By: Liam Blutman
The Creighton Blue Jays are having an outstanding season as they sit at 22-6 and are competing for the Big East regular season title. Despite the fact this team is ranked in the top ten, they aren’t receiving much love or attention. Everybody seems to be neglecting them and labelling them as an overrated team. Which, hey, you are entitled to your own opinion and all, but at least hear me out on this. The Blue Jays have the next elite guard in the Big East, in fact I think he’s already a top five point guard in the country…
Say hello to, Marcus Zegarowski. The sophomore is averaging 16.1 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 3.7 RPG. He’s been sensational for the Blue Jays and only going to get better. Marcus is quick and crafty, a threat to score from anywhere on the floor and he’s a good passer who uses great basketball IQ to make big plays and he takes care of the ball. Marcus knows the big moment too and thrives in the clutch. As an example, he sealed the win for Creighton against Texas Tech in Las Vegas with an array of dribble moves on isolation leading to a filthy fake spin and an easy fade-away J over the late defender. Those were just two of his 32 points that night as he was 12/18 from the floor and added five dimes in 43 minutes of action. Against Providence in Omaha, Zegarowski casually pulled up from three and cashed out with two seconds left in a tie game to silence the Friars. He had a monster performance against Nebraska this season when he totaled 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. He shot 13/19 from the field. This kid just scored 25 against Butler, was 7/7 from deep and 9/12 from the field overall… Crazy. He’s shooting 48.1% and he’s hitting at a 40.6% clip from three. The 6’2” guard can finish, he’s 63.6% at the rim and for reference, Devon Dotson is finishing at 63.4% at the rim and he’s considered one of the best guards in the country. On any other 2-pointer, Zegarowski hits at a 44.4% clip and he’s 40-90. However, Dotson is 16-62 on any other 2-pointer, that’s a shockingly low % of 25.8%. From deep, Marcus is making 40.6% of his threes and Devon is making just 30.4% of his threes. So, don’t tell me I’m crazy for thinking Marcus Zegarowski is a top five PG in the country, he is. Marcus has a usage rating of 24.1 and an O-Rating of 109.5. I definitely expect that O-Rating to increase in the next few seasons.
I love the Big East and love seeing their stars. What’s great is, the majority of the stars in this conference actually stay and play for multiple seasons at their school. Marcus Zegarowski is next in line as he’ll win the Big East Player of the Year one day and be remembered by Creighton fans forever. For now, he’s trying to help lead the Blue Jays to a deep NCAA Tournament run while many ponder where Creighton even is. As the great Jon Rothstein has said many times… “Omaha. Somewhere in Middle America.”
