Creighton @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 7, 2020 ) Villanova 64, Creighton 59

Dominating the Big East once again this season, No. 10 Villanova takes aim at its eighth straight win Saturday when it hosts Creighton. The Wildcats pounded St. John's 79-59 in their last game and enter the weekend trailing only 8-0 Seton Hall in the league standings.

"That was a good performance by us," Wildcats coach Jay Wright said after the win over the Red Storm. "I was really proud of how we defended. I was proud of how we handled their pressure." Creighton has won its last three games, topping Providence, DePaul and Xavier - the last two by double-digits - to move into fourth place in the league standings. “You can trust them, and from a coaching perspective, that’s when you want in your team,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “You kind of want to know what’s going to happen.” Villanova took the first matchup this season, 64-59, in a low-scoring game last month to snap the Bluejays' 15-game home winning streak.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT CREIGHTON (16-5, 5-3 Big East): Creighton shot only 3-of-14 from 3-point range in the first matchup with Ty-Shon Alexander going 0-of-5 as part of a 2-of-10 overall shooting performance. Alexander managed only eight points in that one but since has scored 18, 14, 24, 12 and 24 points over his previous five outings (although his shooting percentages have not been impressive of late). Mitch Ballock made 4-of-8 3-pointers for 14 points against Xavier and has knocked down 19 3s over his last five games.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (17-3, 7-1): Saddiq Bey had 23 points to lead the way against St. John's and paces the team in scoring at 15.3 points, just ahead of Collin Gillespie (15.2 points). Freshman forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is inching toward averaging a double-double, as his season totals sit at 11.3 points and 9.7 rebounds, and he is seeking his seventh straight game in double-figure scoring. Gillespie, a 6-3 guard, has set a season high in rebounds in each of the last two games, grabbing eight in a win over Providence and then pulling down 13 boards in the victory over St. John's.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Creighton plays three of its next four on the road, beginning with this contest. Meanwhile, Villanova has three of four at home starting Saturday before embarking on a three-game road trip.

2. The Wildcats hope that F Jermaine Samuels, who injured an ankle two games ago and missed the St. John's contest, will be available Saturday.

3. In Villanova's last four games, the team has allowed 55, 61, 60 and 59 points.

PREDICTION: Villanova 74, Creighton 70