College Basketball Picks: Providence Friars vs Villanova Wildcats
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
The Providence Friars is the top 3-point shooting team in the Big East, connecting at a 36.8 percent clip. Villanova Wildcats still is last in the conference in 3-point defense, allowing teams to go off at 34.2 percent.
If the Friars hope to crawl out of the basement and deal another blow to the stumbling Wildcats, Bryce Cotton, LaDontae Henton and Vincent Council will need to control the perimeter.
Villanova has dropped three straight and is in danger of ending its string of seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Providence Friars @ Villanova Wildcats
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where: The Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Cox (Providence), PHL 17 (Philadelphia), ESPN Full Court, ESPN3
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Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Wildcats listed as 8-point favorites versus the Friars.
Providence Friars (13-11): The Friars are improving in small doses under first-year coach Ed Cooley and have been strong in the last three games, falling to South Florida and West Virginia by three points each and earning their second Big East win, over Rutgers, on Feb. 1. Providence nearly began its first conference winning streak on Sunday but squandered a late lead and lost in overtime to the Mountaineers. The Friars have four players averaging at least 13.8 points but go only six deep. They upset No. 8 Villanova in Providence on Jan. 26, 2011 behind 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists from Council.
Villanova Wildcats (10-13): At this point, the Wildcats will need to win the Big East Tournament in order to continue their NCAA Tournament streak. Villanova has the second-leading scorer in the conference in Maalik Wayns but little else offensively. Wayns at times has suffered under the burden of carrying the load, including shooting 10 of 32 (31 percent) in the last two games. The Wildcats have been inconsistent on the perimeter all season but had been able to count on interior strength until recently. They were out-rebounded by Marquette and Pittsburgh in the last two games, marking the first time this season they have been outdone on the glass in consecutive contests.
1. Villanova is 27-11 at home all-time against Providence.
2. The Wildcats lead the Big East in free throw shooting but rank last in turnover margin.
3. Council leads the Big East in assists (8.6) and recorded 14 in each of the Friars’ conference wins.
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Wildcats 79, Friars 73.
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bryce cotton - ed cooley - ladontae henton - maalik wayns - ncaa tournament - providence friars - the pavilion - villanova wildcats - vincent council
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