Marquette's Justin Lewis making a rapid rise

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Marquette's surprise rise in the Big East coincides with the ascent of Justin Lewis.

The redshirt freshman has more than doubled his scoring average from last season and ranks among the Big East leaders in several statistical categories. He has gone from under the radar to potential NBA draft pick if he decides to turn pro this year.

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"Justin Lewis is a guy that really intrigues me," Field of 68 Media Network founder Rob Dauster said. "He’s a strong, physical, 6-foot-7 wing that has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and has really flourished playing in Shaka Smart’s open style this season. He’s got all the hallmarks of being a guy that can follow in the mold of Marquette legends like Jae Crowder or Wesley Matthews."

Marquette's Justin Lewis (10) is guarded by Connecticut's Andre Jackson in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Marquette, picked ninth in the 11-team Big East in the preseason, sits fourth in the standings and, at No. 18, has its highest AP Top 25 ranking in two years. Lewis led the Golden Eagles to a two-game season sweep of conference power Villanova and to wins in eight of its last 10 games.

Lewis, who started one game and averaged 7.8 points per game in 2020-21, is scoring a team-best 16.6 points per game. His 3-point shooting has improved from 22% last season to 35%, his free-throw shooting from 58% to 76% and his rebounding average has gone from 5.4 per game to 8.0.

"I've evolved a lot," Lewis said on the Big East Digital Network’s Shootaround. "I would say last year was a learning lesson. I learned a lot