No. 9 Villanova cracked the top 10 in the AP Top 25 college basketball rankings Monday and enters Tuesday's 7 p.m. ET matchup on CBS Sports Network with wins in 10 of its last 11 games. The Wildcats will face No. 13 Butler, which has dropped its last two games and is trending in the opposite direction after a 15-1 start.
The combination should make for a compelling Big East battle in the only matchup between ranked teams on the evening slate of college hoops. Both squads are 2-3 in Quadrant 1 games.
Viewing information
- When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania
- TV: CBS Sports Network (Channel Finder)
- Streaming: Here with authentication or through the CBS Sports App
Storylines
Butler: Butler reached its highest ranking ever last week when it ascended to No. 5. Then, it stopped playing defense. First came a home loss to Seton Hall and its national player of the year candidate Myles Powell, who scored 29 points in a 78-70 victory over the Bulldogs. Butler followed that up by committing an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers and lost 79-66 to a DePaul team that got hot from 3-point range. Now back at No. 13, Butler (15-3, 3-2 Big East) faces another challenging week that also includes a Friday home game against Marquette. No opponent had scored 70 points against the Bulldogs and only four had reached 60 until last week's losses. Keeping Villanova below either of those benchmarks won't be easy.
Villanova: There's not a single senior in Jay Wright's rotation, but Villanova (14-3, 4-1) has been winning close games as if it's veteran team. In Saturday's 61-55 non-conference victory over Connecticut, that required going to a zone defense to throw off a hot Huskies team. The move worked to perfection. Now the Wildcats are back in familiar position as the top-ranked Big East team at No. 9, one spot ahead of Seton Hall. Villanova's only losses are to No. 1 Baylor at a neutral site and on the road to Ohio State and Marquette. The Wildcats have quietly been one of the more consistent blue-bloods in the season of upheaval.
Game prediction, pick
Latest odds via SportsLine: Villanova -4
Expect Butler to show up with a sense of urgency. After rising to No. 5 in the country last week, the Bulldogs are suddenly at risk of falling to .500 in conference play. But playing Villanova on the road is a tough way to try and get back on track. The Wildcats have been finding ways to win, and with the Bulldogs showing susceptibility on the interior defensively, Villanova should be able to cover. Pick: Villanova -4
