Marquette @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2020 ) Villanova 60, Marquette 71

What Villanova hoped would be its latest memorable season is falling apart in a hurry. The No. 16 Wildcats hope to avoid a fourth straight Big East loss Wednesday when they host 22nd-ranked Marquette, whose season is heading in the opposite direction.

Villanova rebounded from a January loss to Marquette to win seven games in a row, but a home loss to Creighton, a defeat at Butler and a home setback against Seton Hall have left the team searching for answers. "They just played better than us; we didn't play poorly," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the loss to Seton Hall. "We have to play better to beat one of the best teams in the country." Marquette, meanwhile, has lost only once since facing Villanova - and that defeat came at Butler, in overtime. The team avenged that loss by defeating Butler at home its last time out, after which coach Steve Wojciechowski said: "I'm proud of our guys that they were able to take what we did on the practice floor and translate it into a game situation against just a terrific, terrific team."

TIME: 8:30 p.m. ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT MARQUETTE (17-6, 7-4 Big East): Markus Howard led the way with 17 points versus Butler, but that was a very quiet night for the nation's leading scorer at 27.4 points per game, including performances of 38, 40, 42 and 51 this season. Koby McEwen chipped in 16 points last game - his fifth straight outing in double figures - and matched a season high with four 3-pointers versus the Bulldogs. Brendan Bailey also added 16 points after shooting 4-of-15 for a combined 10 points in the previous two games, and he also knocked down four 3-pointers to support Howard on an off-shooting night.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (17-6, 7-4): Saddiq Bey continued his solid sophomore season against Seton Hall with 22 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range, but Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl combined to shoot 8-of-29 from the field. After making eight 3-pointers over the last three games, Gillespie shot 0-of-5 from the arc against Seton Hall - his first game without a 3-pointer all season. Robinson-Earl is shooting 6-of-28 in the last three games -- 0-of-6 from the 3-point line -- although he did register 14 rebounds versus Seton Hall for his seventh double-digit rebound game in the last 11 outings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Howard has made at least three 3-pointers in 13 of the last 14 games.

2. Gillespie has committed more than one turnover only once in the last eight games.

3. McEwen is 22-of-26 from the foul line in the last three games.

PREDICTION: Villanova 74, Marquette 73