On Wednesday night, Villanova will look to stay hot when it wraps up its season series with Creighton. The Wildcats used a strong second half to pull away from the Bluejays in the first meeting between the teams, earning a 90-78 win.
Creighton has gone 3-2 since the loss to ‘Nova, defeating Georgetown, Butler, and Xavier and losing to St. John’s twice. The Bluejays sit at 4-5 in the Big East and 13-9 overall.
Offense remains the strength of these Bluejays. Six players average at least nine points per game for Creighton: Ty-Shon Alexander (17), Martin Krampelj (12), Marcus Zegarowski (10.9), Mitch Ballock (10.7), Davion Mintz (9.9), and Damien Jefferson (9.4). Jefferson is out with an ankle injury.
Alexander had 22 points in the first meeting between the teams, but just five in the second half and he was just 6-15 from 3. Keeping him in check will be key for the ‘Cats.
Villanova did a good job challenging shots against Creighton in the last meeting, and will need to do so again on Wednesday, especially on the perimeter. The Bluejays shoot 50.4 percent from the floor and 41.8 percent from 3, ranking sixth in the country in 2-point percentage and seventh in 3-point percentage. They are third in effective field goal percentage. They also rank 15th in offensive efficiency per KenPom.
Defense is another story for Creighton. The Bluejays are 315th in opponent’s effective field goal percentage, 310th in opponent’s 2-point percentage, and 279th in opponent’s 3-point percentage. The defensive struggles were borne out in the last meeting between the teams, as ‘Nova dropped 90 points and shot 53.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three. Four Wildcats reached double figures in that game.
It would be nice to see the ‘Cats be aggressive offensively, as depth is an issue for Creighton. In the last meeting, the Creighton starters all played at least 32 minutes, and three bench players combined for just 20 minutes. Fatigue and foul trouble could turn into advantages for Villanova.
Two ‘Nova players we’ll be keeping an eye on are Jahvon Quinerly and Jermaine Samuels.
Quinerly had seven points on 3-5 shooting to go with three rebounds and an assist in the last meeting, getting 17 minutes. His playing time has taken a dip since then, and it will be interesting to see if he gets close to the same amount of time on Wednesday night.
Samuels had one of his better offensive games of the season in the first matchup with Creighton, scoring 13 points on 4-7 shooting. He added six rebounds, two blocks, an assist, and a steal. He has displayed a blatant reluctance to shoot over the past week or so, and we’ll be looking to see if some aggressiveness returns and if he can match his last performance against the Bluejays.
Villanova’s offense should be able to get going against Creighton, so it will be key for the defense to make the Bluejays work offensively.
The ‘Cats won the turnover and rebounding battles in the last meeting between the teams, and both areas are great ways to limit a strong offensive opponent.
‘Nova also earned an advantage at the free throw line which helped them pull away from Creighton last time.
In addition to Creighton’s offense, perhaps the biggest challenge facing the Wildcats will not be looking ahead to Saturday’s big showdown with Marquette. The Golden Eagles fell in their last game to St. John’s, and it’s possible they were caught looking ahead to the Wildcats. This hasn’t been an issue with recent Villanova teams that were loaded with experience, but for a younger team it will be interesting to see if they can keep their focus.
Playing at home and already holding a win over Creighton Villanova will be expected to win this game. It will be a matter of playing disciplined defense and staying focused on the task at hand. With a win ‘Nova would move two games clear of Marquette in the Big East standings.
