La Salle @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2018 ) Villanova 85, La Salle 78

No. 21 Villanova did not capture the championship at the Myrtle Beach Invitational, but coach Jay Wright left the event with a positive impression of his team. The Wildcats are back on the court Sunday when they host La Salle in a Big 5 matchup.

The Big 5 is an annual round-robin between Philadelphia area teams -- Villanova and La Salle, as well as Penn, Temple and Saint Joseph's. This is the first Big 5 matchup of the year for the Wildcats, while the Explorers already have lost to Penn and Temple. The Wildcats lost to Baylor 87-78 in the Myrtle Beach title game despite 27 points from Collin Gillespie. "We got better here," Wright said before leaving South Carolina. "We improved each game. I think Baylor is a really good team. We saw how much better we have to get to be at that level."

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, FS1

ABOUT LA SALLE (4-2): La Salle actually is 4-0 against non-Philadelphia schools, including a pair of overtime wins and a two-point victory over Wright State, so nothing has come easy to this point. Isiah Deas led the way with 21 points in an overtime win over South Alabama the last time out, while Ed Croswell chipped in 18 points and 12 rebounds. The performance by Deas raised his scoring average to 10.0 points per game, making him the Explorers' only double-digit scorer on the season, while Croswell (9.7 with a team-high 7.3 rebounds) isn't far behind.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (4-2): The Wildcats' starters had 60 points against Baylor - nearly half of which came from Gillespie, who has shot at least 50 percent from the field in three straight games. Sadiq Bey had a quality all-around game versus Baylor with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Freshman forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (13.8 points) has had double-digit rebounds in three straight games and is averaging a team-high 9.8 boards on the year.

TIP-INS

1. La Salle is averaging 16.2 turnovers per game. Villanova turns it over just 11.8 times per contest.

2. Villanova F Cole Swider is 2-of-12 from 3-point range in the last two games after making multiple 3s in each of the first four games.

3. Villanova plays three straight Big 5 games beginning with Sunday's contest. The team hosts Penn on Wednesday and then visits Saint Joseph's next weekend.

PREDICTION: Villanova 89, La Salle 62