Villanova Preview: Upset Alert Against Georgetown?

Villanova Men’s Basketball will return to action against Georgetown at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, hosting the Hoyas at the Finneran Pavilion. Georgetown swept the Wildcats (14-4, 5-2 Big East) last season and, although they entered the 2025-26 campaign with NCAA Tournament hopes, they’ve struggled to a 1-6 conference record (9-9 overall) and haven’t managed to figure things out under head coach Ed Cooley.

The Hoyas currently hold the No. 123 spot in the NET rankings, making this a Quadrant 3 matchup for Villanova (No. 33); the two teams check in at No. 100 and No. 26, respectively, in the KenPom ratings. KenPom rates the Hoyas’ offensive (No. 89) and defensive efficiency (No. 125) in the middle of the pack, while Villanova holds the No. 23 and No. 44 spots. 

The Hoyas pushed their last two opponents to the limit, losing 86-83 at Creighton in overtime and giving No. 2 UConn a 64-62 scare. Despite their disjointed play to this point in the season, Georgetown should have Villanova on full alert.

ESPN Analytics simulations see the Wildcats as a heavy favorite, winning in 86.3 percent of simulations. DraftKings Sportsbook gives them -500 (5-to-1) odds of winning, with the point spread set at 9.5 and an over/under of 143.5 points.

Peacock, a subscription service, holds the broadcasting rights to this matchup; it’ll also appear on NBCSN for those in the Philadelphia area.

Scouting the Hoyas

Georgetown went with a starting lineup of forwards Isaiah Abraham and Caleb Williams, 7-foot-1 center Vince Iwuchukwu and guards Malik Mack and KJ Lewis their last time out against UConn. 

Cooley shifted former starting center Julius Halaifonua, a seven foot tall sophomore who stepped up during an early season injury to Iwuchukwu, to the bench starting with the Creighton game. Halaifonua stands seven feet tall and gives the Hoyas a potent frontcourt tandem.

Lewis (14.8 points per game) leads Georgetown in scoring and steals (2.1 per game). Mack (14.3 PPG, 4.2 assists per game) leads the team in passing, while Halaifonua (10.7 PPG) and Iwuchukwu (10.3 PPG) also finish in double figures.

Williams (10.2 PPG) is the fifth Hoya clearing that barrier; he also leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game. Jayden Fort, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, averages 14.7 minutes and 0.9 blocks off the bench, furthering Georgetown’s size advantage. Given their size, the Hoyas take just 33.5 percent of their shots from three; that’s not much of a problem, as they make 49.7 percent of their shots from two. They haven’t dominated the glass this season, outrebounding opponents 37.1-35.5, but that could still prove a problem against the small-statured Wildcats.

Scouting Villanova

The Wildcats’ starting lineup consists of point man Acaden Lewis (12.1 PPG), guards Bryce Lindsay (14.9 PPG) and Tyler Perkins (12.1 PPG), forward Matt Hodge (who averages 10.3 PPG and typically plays on the wing) and forward Duke Brennan (12.2 PPG), their centerpiece down low.

Lewis leads the team in assists (5.3) and steals (1.9). He also possesses an excellent layup package, a combination that makes him dangerous in transition. Brennan ranks ninth in the country with 10.6 rebounds per game, and Hodge leads the team in blocks (0.6 per game). Sixth man Devin Askew (9.9 PPG) cleared the 20-point barrier in each of the past two games, making him another player to watch as head coach Kevin Willard leans on his more experienced players.

Villanova takes 45.6 percent of their shots from three and makes 36.4 percent of them. That can help them even out their size advantage, but they’re also prone to cold shooting when the threes aren’t falling.

They also struggle defensively from beyond the arc, allowing opposing teams to convert on 134 of 384 shots. Williams (22-of-57) and Mack (34-of-104) are the Hoyas’ chief threats from three; Abraham (19-of-44) is another spot shooter to watch.