BROOKLYN, N.Y.. — Marcus Zegarowski became Creighton’s fourth men’s basketball player in seven years to be selected in the NBA Draft on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., when the 6-foot-2 point guard was drafted No. 49 overall by the Brooklyn Nets.
Zegarowski is the second Creighton product ever drafted by the Nets franchise, joining Kyle Korver who was picked 51st in 2003. Past players selected 49th overall in the NBA Draft include James Jones (2003) and Eddie Johnson (1977).
A Hamilton, Mass., native, Zegarowski averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 assists per game as a junior. He led the BIG EAST with 80 three-pointers and 2.76 three-pointers per game en route to First Team All-BIG EAST accolades, as well as All-District plaudits from the NABC and USBWA. Zegarowski also named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press following the season after earning Preseason First Team All-America acclaim by Basketball Times, Blue Ribbon CBB Yearbook and Stadium.
Zegarowski turned it up a notch in the postseason, earning All-Tournament Team honors after leading Creighton to a runner-up finish at the BIG EAST Tournament. He then became the first player in Creighton history to score 17+ points in each of his first three NCAA Tournament games when he carried the Bluejays to the program’s first Sweet 16 since 1974.
As a sophomore, Zegarowski was named a Second Team All-American by NBC Sports, a Third Team All-American by Stadium and an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press. He led Creighton to a share of the program’s first regular-season BIG EAST Conference title when he averaged 16.1 points and 5.0 assists per game. He became the sixth sophomore in Creighton history to score 500 or more points in a season, joining Doug McDermott, Rodney Buford, Paul Silas, Ty-Shon Alexander and Bob Harstad.
Zegarowski averaged 10.4 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game while earning unanimous All-Freshman Team accolades from the BIG EAST in 2018-19. Despite missing three games with a broken bone in his hand, he still led the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (.424).
Zegarowski played in 92 games at Creighton, starting 75 of them. He closed his Bluejay career ranked sixth in Creighton history with 215 career three-pointers made, ninth in three-point percentage (.423), 10th in assists 9389) and 22nd with 1,293 career points.
Zegarowski is Creighton’s ninth NBA Second Round pick in history, and first since 2018 when Khyri Thomas went 38th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers, only to be traded a short time later to the Detroit Pistons. Thomas became the fourth consecutive Bluejay traded on draft night, joining Justin Patton(2017), Doug McDermott (2014) and Korver (2003). Patton was part of a five-person trade that saw him join All-Star Jimmy Butler join the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the No.7 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (Lauri Markkanen), Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn. McDermott was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2014, but sent that night to the Chicago Bulls. McDermott played last season for the Indiana Pacers and will be a free agent next week. Korver, meanwhile went from the Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers on draft day in 2003.
Coached by Greg McDermott, Creighton finished the 2020-21 season with a 22-9 record, placed second in the BIG EAST Conference, and reached the program’s first Sweet 16 since 1974.
