Creighton Freshman Big Man Justin Patton Declares for NBA Draft
Justin Patton, the 7-foot Creighton freshman big
Justin Patton, the 7-foot Creighton freshman big
NEW YORK -- Creighton big man Justin Patton
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bond has been
By ERIC OLSON OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Katin
Creighton senior guard Maurice Watson Jr. tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Monday’s 72-67 win at No. 22 Xavier, head coach Greg McDermott confirmed Tuesday.
Watson, the nation’s 2016-17 leader with 162 overall assists and 8.5 assists per game, also leads the nation’s active players with 801 career assists. He is ranked ninth in Creighton history with 391 assists. The Philadelphia, Pa., native spent the first two years of his college career at Boston University.
“We are sorry to learn of the severity of Maurice’s injury, but are thankful for his contributions since joining the Bluejay program three years ago,” McDermott said. “Our team will regroup, and we have a lot of young men who are capable of stepping up to fill the void in Maurice’s absence. Maurice’s leadership role on our team will continue to be huge part of our success.”
NEW YORK — Only one school was smart enough to offer a scholarship to Justin Patton out of Omaha (NE) North High School: Creighton.
Now the 7-foot, 230-pound redshirt freshman is a potential NBA lottery pick.
DraftExpress.com ranks Patton as the No. 33 prospect in 2017, ahead of names like N.C. State’s Omer Yurtseven and Duke’s Marques Bolden. He’s currently projected as the No. 12 pick in the 2018 Draft.
“He’s getting better every day,” one NBA scout said of Patton. “He’s only a freshman whose body needs to improve.”
“The sky is the limit, he has tremendous upside,” a second scout said.
