Ja Morant has been a relative unknown for the casual basketball fan. Yeah, his name has popped up as the No. 2 overall pick on draft boards for months, but only the most dedicated of NBA draft and college basketball fans have seen Morant play beyond his highlights.
There simply were not many opportunities to watch the Ohio Valley’s Murray State play this season.
Thursday’s NCAA tournament game against No. 5 seed Marquette was meant to be that national breakout moment for Morant, and the sophomore guard did not disappoint.
He took on Marquette star Markus Howard and wowed basketball fans with a triple-double performance in an 83-64 win. He was doing it all. There were dunks.
There were passes.
And he showed off his range with a James Harden-esque step-back.
It was the perfect showing for Morant who basically solidified himself as the best prospect not named Zion Williamson. NBA fans certainly enjoyed watching him play.
He finished with 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds. First impressions don’t get any better than that.
