Creighton Basketball: What does Mo Watson Jr. have in store for an encore?

Is Creighton basketball’s point guard, Mo Watson, ready to lead the Bluejays to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17?

Since Doug McDermott graduated from Creighton following the 2014 season, the Bluejays haven’t had consistent success and haven’t reached the NCAA Tournament.

Things are likely to change in 2016-17, as Creighton has their most talented squad in two years and are projected to be the third best team in a solid Big East Conference.

Why are expectations soaring high for Creighton this upcoming year? For one, they add Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster, who should provide value scoring in the back court. They also return numerous players, including sharp shooter Isaiah Zierden, Cole Huff and Toby Hegner, amongst others.

But that’s not the main reason for the potential jump up the Big East standings.

It’s the presence of Maurice Watson Jr.

The senior point guard played two seasons at Boston University before transferring to Creighton following the 2013-14 season. Watson sat out a year, but had a profound impact on the Bluejays team last season.

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Watson was not only the best player on Creighton’s team and the leader of the pack, but he developed into one of the best point guards in the entire Big East. In fact, heading into this year, Watson is arguably the top lead guard in the conference (Jalen Brunson and Edmond Sumner will have something to say about that) and is a member of one of the elite 1-2 backcourt punches in the nation.

The 5’10” Philadelphia, PA native averaged 14.1 points, 6.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. He shot 48 percent from the field, 30 percent from downtown and 71 percent from the free throw line. Watson led Creighton to victories over Xavier at home (32 points, seven rebounds and five assists), Seton Hall (on the road) and Butler (at home).

Most impressively, Watson’s speed and quickness was critical for Creighton’s offensive attack. He created easy buckets in transition, beat defenders with his quick first step and attacked the lane out of pick-and-roll situations.

Watson can score the basketball (his ability to finish at the rim is impressive for his size), but even more importantly, he makes all his teammates better. He impacts the game with every dribble, using his vision and feel for the game to make the proper play on offense.

While he needs to cut down his turnovers (3.3 per game), Watson proved that he is one of the more valuable players to his team in the entire country.

So what’s Watson have in store for an encore?

Because there’s room for improvement, Watson will be even better in 2016-17. The point guard is a true competitor who always has a chip on his shoulder. To think that he won’t be more consistent from beyond the arc, limit his giveaways, and slow the game down when the pace is getting too quick for the Bluejays to handle, would be discounting the strides he’s made since he started his college career.

He’s unlikely to become an NBA player, however, he has the chance to put a stamp on his college career with a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Next: Three burning questions for Arizona

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Creighton Basketball: What does Maurice Watson Jr. have in store for an encore?

By Carmine Carcieri | Sep 11, 2016

Is Creighton basketball’s point guard, Mo Watson, ready to lead the Bluejays to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17?

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