Villanova vs. Providence Preview | 1-29-2023

It’s an action packed Sunday at the Sports Complex in South Philly. The Eagles and 49ers will battle in the NFC Championship Game at 3pm, but the day starts with a Big East rivalry game between the Villanova Wildcats and Providence Friars at the Wells Fargo Center.

Glance at the Teams

Villanova heads back to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time since December 3^rd to take on Providence. This will be the Wildcats’ first matchup against the Friars this season. Villanova has won their last two games (against Georgetown and St John’s) and are 4-5 in Big East Play. The Wildcats, who are 10-10 overall, are excellent this season at home with a 6-2 record in front of Nova Nation. The Wildcats have not played a game in nine days.

Providence also comes into this game on Sunday winners of their last two contests. On January 21^st, the Friars defeated DePaul, and four days later, they crushed Butler, 79-58. Providence is ranked 23^rd in the country and this will be the Wildcats’ first game against a ranked opponent since January 7^th against Xavier.

Leading Scorers

The Wildcats’ leading scorer this season averaging 16.6 points per game is Caleb Daniels, who also led the Wildcats with 16 points in their win against the Red Storm. Villanova shot the three well in their last win, and knocked down some clutch free throws; however, their 36.5% from the field against St. John’s will not allow the Wildcats to stay in the game against a team like Providence. Once again, Villanova will need scoring contributions from their role players like Arcidiacono, and they will need more from Cam Whitmore, who only shot 2-10 from the field in the last game.

Providence’s leading scorer is Bryce Hopkins, a 6’7’’ sophomore from Oak Park, IL. Hopkins averages 16.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds. Devin Carter averages 13.1 points per game for the Friars and shoots 34.8% from behind the arc. According to ESPN, the Friars average about eight more points per game than the Wildcats.

Stephen Cain and I will have the live coverage of Sunday’s game between Villanova and Providence on WXVU, 89.1 The Roar beginning with tip-off at 12pm.