MORGAN PARK’S WATSON AIMS HIGH
After breakout summer, Mustangs’ point guard has eyes on state title
Morgan Park point guard Marcus Watson can pinpoint the moment during the Nike EYBL tournament when he thinks his game took the next step: Mustangs teammate Adam Miller had fouled out of a game.
‘‘Everyone was looking to me, so I put my head up and turned it up,’’ said Watson, who played with the Mac Irvin Fire during the summer. ‘‘I said, ‘We’ve got to get back in the game.’ We were losing by 12. We brought the team back. Everything I worked on came together.’’
Watson, a senior who committed last month to Wake Forest, had 22 assists in a game in the tournament.
‘‘I wasn’t really looking to score in that game,’’ he said. ‘‘Adam was hot that game, and the team contributed. That was a really good game.’’
Watson’s summer-league performance elevated him among the standout point guards at Morgan Park. He wants to follow in the footsteps of Mustangs stars Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Charlie Moore (DePaul), Jarrin Randall (Davenport), Marcus LoVett (St. John’s), Markee Williams (Robert Morris) and Billy Garrett (DePaul).
‘‘It feels good to be right up there with those guys,’’ said Watson, who helped Morgan Park win the Class 3A championship as a freshman in 2017, when he started in place of an injured Dosunmu. ‘‘It’s really good company to be with.
‘‘When I was in eighth grade, I’d go to some of the practices and play with Charlie Moore, Markee and Billy. Being seen at a young age inspired me to come to Morgan Park.’’
Mustangs coach Nick Irvin said Watson has earned his place among his point-guard predecessors.
‘‘He’s right there,’’ Irvin said. ‘‘From Day 1, I thought Marcus was a high-major point guard. Honestly, [he] had to figure things out — how to get everyone the ball when they need it and get everyone in the right situation. Once he figured that out, sky’s the limit.’’
Watson wanted to improve his game after Morgan Park’s stunning loss to rival Bogan in a Class 3A sectional final last season. He has a vivid memory of the game, in which he had 24 points and six rebounds, and said the team was reeling from the death of Louise Irvin, Nick Irvin’s mother.
‘‘I knew it was over when [Bogan] hit those free throws,’’ Watson said. ‘‘Then everything went black. Then I saw people cheering and celebrating and little kids crying for Morgan Park. We felt like we let them down. This year, we’re coming out and taking over everything.’’
Watson and Miller are expected to lead the Mustangs to another state title. He said he and Miller have a bond that gives them an on-court advantage.
‘‘Me knowing he was coming to Morgan Park, that bond got even closer,’’ Watson said. ‘‘It’s fun playing with him. He’s where I want to be in terms of being one of the top players in the country. We both feed off each other.’’
Watson knows Morgan Park is going to get every team’s best game because it is viewed as one of the top teams in the Public League. Young, another of those teams, will be the Mustangs’ first opponent of the 2019-20 season.
‘‘We’re going to have to feed off that and do what we do,’’ Watson said. ‘‘We’re going to fight every night because we are still feeling the pain from last season . . . . We won’t let that happen again.’’