Creighton @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 13, 2019 ) Villanova 90, Creighton 78

With 10 straight wins and a perfect 9-0 mark in Big East play, No. 13 Villanova is starting to look more and more like a March Madness threat. The defending national champions look to continue their run of hot play Wednesday when they host Creighton.

Back-to-back losses in mid-December feel like an eternity ago for the Wildcats, who have three straight wins by double figures and sit alone in first place in the Big East. "I want to see how far we can take this ride," coach Jay Wright told reporters after last weekend's win over Georgetown. Collin Gillespie scored a career-high 30 points in that contest and will seek an encore performance against a Creighton team that gives up 76.4 points on average (tied for 287th nationally). However, the Bluejays are coming off a strong defensive effort in a 76-54 triumph against Xavier as they forced 19 turnovers and held the Musketeers to 7-of-24 shooting from 3-point range.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT CREIGHTON (13-9, 4-5 Big East): Martin Krampelj matched his career high with 23 points in the win over Xavier, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line in a smooth overall performance. Over the last three games, Krampelj is 20-of-28 from the floor while averaging 17.7 points, raising his season mark to 12.0. The team's top scorer on the season is Ty-Shon Alexander (17.0), who scored a season-low seven points versus Xavier while attempting only eight shots in 34 minutes.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (18-4, 9-0): The Wildcats have relied heavily on Phil Booth (18.5 points) and Eric Paschall (17.4), as their senior stars have combined for 111 3-pointers on the season. Gillespie (12.1 points) has emerged as a solid third option on offense and enters this matchup shooting 51 percent from beyond the arc over the last six games. Freshman Saddiq Bey had scored in double figures in three straight games before going scoreless in 21 foul-plagued minutes versus Georgetown.

TIP-INS

1. Villanova won at Creighton 90-78 last month as Booth registered 28 points and Paschall had 21.

2. In the last two games, Paschall is 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

3. Creighton G Marcus Zegarowski (hand) is questionable for Wednesday's clash.

PREDICTION: Villanova 82, Creighton 77