Providence @ Villanova preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 5, 2019 ) Villanova 65, Providence 59

For the first time this season, Villanova has to rebound from a Big East loss. The 13th-ranked Wildcats look to bounce back from a rare defeat Wednesday when they host Providence.

The Wildcats won their first 10 league games and gave Marquette all it could handle on Saturday before falling 66-65 in an exciting Big East matchup. Senior standouts Phil Booth and Eric Paschall combined for 36 points, but the rest of the team managed just 29 points on 10-of-28 shooting. Providence topped St. John's its last time out as Alpha Diallo had 10 points and 15 rebounds to help the team snap a three-game slide. Providence trailed 43-25 at halftime in the first matchup with Villanova and came on strong before falling 65-59 on Jan. 5.

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

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (14-10, 4-7 Big East): Nate Watson led the Friars with 18 points versus St. John's, nearly matching his total (19) from the previous three games combined. Diallo's double-double was his seventh of the season - an impressive total for a 6-7 guard who leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game. A.J. Reeves averages 11.1 points but has been a non-factor over the last four games, shooting a combined 5-of-23 for 13 total points.

ABOUT VILLANOVA (19-5, 10-1): The Wildcats depend heavily on Booth and Paschall, who average more than 35 points between them, and the duo also has combined for 117 3-pointers on the season. They aren't the only 3-point threats on the team, however, as Collin Gillespie shoots over 40 percent from the arc and had made multiple 3s in eight straight games before going 1-of-6 against Marquette. Freshman Saddiq Bey also has heated up over his last seven games, going 14-of-31 from the arc (45.2 percent) while scoring in double figures in five of his last six outings.

TIP-INS

1. Booth is 4-of-22 from 3-point land over the last three games.

2. Providence lost the first matchup by only six despite shooting poorly from the field (34.5 percent), the 3-point line (6-of-25) and the foul line (13-of-25).

3. In his last 10 games, Providence G Maliek White is shooting 10-of-48 from the field (20.8 percent).

PREDICTION: Villanova 81, Providence 60