The Villanova Wildcats are in no danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, but they better get things straightened out or their national title defense will be a short one. The Cats were cruising through the Big East with wins in their first 10 league contests, but their loss to Georgetown on Wednesday was their second straight and third in four games, leaving them behind Marquette at the top of the standings. The Xavier Musketeers seek to take advantage of their struggling opponent when the teams meet on Sunday afternoon.
Villanova Wildcats at Xavier Musketeers
Date and Time: Sunday, February 24, 2019, 1:30 p.m. ET
Location: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH
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Villanova at Xavier TV Coverage: CBS
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With two national championships in the last three years, the Wildcats have been one of the most consistent programs in the country. They’ve enjoyed so much success in the Big East that those good times would eventually come to an end. And they have, at least temporarily they hope. Nova had its 10-game conference winning streak and 11-game overall run come to an end at the hands of Marquette two weeks ago, but things still looked rosy.
There was a snap back 18-point win over Providence, but the wheels came off in uncharacteristic fashion in a loss to St. John’s. The Cats surrendered a 14-point lead with 12½ minutes remaining and dropped a stunner 71-65. With the sting of that loss still fresh, the Cats were downed by the Hoyas on Wednesday, giving Nova its first two-game conference losing streak since the Big East was realigned in 2013.
Xavier has put together its longest winning streak since conference play began and can match its longest of the season with a win. The Musketeers are a confident bunch after knocking off Creighton in overtime then going on the road to beat Providence and Seton Hall. The Musketeers were an underdog in each of those games, however they ended a six-game SU and ATS slide with their current run.
Player to Watch
In today’s game it’s rare to see a team led by seniors. Maybe that’s why the Wildcats have been so good for so many years. Jay Wright gets his guys and they usually stick around. One guy that’s been around the program is Phil Booth. Not only is he a veteran leader on the club, he’s also their best player.
The fifth-year senior had an ineffective game in the loss to St. John’s and he was the first to admit it. It’s that kind of leadership that keeps teams from avoiding prolonged slumps. Booth dropped 26 on Georgetown, but a poor shooting effort was the Cats’ downfall. Booth was 10 of 22 overall and 3 of 10 from deep as they shot just 38.5 percent for the game.
Though the results weren’t there, Booth’s willingness to try and carry the team is commendable. He’s been doing it for most of the season and most of his career, and Wright is comfortable with the ball in his hands. Booth is the fourth-leading scorer in the Big East at 18.6 points per game while shooting better than 44 percent from the field.
Last Meeting
It wasn’t pretty and it could have been a sign that things weren’t going to come as easily for the Wildcats this season. They won the game, 85-75, behind 22 points from Booth and 18 from Collin Gillespie, but they let a double-digit second half lead disappear and had to hold on against the scrappy Musketeers. Nova connected on 50 percent of its shots and made 15 three-pointers to offset Xavier’s inside dominance.
The frontcourt of Tyrique Jones, Naji Marshall and Zach Hankins accounted for 48 points and 22 rebounds for Xavier. However, the Musketeers couldn’t match Nova’s bombardment of three-pointers and shot just 43.8 percent overall. Hankins scored all 12 of his points in the first half and coach Travis Steele lamented his decision to keep Hankins on the bench more in the second half.
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With an advantage down low we can expect the likes of Hankns, Marshall and Jones to produce again for Xavier. Why not, they’ve done it all season. And Nova will be without an inside presence in Cole Swider, who remains on the shelf with a busted hand. That leaves more room down low. But the Cats will lean on their senior leaders Booth and Eric Paschall to end their current slide. Booth has the potential to go off in any game and with his club looking to him for relief, expect him to deliver on the live betting lines and on the scoreboard.
College Basketball Score Prediction: Villanova 75, Xavier 67
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