BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Seton Hall @ Villanova

January 17, 2006


Villanova returns home after a couple hard fought road games last week, winning 84-78 in overtime at Rutgers and losing 58-55 on the road to Texas. Seton Hall dropped a home game ot Marquette last week, 67-63. Tonight, the 18-pt favorite Wildcats look to regain their shooting touch at the expense of the Pirates.

Seton Hall does take pride in their defense and it will be tested, especially on the perimeter, by the 4-guard look that Villanova will use for a good portion of the game with Mike Nardi, Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry sharing time together often. They will rotate in Will Sheridan, Jason Fraser, Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark in the frontcourt as well.

Seton Hall could possibly match-up if they go with a line-up of Donald Copeland, Jamar Nutter, Stan Gaines and Kelly Whitney with either Paul Gause, Carl Marshall and Brian Laing rotating in. Grant Billmeier and Marcus Cousin would also rotate in with Whitney and to go a little bigger. They do have options, but their ballhandling and perimeter offense lags well behind the quartet that Villanova is going to go with and with the pressure Villanova is going to apply the Seton Hall guards, this is a tough, tough test for the Pirates. Add in the fact Donald Copeland is a little gimpy yet from an awkward fall in the Marquette game, and, one is not going to give Seton Hall much hope as they play in the on-campus Pavilion at Villanova.

Seton Hall is really going to have to buckle down defensively against Villanova and find ways to score themselves. I can see them doing one or the other tonight, but not both and Villanova always shoots well in the Pavilion. I do not expect tonight to be any different.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 81 Seton Hall 64

Leave your prediction in the comments section!