Providence Friars vs Villanova Wildcats Prediction & Match Preview - January 23, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The No. 3 Villanova Wildcats return to their home court on Saturday to host the Providence Friars for a Big East battle. The Wildcats had eight games cancelled or postponed thus far, with head coach Jay Wright testing positive for COVID-19. The Villanova Wildcats can contend for a national title this season but must first take care of conference opponents to uphold their standing as a top-3 team in college basketball.

Match Details

Fixture: Providence Friars vs. Villanova Wildcats - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Saturday, January 23rd, 2021, 2:30 PM ET

Venue: William B. Finneran Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania

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Providence Friars Preview

Providence v Villanova

The Providence Friars pulled off a huge upset over the No. 11 Creighton Bluejays in their last matchup. With the 74-70 victory, the Friars successfully ended a three-game Big East losing streak, improving to 4-4 in conference play. Now, the Friars must keep this positive momentum and take it on the road with them to Villanova. The conference-leading Villanova Wildcats will provide lots of offense, and Providence defenders are sure to have their hands full. If the Providence Friars can contain Villanova's skillful scorers, their offense has plenty of weapons to pull off another upset.

Key Player - Nate Watson

Providence Friars' big man Nate Watson will be their key player on Saturday night as they try to take down Villanova. Watson exploded in the Friars' upset over Creighton with 29 points and six rebounds.

Big Nate Watson came to play this season. Most improved player in the conference. Period. https://t.co/Ev5A0Xu7ep pic.twitter.com/sfgysBabmI

— The Flex: A Providence Basketball Podcast (@TheFlexHoops) January 19, 2021

Nate Watson has averaged 19 points per game thus far, dominating the paint with his 6-foot-10 frame. When the Friars travel to Villanova, Watson will be matched up with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for what should be a very entertaining battle in the paint.

Providence Friars Predicted Lineup

F Jimmy Nichols Jr., C Nate Watson, G David Duke, G A.J. Reeves, G Alyn Breed

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Villanova Wildcats Preview

2K Empire Classic

The Villanova Wildcats played their first game of the new year on January 19th after having six straight games postponed due to COVID precautions. In their return, the Wildcats played the Seton Hall Pirates and barely escaped with a 76-74 victory. Wildcats' head coach Jay Wright tested positive for the virus, causing his team to quarantine before returning to play. On Saturday, Villanova will be looking to extend their current win streak to eight games, dating all the way back to December 1st, 2020. The Wildcats showed signs of fatigue in the final minutes against Seton Hall, but this was to be expected after such a long break in action. Villanova held strong though, remaining unbeaten against Big East opponents this season.

Key Player - Collin Gillespie

Coming off of a big performance in Villanova's return, point guard Collin Gillespie should lead the Wildcats' offense on Saturday against the Providence Friars. Gillespie scored a team-high 22 points on 60 percent shooting to help his team to a narrow 2-point victory.

Collin Gillespie gets it to go! He's got 16 for @NovaMBB. #NovaNation x #BIGEASThoops pic.twitter.com/uqMEOJWTOk

— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) January 20, 2021

Gillespie, now in his senior season with Villanova, is averaging 16 points and four assists per game. The Villanova Wildcats are a very solid team with Gillespie leading the offense and should have continued success as they get deeper in their Big East schedule.

Villanova Wildcats Predicted Lineup

F Jermaine Samuels, F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, G Caleb Daniels, G Collin Gillespie, G Justin Moore

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Providence vs. Villanova Prediction

While the Providence Friars shocked the college basketball world with their upset over the Creighton Bluejays, the Friars will be feeling very confident heading into this matchup with Villanova, and will likely give the Wildcats a tough game. However, the Villanova Wildcats are one of the top teams in the country for a reason. The Wildcats are very well coached, disciplined, and most of all, talented. I predict a tough fight out of the Providence Friars, but a winning performance out of Collin Gillespie and the Villanova Wildcats.

Where to watch Providence vs. Villanova

The game will be broadcast live on the Big East Network.