Villanova Preview: Bulletin Board Material as ‘Cats Host La Salle?

Villanova Men’s Basketball will host La Salle at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in their first of two Big 5 pod play games. The Wildcats (1-1) enter as an overwhelming favorite, taking home the win in 95.7 percent of ESPN Analytics simulations; they’re ranked at No. 40 on KenPom, while the Explorers check in at No. 177. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the point spread at -22.5 in the Wildcats’ favor and sets Villanova as a -6500 favorite on the money line.

Even so, La Salle will have plenty to play for. Villanova is set to exit the Big 5 after this season as a result of the changing financial landscape of college sports: head coach Kevin Willard took a dig at La Salle and their fans during the Wildcats’ preseason, saying it didn’t make sense for his team to lose revenue from a home game in favor of traveling to La Salle and playing in front of 400 people.

As such, emotions could run high in this matchup, the last between these teams for the foreseeable future. Both teams enter at 1-1. Villanova suffered a season-opening upset to Notre Dame in Rome before getting back on track against Holy Cross; La Salle took a 94-55 thrashing from No. 10 Houston on the road — a game in which head coach Darris Nichols said he’d burn the tape — before eking out a home win over Long Island.

With both programs facing increased expectations in year two under their respective head coaches, here’s what to watch for in this matchup on truTV.

Scouting the Explorers

Nichols went with a starting lineup of point guard Jaden Johnson, guard Kam Burton, senior forward and Saint Joseph’s transfer Anthony Finkley, returning all-conference wing Rob Dockery and 6-foot-9 forward Noah Collier in each of the Explorers’ first two games.

Seven footer Bowyn Beatty trailed just behind Collier in minutes played and leads La Salle with 7.5 rebounds per game; their size and experience on the wing with players like Dockery and Finkley could give them some versatility in small-ball lineups, and the Explorers have taken more than half their shots from three so far, making 46 percent against the Sharks and just 21 percent against the loaded Cougars.

Burton (13 points per game), Finkley (12.5 PPG) and 6-foot-4 bench guard Devin Booker (12.5 PPG) are neck-and-neck for the scoring lead. The Explorers have 32 assists on 43 makes, a testament to their play on the perimeter, but their 31 turnovers so far also indicate plenty of lapses. Shot charts show smart selection, forsaking mid-range shots for plays at the rim, but La Salle has converted on just 39.3 percent of two-point shots — again, Houston is partially to blame.

The potential lack of senior forward Kwame Evans Jr., who missed the Wildcats’ home opener against Holy Cross with hip soreness, could level out Villanova’s advantage down low, while La Salle’s performance from three will dictate just how close they can play the Wildcats.

Scouting Villanova

Willard has rotated his point guards to start the season, giving Buddy Simmons II (20 minutes per game, 7.5 PPG, 4.5 assists per game) the nod against Notre Dame before turning to Elijah Crawford (23 MPG, 8 PPG, 6.5 APG) his last time out. Villanova has displayed streaky scoring, with shooting guard Tyler Perkins dropping 18 points against Notre Dame before an ice-cold shooting night against the Crusaders; 6-foot-6 Devin Royal has played an athletic if undersized power forward with Evans injured and fell similarly quiet against the Fighting Irish (five points) before going off against Holy Cross (22 points).

Cornell transfer Jake Fiegen (13 PPG) is making 61.5 percent of his three-point shots and is one of the Wildcats’ most consistent scorers, even if that shooting percentage is going to come back down over time. Suigo (11.5 PPG, 10 rebounds per game, 2.5 blocks per game) suffered growing pains in his first college basketball game before flashing his talent with a 16 point, 15 rebound double-double. Four-star freshman Adam Oumiddoch (12 PPG) has been a revelation off the bench for the Wildcats, flashing his natural scoring touch in both games.

As is the case for La Salle, some of these performances are because of the wildly varying talent level teams play during an out-of-conference schedule. When Villanova is at their best, they can win in a variety of ways, driving to the net with Suigo and Royal or kicking out a pass to Perkins, Fiegen or Oumiddoch for a three. Fouls and turnovers plagued them against Notre Dame, although working out those bumps is part of the purpose of an out-of-conference schedule