Can Villanova basketball hand 14-ranked Cincinnati its first loss of the season?
General Information:
Teams: Villanova (4-4) and (14) Cincinnati (6-0)
Tip-Off Time: 6:30 p.m.
Watch: FS1
Listen: Villanova Sports Radio Network
What to know about Cincinnati:
The Bearcats are trying to remain unbeaten as they enter the Finneran Pavilion.
It is the first season Cincinnati ranked on the AP Poll under head coach Wes Miller. It is the best season under Miller’s tenure.
Senior guard Simas Lukosius has made a huge leap from his junior year, averaging 16.5 points. 3.2 rebounds and 4 assists through six games. Lukosius and Cincinnati are coming off a 77-59 win over Alabama State on Wednesday, Nov. 27. He dropped 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Lukosius is one of four Bearcats averaging double-digit scoring. Sophomore guard Jizzle James is averaging 13.8 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. James is only playing an average of 26 minutes.
He was shy of a double-double in the win over Alabama State, finishing with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.
Latest on Villanova basketball:
Villanova leads the all-time series 6-4, but Cincinnati has won the last three meetings. The last time the two teams met was Feb. 12, 2013. Cincinnati won, 68-50.Besides UConn and Marquette in conference play, Cincinnati is one of the only high-rated teams Villanova will face this season. If the Wildcats want any chance of keeping their at-large bid for the NCAA tournament alive, a win is crucial.
Villanova can beat any opponent it faces because of graduate forward Eric Dixon.
Dixon is easily a top 5 player in the entire country and it shows on the court. Through six games, he is averaging 25.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. As a six-foot-eight forward, Dixon is 54.3% on three-pointers.
Dixon’s average of 25.1 points per game is second in the country.
Senior guard Wooga Poplar is continuing to find his success in the Wildcat lineup. He is averaging 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists. One of Poplar’s talents is when he shoots from deep. He has been off and on from three, shooting only 31.4% on three-point attempts.
Poplar finished last season at Miami, hitting 38.5% of his three-pointers.
The first NET rankings were released and Villanova is 92nd. The Wildcats are 4-0 in quad four and 0-4 in quads one through three.