the backcourt in Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster.
“I think it’s the best one, not one the best. The best one,” Watson said confidently when asked if their guard duo is the best in the nation.
And I don’t blame him for feeling that way.
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After finally becoming eligible as a transfer from Boston University, Watson completely changed the dynamic of Creighton’s team in 2015-16. The 5’10” point guard averaged 14.1 points, 6.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game, while shooting 48 percent overall.
He struggled with turnovers (3.3 per game) and shot just 30 percent from beyond the arc, but Watson was able to make consistent plays in transition and impact the game with his speed and quickness.
Watson feels like he is viable contender for Big East Player of the Year in 2016-17 as he continues to develop his decision making and outside jump shot.
“I definitely feel like I can win Big East Player of the Year, which goes as far as the success of our team goes,” Watson said. (That’s) why my best focus is on making sure the team is in the best shape possible. I felt like I should have been on the First Team (All-Conference) last year, which adds more fuel to the fire for this year. Demanding more perfection for myself is all that last year did for me.”
Then there’s Foster, who joins the Bluejays after a disappointing sophomore season at Kansas State back in 2014-15. The 6’3″, 210 pound junior saw his numbers drop across the board and was suspended in the beginning of February 2015 for violating team rules.
Foster went from a member of the preseason All-Big 12 First Team to nearly rock bottom, as he was dismissed from KSU at the end of the season.
I felt like I should have been on the First Team (All-Conference) last year, which adds more fuel to the fire for this year. Demanding more perfection for myself is all that last year did for me.”
Regardless of his past issues, landing in Creighton is the perfect spot. Watson has been helping Foster with his leadership skills both on and off the court and the two players have a developed a bond beyond basketball.
That connection will likely help Foster get back to the player he was in 2013-14, when he scored 15.5 points per night and was one of the top young stars in the Big 12.
“His ability to score, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Watson said about Foster. “He can shoot four-feet off the (three-point) line. He can post you up. He can go 1-on-1.
“One thing people don’t know. I call him out for my early Defensive Player of the Year. He is just relentless on defense.”
The Bluejays could use the extra offense, but they will also welcome Foster’s energy defensively. Doug McDermott’s team ranked 188th in the country in scoring defense last season, giving up 72.4 points per game, and allowed Xavier and Butler to score a combined 186 points in two games late in the year.
The better their defense is, the more transition chances the Bluejays will receive. And of course, the more fast break opportunities the Bluejays get, the more they will be able to put points on the board.
Also, Foster takes added pressure off of Watson on the offensive end. Because of Foster’s ability to break down the defense, Watson can push off the ball on occasion, find in-rhythm open jump shots and limit his turnovers.
The Bluejays are a work in progress up front following the loss of Geoffrey Groselle and continued recovery of Cole Huff from his knee injury. But one thing is for certain, their backcourt is going to be awfully difficult to match-up with.
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“Teams aren’t going to be able to match up with us on offense for sure and then our defensive level of intensity is going to be amazing,” Watson said. “Our chemistry is great and that’s what’s going to put us over the top.”