Texas Rio Grande Valley @ Creighton preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 19, 2014 ) Texas Rio Grande Valley 60, Creighton 75

Less than 10 games into his sophomore season, Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski has gone from not appearing on any of the All-Big East preseason teams to a player ESPN analyst Jay Bilas recently compared to former Wichita State standout and current NBA player Fred Van Vleet. The dynamic sophomore guard sets his sights on an encore to the best performance of his brief college career Friday when the Bluejays host Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

Zegarowski left his fingerprints all over Creighton's 95-76 victory against Nebraska last weekend, finishing with 30 points, a career-high nine rebounds and a season-high tying six assists -- becoming the first Division I player to hit to those marks in the same game this season and the first Bluejay to do so since at least 1979-80. “He’s a heck of a player. (He scores) from all three levels. He can hit the 3, he’s a very good finisher around the rim and he can hit the mid-range pull-up shot," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters afterward. Zegarowski (team-high marks of 19.2 points and 4.4 assists) announced his presence on the national stage eight days earlier with a career-high 32-point effort in an 83-76 overtime win over then-No. 12 Texas Tech in the consolation game of the Las Vegas Invitational. The Vaqueros have won three of four since a 1-4 start, but their only victory against a Division I program this season came in double overtime against Sam Houston State on Dec. 3.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT TEXAS-RIO GRAND VALLEY (4-5): Lesley Varner II (12.3 points, team-high 7.0 rebounds) proved to be the difference in the marathon win over the Bearkats, setting career highs with 33 points and 13 rebounds while tying another personal best with five steals. The 6-7 senior took a bit of a back seat to Quinton Johnson in last Friday's 92-50 rout of NAIA foe Mid-America Christian University as the freshman guard erupted for a season-high 20 points in 20 minutes, scoring eight fewer points than he had in previous six contests combined. Jordan Jackson (team-high 16.2 points) has been the Vaqueros' most consistent offensive threat this season, scoring at least 13 points in every game since managing only four in the season opener.

ABOUT CREIGHTON (7-2): Making Zegarowski's season all the more impressive is that he is shooting 64.1 percent inside the arc and on pace to become the first Bluejay since Vernon Moore in 1984-85 to average at least 15 points and 3.5 assists. Ty-Shon Alexander (16.6 points, team-high 5.9 boards) has knocked down at least four 3-pointers five times this season and leads the team with 27, allowing him to join Kyle Korver as the only Creighton players with at least that many triples through nine games in multiple seasons. Fellow guard Mitch Ballock (12.7 points), who is tied with Zegarowski for second on the team with 26 3-pointers, became the first Bluejay since 2010 to hit three 3-pointers and block three shots in the same game versus the Cornhuskers.

TIP-INS

1. Creighton has won 29 consecutive Friday home games since dropping a 75-71 decision to North Texas on Dec. 12, 1975.

2. Texas-Rio Grande Valley has scored 79 points or more in all four of its victories but has averaged 58.4 points in its five losses.

3. In the win over Nebraska, Zegarowski became the first Division I player in 10 years to post 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists without attempting a free throw.

PREDICTION: Creighton 83, Texas-Rio Grande Valley 62