Delaware @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 22, 2015 ) Delaware 48, Villanova 78

After a week off, No. 20 Villanova will look to shake off any rust Saturday when it faces Delaware as part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, N.J. Wildcats coach Jay Wright, who has won two of the last four national championships, views the time off as a positive for his young team.

"This will be good for us," Wright said. "We've gone through a really tough stretch here, and we really haven't had a chance to practice. Now, we'll get a gap where we can work on some things. And it's always good when you can work on it after a win." Villanova has not played since defeating rival Saint Joseph's by 12 points last Saturday, when Saddiq Bey and Collin Gillespie combined for 42 points and the Wildcats pulled away late for the victory. "We had a lot of tough games like this last year that helped us out," Bey said. "These games help you mature." The Blue Hens could be a tough opponent, as they captured their first nine games before falling at George Washington 66-56 last weekend.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT DELAWARE (9-1): The nine straight wins to open a season were a school record for Delaware, which is already more than halfway to last season's win total of 17. Nate Darling leads the team in scoring at 21.3 points per game, but he had his worst game of the campaign against GW (12 points on 3-of-14 shooting), and he is just 3-of-13 from long range over the last two games. Collin Goss was a bright spot against the Colonials with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and he leads all Delaware regulars in shooting percentage (56.1) while averaging 7.8 points per game.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (7-2): Bey had 22 points and nine rebounds against Saint Joseph's and has 49 points over his last two games, not to mention a seven-game streak of shooting at least 50 percent from the field. Gillespie chipped in 20 points - his second-highest mark of the season - and improved to 12-of-12 from the foul line over the last two contests. Freshman Justin Moore continued his stretch of good play of late, as he scored 14 against the Hawks and is averaging 18.7 points over the last three outings since going scoreless in a 26-minute run against Baylor.

TIP-INS

1. Every Villanova game has been decided by at least nine points.

2. For the first time this season against Saint Joe's, Villanova F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl did not commit a turnover.

3. Delaware G Ryan Allen has one offensive rebound in 312 minutes this season.

PREDICTION: Villanova 73, Delaware 62