Xavier @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 15, 2019 ) Xavier 67, Villanova 71

No. 9 Villanova earned a quality win its last time out, but the team certainly didn't have an opportunity to build on the momentum quickly. After toppling No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 21, the Wildcats finally return to the court Monday to host Xavier in the teams' Big East opener.

Villanova has won five straight games, most recently the 56-55 win over Kansas in which Jermaine Samuels hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute. "You learn lessons from playing the best teams," said coach Jay Wright, whose team begins a two-game road trip to Marquette and Creighton after taking on Xavier. The Musketeers have captured five of their last six games, most recently an eight-point triumph at TCU, and they will count on their defense again Monday. "When you go on the road, you have to have something to hang your hat on," coach Travis Steele said after the TCU game. "Our defense was really good for about 35 minutes. We made them earn almost every one of their shots."

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT XAVIER (11-2, 0-0 Big East): Tyrique Jones led the way against TCU with 18 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the campaign. Quentin Goodin added a season-high 11 assists despite totaling only four points - his lowest total since Thanksgiving. Naji Marshall (16.2 points) is the team's leading scorer, followed by Paul Scruggs (14.8), who has totaled 19 points in the last two games since scoring 30 on 13-of-19 shooting against Wake Forest on Dec. 14.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (9-2, 0-0): The Wildcats have four double-digit scorers on the season, while Samuels (9.9 points) and Cole Swider (9.5) aren't far behind. Samuels (15 points) and Collin Gillespie (12 points) were the leading scorers in the win over Kansas as Villanova won despite shooting under 35 percent from the field and 10-of-41 from 3-point range, not to mention only two attempted free throws on the afternoon. Saddiq Bey, the team's top scorer at 15.5 points per game, had just seven points and shot below 50 percent from the field for the first time since mid-November.

TIP-INS

1. The Musketeers are 9-0 when their opponents score less than 70 points.

2. Villanova won two of the three meetings last year, including an overtime win in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

3. Eleven games into the season, Samuels leads the Wildcats with 10 blocks.

PREDICTION: Villanova 79, Xavier 72