Villanova Preview: Wildcats Begin Big 5 Pod Play at La Salle

Villanova Men’s Basketball will play their first road game of the season when they travel to North Philadelphia to take on the La Salle Explorers at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19 in their first Big 5 pod play game.

The Wildcats (3-1) carry a three game winning streak into this matchup and hold the No. 43 spot in the KenPom Ratings; La Salle lost their last two games at Temple (their Big 5 opener, which they lost in lopsided fashion 90-63) and against Penn State. 

ESPN Analytics sees the Wildcats winning in 83 percent of their simulations, but Villanova is a heavy betting favorite at -900 (nine-to-one odds) at ESPN Bet; the over/under sits at 144.5 and the point spread at -12.5 in the Wildcats’ favor.

Per KenPom, the Explorers sit in the middle of the Division I pack in both offensive (No. 191) and defensive (No. 255) rating. Villanova slots in at No. 39 and No. 61, respectively. Overall, the Wildcats hold the No. 43 ranking and the Explorers the No. 219 spot, making this a Quad 4 matchup for Villanova. After losing at least one Big 5 game in each of the past three seasons, they can’t suffer another trap game loss if they want to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble.

CBSSN holds the telecasting rights to this game, while Villanova Sports Radio Network (102.5 FM) and the Wildcats’ student radio (89.1 FM) will be on the call.

Scouting the Explorers

Senior guard Jaeden Marshall, a transfer from Niagara, leads the Explorers in scoring this season with 15.3 points per game. 6-foot-9 forward Jerome Brewer Jr., who leads the team in steals with an average of 1.2, is the only other La Salle athlete scoring in double figures. Against Duquesne, Villanova largely shut down leading scorer John Hugley IV — although foul trouble played a role in limiting his effectiveness — but gave up 30 points to No. 2 scorer Tarence Guinyard. Facing another team with just two primary scorers will give a good indicator of how the Wildcats’ defense is improving, a major point of emphasis under head coach Kevin Willard.

Forward Josiah Harris leads the Explorers in rebounding with 5.2 per game, but he’s playing an average of just 17.3 minutes as the Explorers cycle through their forwards. 6-foot-7 Justin Archer comes off the bench but actually leads Harris in minutes with 21.3 per night. Guard Ashton Walker, a freshman, leads the team with assists (5.5) and is averaging 9.8 points per game, while forward Edwin Daniel leads in blocks with an average of 1.0 despite playing just 13.5 minutes per night.

La Salle isn’t an aggressive team from three, taking 28.8 percent of their shots from beyond the arc this season. However, they’re solid in the paint and are good at drawing fouls as a result, attempting more than 25 free throws per game. Recent Wildcats’ opponents have shot threes early and often, whether that’s because of a perceived defensive weakness on Villanova’s part or an explicit game plan to keep up with the Wildcats’ offense. Either way, watch to see if La Salle tries to adapt accordingly, and if they’re able to do so.

Scouting the Wildcats

Villanova guard Bryce Lindsay leads the team in scoring with 23.0 points per game, tied for the 19th-best mark in the nation. Senior forward Duke Brennan stands alone in rebounding with an average of 14.8, the highest in the nation, and is averaging a double-double with 10.8 points per game. Acaden Lewis (12.3 PPG), Matt Hodge (11.5 PPG) and Devin Askew (10.0 PPG) also average in double figures.

Nearly half of Brennan’s rebounds (29 of 59) come on the offensive glass, a key factor in helping the Wildcats extend runs and take control of games. Askew (19.5 minutes per game) and wing Malachi Palmer (19.8 minutes per game) are the sixth and seventh men, but Stanford could see a bigger share of minutes as he continues to get up to speed after a preseason ankle injury.

Lewis, a true freshman, leads the team in assists with 5.2 per game and earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors for his performances against Queens and Duquesne last week; Lindsay also landed on the Big East Honor Roll after setting a school record for three-point makes in a game. Junior guard and defensive specialist Tyler Perkins sets the mark in steals (1.8 per game), while reserve big man Braden Pierce averages 0.3 blocks across eight minutes per game.