Villanova Preview: Wildcats’ Must-Win Rubber Match vs UConn

The Villanova Wildcats’ quest for a Big East title and an NCAA Tournament bid continues at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13 when they face UConn in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament.

Villanova (19-13, 12-9 Big East) split the season series with the Huskies, claiming a 68-66 home win back in January before blowing a double digit second half lead on the road in Hartford. The Wildcats didn’t have to face Big East Freshman of the Year Liam McNeeley in their win, but saw him drop a game-high 20 points in the rematch.

Villanova enters this matchup ranked No. 53 in both the NET rankings and KenPom ratings: they’ll need at minimum an appearance in the conference championship game — and probably a win — in order to make the Big Dance for the first time since 2022.

UConn, on the other hand, checks in at No. 31 and No. 34, respectively, the neutral site making this a Quadrant 1 matchup for Villanova as they fight for their playoff lives. The Huskies won the Big East last season, so the Wildcats will look to end their title defense before it even gets started.

Wildcats’ forward Eric Dixon has an excellent chance at making history in this game, as he sits at 2,227 career points, just 17 off sole possession of the program’s all-time scoring record in what could end up the final game of his collegiate career. ESPN Analytics gives the Wildcats a 32.9 percent chance of advancing: ESPN Bet lists the Huskies as a -6.5 point favorite (they opened at -3.5, meaning most of the money is on UConn), with the money line set at +240 for Villanova; the over/under settled at 133.5.

Where to Watch; Who to Watch

FS1 holds the broadcasting rights for this matchup. Four Huskies average double digit points: Solo Ball with a team-high 14.8 per game, McNeeley (14.7) and Alex Karaban (14.5) just behind him, and center Tarris Reed Jr. squeaking to make the cut with 10.0.

Reed leads in rebounds (7.3) and blocks (1.7), while guard Hassan Diarra paces the team in assists (6.0) and steals (1.6).

Dixon, meanwhile, leads Villanova and the nation with an average of 23.5 points per game. Shooting guard Wooga Poplar takes home the prize in rebounds (7.0) and steals (1.3) and dropped a team-high 19 points in the Wildcats’ February loss in Hartford. Point guard Jhamir Brickus takes care of assists (5.0 per game), while big man Enoch Boakye paces the team with 0.8 blocks.