Villanova basketball takes on Providence at the Wells Fargo Center. Keep reading for the Villanova vs Providence prediction.
General Information:
Teams: Villanova (11-7, 4-3) and Providence (9-9, 3-4)
Tip-Off Time: 7 p.m. EST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Villanova Sports Radio Network
What to know about Providence:
Providence started the season with a 5-0 record, but as competition got more difficult, it struggled. The Friars are coming off a crushing 84-64 loss against Creighton, which snapped a two-game win streak.
Providence averages 35.4 total rebounds in conference play, ranking second in the Big East behind St. John’s (41.8). Outrebounding Villanova is the key to a Providence win.
Freshman guard Ryan Mela was named Big East Freshman of the Week after he averaged 8.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals. His performances helped lead Providence to back-to-back Big East wins.
Junior guard Jayden Pierre is averaging 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season. He has done his best to fill the role of senior guard Bryce Hopkins who tore his ACL against DePaul on Dec. 10.
The Friars are 1-7 when not playing at home. Providence’s only conference wins have come when playing at home.
Providence will have been tasked with limiting the nation’s best scorer, graduate forward Eric Dixon. If Dixon’s scoring is limited, a win is much more manageable for a struggling Friars team.
Latest on Villanova basketball:
After back-to-back losses on the road, Villanova returns home to the Wells Fargo Center. The Wildcats are 9-1 at home this season.
Graduate forward Eric Dixon is tied in 10th with Josh Hart for career points in program history (1,921 points). He will take sole possession of the 10th spot on Villanova’s all-time scoring list with a basket against Providence.
Dixon currently leads the country in scoring with 24.8 points per game. He scored 18 points in each of his last two games. Defenses like St. John’s and Xavier have attempted to limit Dixon, which seems to be working. This season, Villanova is 1-2 when Dixon scores less than 20 points.
With Dixon getting the attention of opposing defenses, other Wildcats must step up in place of him. Senior guard Wooga Poplar has done that job the best. Over the last six games, Poplar has averaged 18 points and 6.8 rebounds.
The Wildcats are averaging 41.1% from the three-point line, ranking fifth-best in the country. Dixon is 47.% on three-pointers which ranks fourth in the country and first in the Big East.
Defense is the main issue that Villanova needs to correct. KenPom currently ranks the Wildcats 169th in defensive efficiency compared to 11th in offensive efficiency.