Villanova Preview: Will Georgetown Stick to What Works?

Villanova Men’s Basketball will try to win their third game in a row when they travel to face Georgetown at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7. 

The Wildcats (17-5, 8-3 Big East) beat the Hoyas (13-10, 9-4 Big East) 66-51 during their first matchup on Jan. 21, holding them under 30 points for the first 29 minutes of play. While Georgetown has struggled mightily in their third season under head coach Ed Cooley, they remain dangerous: the Hoyas knocked off Creighton 76-68 their last time out, pushing an ongoing winning streak to four games, and took No. 2 UConn to the wire in mid January.

They’re also banged up, however, with center Julius Haliafonua (9.9 points per game) and 6-foot-5 senior Langston Love (3.4 PPG, 12.7 minutes per game) both questionable to play.

Villanova enters as a 3.5 point favorite (DraftKings Sportsbook); the over/under sits at 138.5 in an expected defensive showdown, while ESPN Analytics sees the Wildcats winning in 66.1 percent of simulations.

Georgetown holds the No. 94 spot in the NET rankings and the No. 82 spot in the KenPom ratings, making this a Quadrant 2 opportunity for Villanova. The Wildcats check in at No. 32 and No. 28, respectively, as of the evening of Feb. 6. The Hoyas’ offensive and defensive efficiency rank No. 89 and No. 84 according to KenPom, while Villanova ranks No. 31 and No. 38: the expected low scoring output stems from their slow tempo, where both teams rank well below the national average.

TNT holds the broadcasting rights to this matchup.

Scouting the Hoyas

Cooley went with a 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, the same starting five that Villanova faced on Jan. 21. 

Lewis and bench guard Kayvon Mulready led the Hoyas in scoring when these teams first faced off, each netting 12 points. Georgetown took half their shots from three in that game, making eight of 25: Abraham and Williams are their chief threats from range and combined to go 5-for-7, using their height as a mismatch on the perimeter. The rest of the team went made three of 18. 

Despite their size advantage the Hoyas typically don’t dominate on the glass. Halaifonua picked up eight boards against the Wildcats last time, so his availability could prove pivotal: while the Hoyas outrebounded Villanova 36-34 in that game, they also committed 17 turnovers, the Wildcats’ aggressive defense limiting their shots taken. Lewis leads them in scoring and steals on the season, averaging 15.2 PPG and 2.2 steals; Mack (14.2 PPG and a team-high 4.3 assists) and Iwuchukwu (11.1 PPG) also average in double digits, while Williams, their lead rebounder, narrowly misses the cut (9.8 PPG/5.7 RPG).

Bench forward Jayden Fort, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, leads them in blocks, averaging 0.8 despite playing just 14.2 minutes per contest. All in all, the Hoyas have the size to pose a major problem in the paint for Villanova. Whether they decide to play to their strengths or the Wildcats’ weaknesses, attacking their shaky three-point defense like they did in the first matchup, might prove the difference.

Scouting Villanova

Villanova head coach Kevin Willard has rolled out a starting lineup of point guard Acaden Lewis, guards Bryce Lindsay and Tyler Perkins, 6-foot-8 wing Matt Hodge and big man Duke Brennan in nearly every game this season. 

Perkins 13.0 PPG) led the Wildcats with 16 points the last time they played Georgetown and has developed into one of the team’s most consistent scorers down the stretch. Lewis (15 points) finished right behind Perkins and cleaned up seven rebounds, making a difference inside despite standing 6-foot-2. A true freshman and Washington, DC native, Lewis (11.8 PPG and a team-high 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game) will take part in his first Division I game in his hometown arena.

Brennan (12.0 PPG) averages a double-double, ranking No. 8 nationally with 10.6 boards per game, and managed one against Georgetown. The 6-foot-8 Hodge (9.5 PPG) takes nearly two-thirds of his shots from three but is also capable of cycling down to play the five, leading the team with 0.6 blocks per game.

Sixth man Devin Askew (22.9 minutes per game, 10.3 PPG) and fellow reserve Malachi Palmer (15.5 minutes per game) also serve as difference makers for Villanova.