Creighton’s Mo Watson leaves game with apparent knee injury

Mo Watson was carried off the court in the first half of Creighton’s game at Xavier.

Late in the first half of the Creighton Blue Jays’ Big East matchup against the Xavier Musketeers, point guard Maurice “Mo” Watson Jr. was carried off the court with an apparent knee injury after landing awkwardly on a layup attempt. It was his second knee issue of the game.

The second one is the scarier of the two. Non-contact injuries are infamous for being major ones. Reports afterwards suggested as much:

If Watson is right and he’s set to miss the remainder of the season, it will have massive ramifications. The senior is the most important piece of a Creighton offense that ranks sixth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Watson is averaging 17.2 points and 11.2 assists per 40 minutes this season and his high usage, high assist role is what makes the Blue Jays’ offense tick. His effect is felt across the board as Creighton has been 13 points per 100 possessions worse offensively without him on the floor this season:

The Blue Jays’ offense will seemingly be forced to adjust to life without Watson. The most likely change will be a larger role for junior Marcus Foster. The former Kansas State transfer has largely succeeded playing off the ball for Creighton this season, but while he was with the Wildcats, he played a much bigger role as a primary ballhandler. The concern, of course, is that Foster isn’t the same facilitator that Watson has been for the Blue Jays.

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Watson’s injury appears to be a significant development in the race for the Big East title and for Creighton’s chances at making a Final Four. If the Blue Jays want to have any hope of making it to Phoenix, those responsibilities will likely fall on the shoulders of Foster to step into a larger role.