Villanova remains the class of the Big East even after the conference reshuffling. The Wildcats have won nine in a row overall and 22 straight in the conference, though they tried their best to give the game away in the final seconds of a 72-71 victory over Seton Hall on Wednesday.
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HOW THE PROVIDENCE FRIARS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Opponents can slow down Providence leading scorer Kris Dunn, but they can’t stop him. That’s why some consider him the best point guard in the Big East and possibly the country. He had just three points with three fouls after the first half of Tuesday’s game, but when it mattered most, the Friars’ star came through.
Dunn drained a three-pointer from the top of the key with just over a minute left and it proved to be the dagger in PC’s win over Butler which snapped a three-game home losing streak.
To be successful on the road against league-leading and No. 4 ranked Villanova, the Friars will need to find the bottom of the net from distance. In their last four games the Friars are an abysmal 18 for 88 from three-point range. Still, coach Ed Cooley says he isn’t going to deter his players from tossing up triples.
Though the Friars 42.1 percent shooting from the field left something to be desired, it was better than it’s been lately. And at the end of the day, in a difficult Big East conference that boasts four top-25 teams, Cooley was delighted to walk away with a W. He hopes his team can stay locked in for Saturday’s showdown with Villanova.
HOW THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
On Dec. 19 Villanova lost to Virginia by 11 points. It was the Wildcats’ second defeat in three games. At the time some speculated Villanova might not be one of the Big East’s top teams.
One month later and the Wildcats are back to where they’ve been for the better part of the past two seasons: the clear-cut favorite in the Big East, dominating foes at home and pulling out scrappy wins in tough road environments. Villanova improved to 7-0 in league play and has a two-game lead in the loss column over four teams, including Providence.
Villanova teams always launch a ton of threes and early on they simply weren’t making them. Since league play started, the Wildcats have heated up from behind the arc and they connected on 10 of 19 triples against Seton Hall, which proved to be the difference in a one-point game.
Even when the threes weren’t falling, Villanova was efficient on offense. Their spacing is good and the Wildcats are able to connect on 60 percent of their two-point field goals. Nearly all of their non-threes come at the rim or at the foul line, and that shot selection has paid dividends. Given their collective three-point shooting slump, there is plenty of room to improve.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
For the first time this season Villanova will play in its home away from home when they host the Friars at the Wells Fargo Center. It’s not the cozy on campus Pavillion where the Wildcats have a nice home court advantage, but the things teams do for money and television. This could mean and edge for the visitors, since both teams are playing on the court for the first time. Or, maybe not. As usual, Villanova is an outstanding defensive team and that’s masked some of their shooting woes this season. But the Wildcats were on fire Wednesday, connecting on 52.6 percent from distance while holding off the Pirates on the road. We’ve seen what a Villanova team clicking on all cylinders can do. The Wildcats annihilated Xavier on New Year’s Eve, carving up the Musketeers for 95 points while connecting on 13 of 25 three-pointers. Providence just doesn’t have enough firepower to keep up and it’s easy to see the Wildcats extending their dominance in the conference.
Villanova 77, Providence 68
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