Rocket Watts Planning To Cut List This Weekend As Tom Izzo & Others Watch

Rocket Watts Planning To Cut List This Weekend As Tom Izzo & Others Watch

Mark "Rocket" Watts has the attention of Michigan State's Tom Izzo — who else is watching?

Jul 13, 2018 by Adam Zagoria
Rocket Watts Planning To Cut List This Weekend As Tom Izzo & Others Watch

AUGUSTA, Georgia — A who's who of big-time Division I coaches turned out Friday afternoon to watch Mark "Rocket" Watts of The Family Detroit at Peach Invitational.

Louisville's Luke Murray, UConn's Dan Hurley, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Michigan's John Beilein, Marquette's Steve Wojciechowski, Creighton's Greg McDermott, and Mississippi State's Ben Howland all sat in the stands. 

"I notice all them, I see them," the Detroit native said after going for 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds as The Family routed MEBO Team Hood, 87-31, in front of NBA player Rodney Hood.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Watts, who won a gold medal last month with the USA U18 team at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship, plans to cut his list soon

"I'm thinking about making a top six coming out Sunday," he said. "You'll see."

He broke down several of his top suitors:

Michigan State

"Coach Izzo, he's a great coach. He coached Cassius Winston from Michigan; that's my guy."

Louisville

"Coach Chris [Chris] Mack out of Louisville, he had a Detroit dude Edmund Sumner. I talk to them a lot."

Michigan

"Coach [John] Beilein came, he a great coach. I like his organization and style of play."

UConn

"I saw coach Hurley. He came out and I appreciate him coming."

Creighton

"Coach [Preston] Murphy; that's my guy. I talk to him every day. They got a good program up there."

Mississippi State

"Coach [Ernie Zeigler] he's from Detroit, too. The head coach coached [Russell] Westbrook and he's a great coach, too."

Moving forward, Watts plans to take some official visits "going into my senior year of high school" and isn't sure if he'll sign in the fall or spring.

"I'm really just a combo guard, some schools want me to play the one," he said. "They like my toughness and my quickness."

Craig Covington, head coach of The Family, said Watts will make an impact wherever he goes.

"People are recruiting him as a point guard, but a guard that can also score the ball," he said. "Playing with USA Basketball has really upped his point guard status. Playing under [Kansas coach Bill] Self, he taught him a little more. And he's starting to look for others now and he's more consistent with his shot because he's being more proficient, so I think he's going to be a scoring point guard in a spread-out system."


Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who runs ZAGSBLOG.com and contributes to The New York Times. Follow Adam on Twitter.