Tonight, Villanova will close out its Big 5 schedule with a game against Temple. The Wildcats will be looking to secure their fourth consecutive Big 5 title, a feat that has never been accomplished in the history this great college basketball tradition.

The Owls have been a bit of an enigma in 2016-17. Two disappointing early losses, particularly a home loss to New Hampshire, had many viewing Temple as an afterthought. But then, the Owls secured two impressive wins over No. 25 Florida State and No. 19 West Virginia, en route to winning the NIT Season Tip-Off. After two Big 5 wins over St. Joe’s and Penn, the Owls sat at 6-2 and were flirting with the top 25. A disappointing loss to George Washington has put any top 25 hopes on hold, but a win over DePaul has Temple sitting at 7-3 and believing that a NCAA berth is within reach.

Temple’s up and down season makes it hard to know which Owls team will show up tonight. But with it being a Big 5 game and a shot at the defending champs and number one team in the country, you would think Temple will be ready to give it their best shot. I’m sure Fran Dunphy will be using the Florida State and West Virginia games to instill confidence in his Owls, and they know that a victory could be a season-defining one.

At the forefront for the Owls is Obi Enechionyia. He is averaging 18.6 points and 7.7 rebounds for the season. He is also blocking 2.9 shots per contest. At 6-10, he provides great size for Temple, but he can also step out and be effective on the perimeter, as evidenced by his 49% shooting from three.

Senior Daniel Dingle provides leadership for the Owls. He is contributing 11.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

Shizz Alston is doing a bit of everything for Temple. He is putting up 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He is not much of a threat from three, where he is shooting just 27%, but he is effective at getting to the basket.

Quinton Rose has also been effective for Temple. At 6-8, he provides great length. He is an explosive athlete who likes to get to the basket.

Josh Brown missed the start of the season, but has begun to find his stride with a few games under his belt. As a senior, he helps in the leadership department, and is one of Temple’s more reliable three-point threats.

Freshman Alani Moore is a wildcard. At 5-10, he is a bit undersized. But he has shown flashes, as evidenced by his 18 points against West Virginia. He is also one of Temple’s better three-point shooters.

Usually, when the strength of a Villanova opponent is guard play, things favor the Wildcats. Nova will have to find a way to neutralize Enechionyia, but if they do they shouldn’t have any problems. There is some talent on this Temple roster, but a lot of it is young, and they haven’t been able to put it all together just yet. They have shown an ability to play with very good teams, but have also shown a tendency to play down to their opponent. Big 5 games are always tough to predict, but if the Cats can keep Enechionyia from completely taking over, they should be able to get the victory with superior talent and experience.