The Game: #4 Villanova (5-0) vs. LaSalle (3-1)
Location: The Pavilion in Villanova, PA
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN2 HD
Brief Rundown: After winning all 3 games in Puerto Rico en route to the title, Villanova has had a much-deserved 5 days off to prepare for their 2nd Big 5 contest of the year. It wasn’t easy down in San Juan, but in every game a different cast of characters stepped up to bring ‘Nova to victory. The most constant force was Antonio Peña, who was named Tournament MVP after posting 17 points and 16 rebounds in the final. The big man is averaging a double-double on the year, and will look to continue that on Saturday.
The Explorers are off to a strong start to their season with wins over Hampton, Davidson and Tulane, and they even played South Carolina closely in a 10-point loss. Rodney Green is the main man this year, and he’s had a fine start to his senior campaign. Green is averaging over 20 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game. He’s big at 6′5″, so expect a heavy dose of Corey Stokes and Dominic Cheek to try and slow him down. He’s the key to LaSalle having a chance.
What I Want To See: I want to see Mouphtaou Yarou, but that looks unlikely. The ‘trap-game’ thought crossed my mind, but the more I think about it the 5 days off gives Jay Wright a chance to refocus the team. I want to continue to see this team rediscover the efficient offense we saw in the last Big 5 outing vs. Penn. We haven’t been shooting it well, especially from outside.
…Lets Go Nova!…
