When Xavier meets Villanova on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, the winner will move into sole possession of fifth place in the Big East and gain some stability for a narrowing postseason path.
Rather than playing on campus, the teams will have the Wells Fargo Center — home of the NBA’s 76ers and the NHL’s Flyers — to themselves while most of the city gets ready for the Eagles’ appearance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday evening.
The basketball game may be overshadowed by football, but it’s crucial for Villanova (13-10, 6-6 Big East), which can’t afford more bad losses in the final eight games of the regular season. The Wildcats had dropped five of six games before winning 59-49 at DePaul on Wednesday.
While 59 points marked a season low for the Villanova offense, the team’s defense allowed its second-lowest field-goal percentage (30.8) and its lowest 3-point percentage (19.4) of the season. DePaul, a team that’s emphasized the three this year, made just 7 of 36 attempts.
“Our guys are putting a lot of energy into defense,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “… At the end of the day, you’re going to have games where your offense isn’t clicking, or you aren’t making shots. That’s why we really prioritize defense and rebounding.”
Eric Dixon, who tops all of Division I with an average of 23.8 points per game, had a season-low 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field against DePaul. He also managed just 18 points on Jan. 14 when Villanova lost to Xavier in their first meeting this season, 69-63 in Cincinnati.
Xavier (14-9, 6-6) enjoyed a strong outing from Ryan Conwell that day: 34 points (6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, 12 of 14 from the foul line), four assists and two steals.
Both Xavier and Villanova have NET rankings in the 50s entering the weekend as they pursue spots in the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
The Musketeers have won five of their past seven games, most recently a 74-69 home win over Georgetown on Tuesday. They lean on Zach Freemantle (16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds per game) and Conwell (16 ppg), but coach Sean Miller also praised No. 3 scorer Dailyn Swain (10.3) after he put up a team-high 18 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Hoyas.
“We have to put him in a position more often to be the playmaker and have the ball in his hands. He’s making too many good decisions and too many good plays,” Miller said post-game.
–Field Level Media
