Villanova attempts to sweep season series against Providence | Villanova vs. Providence Preview

PROVIDENCE, RI—Villanova will look to extend its winning streak to four games for the second time this season. After a nail-biting win over #9 St. John’s, the Wildcats prepare for a road test against Providence on Saturday.

Villanova (15-10, 8-6 Big East) defeated St. John’s, 73-71, at the Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday to earn its best win of the season and 10^th win at the Finn in 2024-25. Wooga Poplar scored 22 points while Tyler Perkins added 12 points, including the game-winning three with nine seconds left in the contest. Eric Dixon, the leading scorer in the country with 23.5 points per game, accumulated 17 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

Villanova defeated #9 St. John’s on Wednesday at the Finneran Pavilion.

The Wildcats converted 53% of their field goals and 46% of their three-point attempts against the Red Storm’s tough defense.

Villanova has won three of its four games to start February, including three consecutive wins against DePaul, Xavier, and St. John’s. The Wildcats’ only loss came against Creighton by two points on Saturday, February 1^st.

First Matchup: January 17th

The Wildcats survived a close game against Providence (11-14, 5-9) in their first matchup at the Wells Fargo Center on January 17^th. Villanova beat Providence, 75-73, and outscored the Friars by seven points in the final twenty minutes. Dixon, Poplar, Jhamir Brickus, and Jordan Longino all scored at least ten points.

Villanova won the rebounding battle, 37-31, in the first game against Providence. The Wildcats also dominated the paint battle, 24-14.

Bensley Joseph led the Friars with 20 points on six-for-12 shooting. Corey Floyd Jr. scored 18 points in 35 minutes.

Dixon currently stands at 2,063 points entering Saturday’s game in Rhode Island. He is 31 points away from tying Bob Schafer for fourth place in Villanova program scoring history.

Providence’s Struggles without Hopkins

Providence has lost five of its last seven contests, including three straight losses to Creighton, Butler, and Xavier. The Friars’ star forward Bryce Hopkins has only played in three games this season and has not played since December 10^th. He will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury.

Without Hopkins, Providence has struggled to play its best basketball on both sides of the court. The Friars average 72.5 points per game and allow 71 points per contest.

Jayden Pierre, a junior from Elizabeth, NJ, averages 12.8 points per game. He has scored at least ten points in his last six contests. He converted just one of his 11 field-goal attempts for four points against Villanova in January.

Joseph, a senior from Arlington, MA, is one of Providence’s best three-point shooters, converting at a 41% success rate. The Miami transfer played with Wooga Poplar the last few seasons and averages almost 13 points per contest.

Providence is a good rebounding team, with 38 rebounds per game. Floyd Jr. and Oswin Erhunmwunse are the Friars’ two best rebounders, with about five rebounds per contest.

The Friars’ defense has struggled in its last three games. Providence has allowed at least 80 points in each of those contests, including 90 points against Xavier on Wednesday. The Friars only force nine turnovers and five steals per game.

All-Time Series: Villanova’s Domination

Villanova leads the all-time series against Providence, 73-43. The first matchup between these rivals was on February 15, 1936, 89 years from the date of this contest. The Wildcats are 3-2 against the Friars in Coach Neptune’s tenure.

Game Info

Saturday’s matchup starts at 6pm from the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The game can be watched on CBS Sports Network.