BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA VISITS UCONN

January 21, 2009


Just another night in the Big East when a pair of ranked teams go head to head as 20th-ranked Villanova makes the trek to Hartford to take on No. 3 UConn.

The recurring theme when this game is analyzed is the need for Villanova to make a statement. The Wildcats have played three ranked teams, losing to all three (Texas, Marquette and Louisville) and we are 17 games into the season and their two best wins have been against local Big 5 rivals Temple and St. Joe's.

For UConn, they have something weighing on their mind as well, a three-game losing streak to jay Wright's squad.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

No Break for UConn (TheDay.com)
'Nova Looks for Respect vs. UConn (Evening Bulletin)
Easy Times May Be Over for Villanova (Philly Inquirer)
Villanova Looks to Make Statement (Philly Daily News)
Taken for Granted, Adrien Becomes UConn's Leader (Rep-Am)
Huskies Hope to Shake Wildcats (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Trying to Keep Momentum Rolling (Rep-Am)
Versatile Villanova to Test UConn (Hartford Courant)

The match-up between UConn and 'Nova is concentrated on by looking at the size and NBA frontline of the Huskies and the traditionaly strong guard play of the Wildcats. While Dante Cunningham is enjoying a strong senior season and has given the 'Nova frontcourt new life, they just can not match-up withthe size and strength of a line-up that will start Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson and also bring Gavin Edwards off the bench.

While Scottie Reynolds leads a strong Villanova backcourt line-up, it is probably pretty accurate to say that the UConn backcourt should be, at least, the equal to their counterparts tonight. If AJ Price can build some momentum from his hot-shooting in the weekend win over Seton Hall (although, do not expect the same number of open shots tonight) and the speed infusion that Kemba Walker brings and Jerome Dyson's ability to play both ends of the court, this is a pretty good backcourt in its own right, even if they are overlooked because of their frontline.

We are still waiting on proof of how good Villanova is. They will certainly have motivation to make a statement, but UConn might as well with the bright lights of the ESPN cameras on their home floor against a previous nemesis. As a 9 1/2-point favorite, we like UConn to start flexing a little more muscle and knock down some free throws tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 74
Villanova 62